Warm weather postpones Quebec’s snowboard cross World Cup

MONT-SAINTE-ANNE, Que. - A World Cup snowboard cross event in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que., has been postponed because of warm temperatures and lack of snow.

The "Bataille Royale," scheduled for Feb. 4-5, was delayed to to March 24-26 at the resort 50 kilometres northwest of Quebec City, Snowboard Canada said Thursday in a release.

"The decision to reschedule the event was made with the goal of providing the best possible snow conditions and course for the world's top snowboard cross athletes," Canada's snowboarding federation said.

"The extra time will provide time for seasonal temperatures and snowfall to return as well as utilize snowmaking if needed, to build a unique new snowboard cross course that will showcase the talents of the competitors and provide an exciting race for the fans."

Canadian women’s rugby coach summons reinforcements for New Zealand Sevens

Injuries have prompted Canada women's coach Jack Hanratty to call in reinforcements for the New Zealand Sevens, the third stop on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

The injury-ravaged Canadian women were reduced to eight players on the final day of play last month at the South Africa Sevens. Canada finished eighth in Cape Town and stands ninth overall in the standings.

Julia Greenshields, Breanne Nicholas, Florence Symonds and Keyara Wardley, all injured in South Africa, miss out on the trip to New Zealand.

Maddy Grant and Alysha Corrigan make the transition from the 15s national team. Pamphinette Buisa, part of the Canadian Olympic sevens squad in Tokyo, and Chloe Daniels return to the sevens roster.

Pair skaters Kemp and Elizarov have world championships in sights

The worlds await Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov, or so it would seem.

Playoff atmosphere as Wesmen face Cougars

Every so often, there is a regular-season game that feels like a playoff game.

Moir, Weaver back gender-expansive ice dance, pairs teams

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian ice dancer Kaitlyn Weaver says, as an LGBTQ person, her sport has never fully reflected her lived experience.

Skate Canada last month dropped the requirement that an ice dance or pairs team competing domestically must include a man and a woman. As of next season, pairs and ice dance skaters — up to the Canadian championships, but not beyond — need only be two skaters.

Canada, which is the first country to make such a move, plans to push for an international rule change at the next International Skating Union congress in 2024. The change has Weaver and two-time Olympic ice dance champion Scott Moir among its biggest advocates.

“There’s so many different ways that it can impact young people,” Weaver told The Canadian Press. “But as an ice dancer, and especially as a queer person growing up that didn’t know she was queer, seeing different stories represented and different partnering, different types of identities on the ice, would have been very liberating for me.”

World Cup ski races canceled after lack of snow in Germany

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) — A lack of snow in the unseasonably warm European winter forced organizers Tuesday to cancel two men's World Cup ski races in Germany two weeks ahead of schedule.

The International Ski Federation said it is “working on a replacement” venue for the downhill and giant slalom scheduled on Jan. 28-29 at Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

FIS cited the “not favorable weather forecast and the actual snow conditions” on the storied Kandahar slope in Bavaria for the decision.

The hill did manage to stage a men's slalom last week racing on a narrow strip of white artificial snow surrounded by green fields and forest.

War at home never far from thoughts of Ukrainian hockey team

It was only an exhibition game, but it was an extraordinary night.

Poised blue-liner making most of opportunity with Team Canada

Avery Pickering has a checklist that crosses her mind daily: play hockey on the world stage, excel at a Division 1 school, then make the Canadian women’s Olympic team.

Skate partners Kemp, Elizarov should contend for national title

Winnipeg pair skaters Ava Kemp and Yohnatan (Yoni) Elizarov will be back in the game at this week’s Canadian figure skating championships, despite losing nearly a month of training time while Kemp recovered from a severe left ankle sprain.