Ice hockey tournaments have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1920. The men’s tournament was introduced at the 1920 Summer Olympics and was transferred permanently to the Winter Olympic Games program in 1924. The women’s tournament was first held at the 1998 Winter Olympics.

From 1924 to 1988, the tournament started with a round-robin series of games and ended with the medal round. Medals were awarded based on points accumulated during that round. In 1992, the playoffs were introduced for the first time since 1920.

In 1998, the format of the tournament was adjusted to accommodate the NHL schedule; a preliminary round was played without NHL players or the top six teams—Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden and the United States—followed by a final round which included them. The tournament format was changed again in 2006; every team played five preliminary games with the full use of NHL players.

Canada are the most successful team in ice hockey in the history of Winter Olympics with a total of nine gold medals.

Also Read: World Cup of Hockey Is Back After 12 Years: NHL Announces Return

List Of Men’s Ice Hockey Champions In Winter Olympics

• 2026: USA (silver, Canada)
• 2022: Finland (silver, Russian Olympic Committee)
• 2018: Olympic Athletes from Russia (silver, Germany)
• 2014: Canada (silver, Sweden)
• 2010: Canada (silver, USA)
• 2006: Sweden (silver, Finland)
• 2002: Canada (silver, USA)
• 1998: Czech Republic (silver, Russia)
• 1994: Sweden (silver, Canada)
• 1992: Unified Team after Soviet Union dissolved (silver, Canada)
• 1988: Soviet Union (silver, Finland)
• 1984: Soviet Union (silver, Czechoslovakia)
• 1980: United States (silver, Soviet Union)
• 1976: Soviet Union (silver, Czechoslovakia)
• 1972: Soviet Union (silver, USA)
• 1968: Soviet Union (silver, Czechoslovakia)
• 1964: Soviet Union (silver, Sweden)
• 1960: United States (silver, Canada)
• 1956: Soviet Union (silver, USA)
• 1952: Canada (silver, USA)
• 1948: Canada (silver, Czechoslovakia)
• 1936: Great Britain (silver, Canada)
• 1932: Canada (silver, USA)
• 1928: Canada (silver, Sweden)
• 1924: Canada (silver, USA)
• 1920: Canada (silver, USA)

The 2026 Winter Olympics, officially known as Milano Cortina 2026, is set to take place from February 6 – February 22, 2026 in Northern Italy. This edition is historic for being the most geographically widespread in Olympic history, spanning over 22,000 square kilometers across the Italian Alps and the city of Milan.

The Games feature 116 medal events across 16 disciplines. Ski Mountaineering (Skimo) makes its Olympic debut. Other new additions include Women’s Large Hill (Ski Jumping) and Dual Moguls (Freestyle Skiing)

Milano Cortina 2026: Sports

Milano Cortina 2026: List of Venues

Also Read: EXPLAINED – Making Of Olympic Medals

Milano Cortina 2026: Schedule

The World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) 2025 reaches its mid-season with the French Riviera stop on 31 August, 2025.

This is for the first time that theWorld Triathlon Championship Series  is being held on the French soil, joining forces with the T100 Triathlon World Tour, offering double excitement and action as both series share the same venue and weekend.

Plage du Veillat will stage the open-water swim and city bike laps, before athletes cross into neighbouring Fréjus for the decisive run at Base Nature François Léotard.

World Triathlon Championship Series 2025: Top Favourite Contenders

Men

Australia’s Matt Hauser is the most favourite contender to watch out for. He notched up two wins and two runner-up finishes in 2025. But the presence of a full-strength field this weekend means his lead is far from secure.

Brazil’s Miguel Hidalgo and Portugal’s Vasco Vilaça remain hot on Hauser’s heels in the series standings, both quietly accumulating podiums and proving dangerous across all disciplines.

But the real fireworks may come from New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde, silver medallist in Paris 2024 and freshly recovered from an early-season crash. Wilde is not only gunning for WTCS glory but also chasing a rare T100-WTCS doubl- a feat that would place him among the sport’s elite few.

Then there’s the long-awaited return of Olympic Champion Alex Yee, making his 2025 WTCS debut after a successful spring marathon campaign. Known for his devastating run splits, Yee could shake up the entire race if he’s regained race sharpness.

Women

The women’s WTCS race has been a rollercoaster in 2025, with four different winners from the first four rounds, and no single athlete able to stake a dominant claim. That could change- or get even more unpredictable- on French soil.

Local hero and reigning Olympic & World Champion Cassandre Beaugrand leads the charge, backed by roaring home support. But her stunning loss in Hamburg to compatriot Leonie Periault proves even the favourites are vulnerable.

Beth Potter, Britain’s Olympic bronze medallist, arrives in fine form and will look to control the race from the front. Lisa Tertsch, the German star who opened her season with a win in Abu Dhabi, brings tactical strength and climbing prowess to this technically demanding course.

Also in the mix is Jeanne Lehair of Luxembourg, a surprise Yokohama winner, and Olivia Mathias, who claimed her first WTCS podium earlier this month and is riding a wave of confidence.

Also Read: Sports That Missed Paris Olympics But Will Feature At LA 2028

World Triathlon Championship Series 2025: Schedule

All Time CEST.

Los Angeles will host the Summer Olympics for the third time in 2028 after 1932 and 1984. It will be the first time the city hosts the Paralympic Games. The City of Angels is set to be the third three-time host city in Olympics history (London in 1908, 1948 and 2012; Paris in 1900, 1924 and 2024) and the first non-European city to do so.

Five sports will be featured in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics that were not included in the Paris Olympics. Here are those sports: 

Flag football

Flag football is a no-contact sport and will be making its debut at the 2028 LA Olympics. Flag football is similar to usual football but with some modifications, namely a smaller field, less players (5-on-5 from 12-person squads), two 20-minute halves and no kickoffs (play starts at the team’s own five-yard line).

America is a dominant force in flag football, having won the last four men’s world championships and the last two women’s world championships. 

In the women’s game, Mexico is considered to be a team that could upset the USA as they beat the Americans in the final of the 2022 World Flag Football Games.

Baseball/Softball

While Baseball/Softball did not make the cut at the Paris Olympics 2024, the games will feature at 2028 LA Olympics. Both sports are not entirely new to the Games. Baseball was included as a medal event at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and softball at 1996 Atlanta Olympics.  

In the men’s event , Cuba won the gold medal in baseball’s Olympic debut and went on to win it three times in total before the sport was nixed for the 2008 Beijing Games.

Softball, on the other hand, has been dominated by American women. The US won the first three gold medals for the sport and enjoyed a 22-game winning streak before losing to Japan in the final at the 2008 Games. Neither sport was featured at Paris 2024.

Originally marked as separate sports at the Olympics, baseball and softball returned as a combined sport with two distinct events (men’s baseball and women’s softball) at theTokyo 2020 Olympics, where hosts Japan won both gold medals.

Cricket

Cricket has only made one previous appearance at the Olympics, and that was over a century ago at the first Paris Games in 1900. There are three official formats for cricket, according to the International Cricket Council: test matches, One-Day Internationals (ODI) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20).

While Test cricket is considered the “traditional form” of the game and ODI is the preferred format, the 2028 LA Olympics will feature the T20I format, which is the “newest, shortest and fastest form of the game,” usually taking about three hours.

The only difference between men’s cricket and women’s cricket is that the women use a slightly smaller and lighter ball.

Lacrosse

Often considered to be America’s oldest team sport, lacrosse will be back in 2028 after a 120-year hiatus. The sport was part of 1904 St. Louis Games and the 1908 London Games before making appearances as a “demonstration sport” in 1928, 1932 (the first time L.A. hosted the games) and 1948.

A whopping three nations have ever competed in Olympic lacrosse, and in the two Games it was included in, Canada took gold twice.

At the next Games, a slightly modified version of “lax” will be featured; regular lacrosse — known as field lacrosse — consists of two teams of ten players with faceoffs occurring at the start of the game and after each goal. In 2028, players will contest in World Lacrosse Sixes, which is played on a smaller field with less players and, like the T20I format in cricket, takes less time than a regular match.

Also Read: Top 10 Best Rugby Players in the World in 2024

Squash

Squash is the only other sport besides flag football making its debut in 2028, although it was featured as a demonstration sport at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018.

There are no caveats to the squash event; it will be squash as you know it.

Russian athlete Tatyana Tomashova was stripped of the silver medal she won in the women’s 1500m event at the 2012 London Olympics 

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced the decision on Tuesday.

Additionally, the 49-year-old Russian has also been handed a 10-year ban. 

Tatyana Tomashova, a world champion in 2003 and 2005, was also one of seven Russian female athletes to receive a two-year doping ban for manipulating their drug samples in 2008.

Tomashova’s sanction came after reanalysis of two out-of-competition tests, on June 21 and July 17, 2012, which revealed the presence of anabolic steroids.

“Taking into account a previous ADRV committed by Tomashova in 2008, the Sole Arbitrator determined the appropriate sanction applicable to multiple ADRVs to be the imposition of a ten-year period of ineligibility, commencing on this day,” CAS said in a statement.

“The date of the CAS decision, as well as the disqualification of all competitive results obtained by Tomashova from June 21, 2012 until January 3, 2015, with all resulting consequences, including the forfeiture of any titles, awards, medals, points and prize and appearance money.”

The two-time world champion originally finished fourth in the 1500m final at the London Olympics 12 years ago, but her position had been upgraded to silver after Turks Asli Cakir Alptekin and Gamze Bulut were stripped of their medals for doping.

Bahrain’s Maryam Yusuf Jamal who had originally won the bronze had her medal upgraded to gold medal. 

The women’s 1500m event at the 2012 London Olympics has been described as the “dirtiest race in history”, after five of the first nine finishers in the final failed the doping test.

Also Read: List Of Olympians Who Were Banned After Winning Gold At The Olympic Games

Original Result of 1500m final event at the 2012 London Olympics 

1. Asli Cakir Alptekin (Turkey)- 4:10.23
2. Gamze Bulut (Turkey)- 4:10.40
3. Maryam Yusuf Jamal (Bahrain)- 4:10.74
4. Tatyana Tomashova (Russia)- 4:10.900
5.  Abeba Aregawi (Ethiopia)- 4:11.03
6. Shannon Rowbury (USA)- 4:11.26 
7. Natallia Kareiva (Belarus)- 4:11.58
8. Lucia Klocova (Slovakia)- 4:12.64
9. Ekaterina Kostetskaya (Russia)- 4:12.90 
10. Lisa Dobriskey (Great Britain)- 4:13.02

Laura Weightman (4:15.60) of Great Britain and Hellen Onsando Obiri (4:16.57) of Kenya finished 11th and 12th while USA’s Morgan Uceny did not finish the race.

Football at the Olympic Games became first protected in Paris in 1900 as a guys’s competition sport.

The guys’s Olympic football opposition has been regularly staged in each edition of the quadrennial event, except within the inaugural summer Olympics in 1896 and on the 1932 summer season Olympics in L.A.

Club Français (France), Université de Bruxelles (Belgium) and Upton Park (brilliant Britain) were the three groups that competed inside the inaugural edition of the men’s Olympic soccer competition.

splendid  Britain won the gold medal within the guys’s Olympic football competition at Paris 1900. France clinched the silver medal at the same time as Belgium claimed bronze.

In the meantime, FIFA has restrained the participation of elite gamers inside the men’s matches in numerous ways as a way to keep away from competition with the Arena Cup.

For the reason that at the at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics, guys’s participating teams had been limited to below-23 gamers at the marquee occasion, with a maximum of 3 overage gamers allowed due to the fact that Atlanta 1996.

Hungary and first-rate Britain have the maximum gold medals in guys’s soccer at the Olympics, with 3 each.

The likes of Brazil, Argentina, Spain, the Soviet Union, and Uruguay have bagged the gold two times each.

Brazil are the most embellished crew in the men’s soccer competition with seven medals, comprising two gold, three silver, and two bronze.

However, the women’s football opposition has been performed at the summer Olympics due to the fact that Atlanta 1996.

The US had been the most dominant crew within the ladies’s football opposition with seven medals. They have received 5 gold medals, one silver and one bronze.

Also Read: Spain’s Lamine Yamal Becomes Youngest Goal Scorer In Euro History

On average, the Olympic football winners listing is dominated via the US, with 8 medals in guys’s and ladies’s events. know the champions in guys’s and women’s competitions.

Olympic football winners list: Know the champions

Men’s Olympic Football Winners list

Women’s Olympic Football Winners List

Olympic football winners list: Overall medal table

Total medals won (men’s and women’s), including 1900 and 1904

]]> https://sportingscroll.com/2024/esports-in-olympics-decoding-growing-popularity-of-competitive-gaming/4420/ Thu, 22 Aug 2024 08:58:48 +0000 https://sportingscroll.com/?p=4420 The launch of ESports Olympics heralds a new chapter in the rapidly growing industry to competitive gaming. It is a testimony to the increasing popularity of iGaming across the world.  Players in the ESports category grew four-times between 2021 and 2022 from 150,000 to 600,000 and in future the number is estimated to reach 15,00, 000 by the end of 2027.]]>

With an objective to promote ESports internationally, the International Olympic Committee has entered into an agreement with the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia to host the maiden season of Olympic ESports Games in 2005. This is following the Olympics Executive Board’s proposal for creation of ESports Olympics.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has hosted over 1,700 elite players from over 80 countries, through major international tournaments in the last two years, including the first edition of the ESports World Cup.

Expanding Avenue 

The launch of ESports Olympics heralds a new chapter in the rapidly growing industry to competitive gaming. It is a testimony to the increasing popularity of iGaming across the world.  Players in the ESports category grew four-times between 2021 and 2022 from 150,000 to 600,000 and in future the number is estimated to reach 15,00, 000 by the end of 2027.

IOC President Thomas Bach said, “This is truly a new era for the IOC. With the confirmation by the IOC Session of the creation of the Olympic Esports Games, we are keeping up with the pace of the digital revolution. The ESports community, represented in our ESports Commission, has enthusiastically engaged with this initiative. This is further proof of the attractiveness of the Olympic brand and the values it stands for among young people. The NOC of Saudi Arabia will bring great – if not unique – experience in the field of ESports to this project. This partnership is based on the Olympic Charter and the Olympic values.”

The ESport industry has evolved as a cultural phenomenon that grew out of the younger generations’ love for video games and then watching great competitions. It promises a great entertainment value as well as forging competitive spirit among gamers.

The rising popularity of ESports have also attracted investors as new innovations and fine technology has shaped the landscape of competitive gaming.  

ESports industry made a boom during the Covid-19 pandemic period where natives were forced to live indoors. With traditional outdoor sports at bay, it was the iGaming that kept the generation engaged.

As per Newzoo reports, there had already been a significant increase in ESports viewership since 2016, both occasional viewers and enthusiasts. Between 2018 and 2019, there was a 12.3% increase year over year. In 2019, there were 200.8 million occasional viewers and 197 million ESports enthusiasts, making the total audience 397.8 million. The year-over-year growth continued through 2020 and 2021. In 2022 there were 249.5 million occasional viewers and 240.0 million ESports enthusiasts, a combined ESports audience of 532.0 million. 

Clinching a gold medal has been the ultimate dream for every athlete at the Olympic Games since its inception in 1958. Not only is an Olympic gold medal hailed as a crowning achievement for the athlete, but it also serves as an unwavering source of pride for the entire nation.

Over the years, numerous athletes have fought their battles in diverse sports fields gloriously to clinch the gold medals at the Olympic Games.

However, a few of them have still been unfortunate to witness the wrath of the game’s stringent format and have been banned or dismissed even after winning gold at the Olympic Games. We’re confident that there’s no worse feeling for an athlete than being ripped off their Olympic gold medal.

In this article, we will take a look at the top five Olympians who were banned at the Olympic Games even after winning gold.

Nijat Rahimov – Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s professional weightlifter, Nijat Rahimov, rose to enormous popularity and fame after he clinched a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in the category of 77kg weightlifting. In addition to clinching the most coveted Olympic gold medal, Nijat Rahimov also established a world record for clean and jerk lift of 214 kilograms.

While Nijat Rahimov was being hailed as an inspiration by millions of young athletes out there who aspired to represent their nation at the Olympic Games and clinch a gold medal for their country, a shocking revelation took away all his fame and success with a blow.

In 2022, in an investigation, it was revealed that Kazakhstan’s 2016 Olympic gold medalist had swapped his urine samples in the dope test and, as a consequence, he was ripped off his Olympic gold medal and was also banned from competing at the Olympic Games.

Ivan Ukhov – Russia

Russian high jumper Ivan Sergeyevich Ukhov, popularly referred to as “Ivan Ukhov”, made history at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London after he clinched a gold medal in the high jump event.

Ivan Ukhov’s unbeaten victory at the 2012 London Olympics was commemorated as one of his most impressive victories, in addition to the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships where he clinched a gold medal, and the 2010 European Athletics Championships where he was a silver medalist.

In a shocking turn of events, Ukhov’s career witnessed a major fall when he was found guilty of doping violations at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. As a consequence, Ivan Ukhov was stripped of his Olympic gold medal and was also banned from the Olympic Games for all the subsequent Olympic events.

Rick DeMont – America

Professional American swimmer Richard James DeMont often hailed as the “world champion” and a record-holder in numerous swimming events at the most prestigious tournaments and championships, witnessed the wrath of disqualification from the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

Richard James DeMont clinched a gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics but was later stripped of his coveted gold medal since he tested positive for consuming a prohibited substance that was a part of his asthma medication prescription.

The news of Richard James DeMont’s spread like fire in the United States and shocked the country to its core. Although Richard James DeMont received a lot of brutal criticism for adhering to unethical practices to clinch gold at the 1972 Summer Olympics, he remained naive about the involvement of the “banned” substance listed on his prescription.

Zbigniew Kaczmarek – Poland

Fourth on our list of top five Olympians who were banned at the Olympic Games even after winning gold is Polish weightlifter, Zbigniew Kaczmarek, who appeared in a total of three Olympic Games seasons, including the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

Although popularly hailed as one of the most experienced and potential flag bearers for Poland at the Olympic Games after he clinched a gold medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Zbigniew Kaczmarek was immediately suspended from the 1976 Summer Olympics after he tested positive for consuming anabolic steroids.

Although the late Polish weightlifter, Zbigniew Kaczmarek made numerous attempts to defend his action at the 1976 Olympic Games, he was stripped of his gold medal and was suspended for all the upcoming weightlifting events, which served as a major shock for his home country and supporters from around the world.

Ben Johnson – Canada

It is a popular misconception that doping violations have become more common in the era of the modern Olympics. To prove that wrong, we have Canadian former sprinter Ben Johnson as the fifth athlete on our list of top five Olympians who were banned at the Olympic Games even after winning gold.

Canadian former sprinter Ben Johnson established himself as one of the finest Canadian athletes on a global level after he clinched a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics and two gold medals at the 1985 World Indoor Championships, 1986 Goodwill Games, and 1986 Commonwealth Games.

However, his flourishing sprinting career came to an unprecedented halt at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Although Ben Johnson was initially crowned with a medal in the 100m event, he was later disqualified and stripped of the gold medal for being involved in doping violations for consuming “banned” steroids.

Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024 Sets The Record For Most Marriage Proposals 

Paris, often known as “the City of Love” , remained true to its name. The host to the 2024 Olympics witnessed nine marriage proposals by athletes, making it the most romantic Summer Games. 

Athletes left no chance to make their Paris trip a memorable one and went ahead to make the marriage proposals of their dreams. 

Alice Finot, France 3000m Steeplechase athlete proposed to Spanish boyfriend and triathlete Bruno Martínez Bargiela Bruno Martinez Bargiela. 

Badminton Player Huang Ya Qiong proposed to shuttler girlfriend Liu Yuchen.

French Women sailors Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon were proposed to by their respective boyfriends.

American rower Justin Best proposed to girlfriend of nine years Lainey Duncan. 

Pablo Simonet of Argentina’s handball team proposed to girlfriend Maria Campoy from hockey. team before the opening ceremony.

American Shot Putter Payton Otterdahl proposed to girlfriend Maddy Nilles. 

Brazilian Triple Jumper Almir dos Santos to his girlfriend Talita Ramos. 

Rugby player Alev Kelter proposed to fellow rugby player and  long-time girlfriend Kethryn Treder.

Italian Rhythmic Gymnast Alessia Maurelli was proposed to by boyfriend Massimo Bertelloni.

Also Read: Top 5 Moments from Paris Olympics 2024 That Went Viral

Since its glorious inception in 1896, the Olympic Games have continued to feature a set of treasured Olympic medals in the bronze, silver, and gold categories for the undefeated winners. While the Olympic medals are hailed as the epitome of excellence by billions of athletes and sports fans around the world, a majority of them still have no idea about the process and details that go behind manufacturing these highly treasured Olympic medals that serve as the ultimate benchmark of dedication and supremacy in the sports arena on a global scale.

In this article, we will take a look at the detailed manufacturing process of the Olympic medals.

Designing of the Olympic Medals

While members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) play a crucial role in overviewing the final design of the Olympic medals, the responsibility of designing and manufacturing the Olympic medals is generally left on the shoulders of the host city. The host city generally collaborates with prominent artists and designers to come up with their own unique segment of Olympic medals. As per the guidelines of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the designers must include the following details while curating designs for the Olympic medals :

• Year of the Olympics
• The Olympic Motto

The Olympic medals for the 2024 Paris Olympics have been designed in collaboration with one of the most prominent jewelry designers in Paris, Chaumet.

Manufacturability Assessment of the Olympic Medals

Once the design for the Olympic medals gets approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the designer moves to the next stage which involves specialized manufacturing engineers who are responsible for crafting the Olympic medals with precision, durability, and reduced production cost that reduces the toll of the host city.

The Olympic medals for the 2024 Paris Olympics carry original iron sourced from the Eiffel Tower.

Prototyping the Olympic Medals

After the manufacturing engineers have decided on their design for manufacturability guidance (DFM) and the material that would be used in crafting the Olympic medals, the next stage involves the craftsmen prototyping the Olympic medals with either clay or a sand mold.

Once the casting process is completed, the Olympic Medals are punched with a CNC machine and are later polished or electroplated.

Final Manufacturing of the Olympic Medals

Once the Olympic medals have been cast to perfection and all the quality checks have been passed by the manufacturer’s quality control team, the main stage of manufacturing begins, which involves stamping and CNC machining.

The Olympic medals are manufactured strictly according to the guidelines of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and meet all the quality and aesthetic standards as stated by the IOC.

In the final stage, the Olympic medals are polished and cleaned before entering the next and final round of inspection before shipping.

Final Inspection & Shipping of the Olympic Medals

If you think it’s all that is involved in the manufacturing of Olympic medals, you might need to give it another thought as we are still not done.

After the final rounds of manufacturing, stamping, punching, and polishing, the Olympic Medals still have to go for a rigorous final inspection round to ensure that the medals crafted perfectly meet the guidelines and standards as stated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Once the final inspection is completed and the checks regarding the weight, texture, polishing, color & inscriptions are passed, the Olympic medals are then shipped to the Olympic committee.