I remember Seiko Hashimoto's presence at the Winter Olympics - she competed at four between 1984 and 1994 - for some reason, I was distantly charmed / impressed at her world-class success as a Japanese speed skater amidst the (East) Germans and Americans dominating the sport those years. And I was thrilled seeing her win a medal, her only one as it turned out, at Albertville 1992. And I became even more as she competed in three Summer Games, as a cyclist, She certainly has been an Olympian! And now, she's a late-arriving President of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee, charged with stabilizing the organization after her predecessor's misogynist remarks and steering Tokyo 2020 toward fruition. A monumental task, but Hashimoto's Olympic and political experience will serve her well to move beyond impressions of tokenism as a female president. Congrats and best of luck!

Congrats to Greece and Montenegro! The finalists at water polo's Olympic Qualification Tournament are winners of Tokyo 2020 placements. Croatia also secured a spot also with their third place finish.

Five skiers won two gold medals each at the Alpine World Skiing Championships over this past week - Vincent Kriechmayr, Mathieu Faivre, Sebastian Foss-Solevag, Lara Gut-Behrami, and Katharina Liensberger. But U.S. star Mikaela Shiffrin was the top overall individual, with four medals...winning one in each event she entered.

More Alpine worlds: Mexico's erstwhile six-time Olympian, Prince Hubertus von Hohenlohe keeps on skiing.

Meanwhile, the AP looks at the rare single-coach setup that Italy's top female skiers - Sofia Goggia, Federica Brignone, and Marta Bassino - share.

After a disappointing Rio 2016 and a horrific crash in 2019, triathlete Katie Zaferes is looking forward to cementing a comeback at Tokyo 2020.

BWF checks in on Indonesian doubles star Greysia Polii and how she has developed her forehand serve as a unique attribute in badminton.

Chelsie Giles was a surprise winner in the women's -52kg event at judo's Grand Slam in Tel Aviv, overcoming Olympic champion Majlinda Kelmendi in the semifinals en route.

Also from Tokyo 2020...a look at karate champion Alexandra Recchia, looking to add an Olympic podium to her numerous career accolades, while maintaining a legal career.

Shortly before winning her fourth Grand Slam title, tennis champion Naomi Osaka lent her voice in support of progress at Tokyo 2020.

Norway sure provided the star power at the Biathlon World Championships last week. Breakouyt star Sturla Holm Laegreid's mass start victory yesterday gives him four gold medals at the event, including two individual. That tally pushes him past more noted teammates Johannes Tinges Bo and Johannes Dale on the men's side. Compatriot Tiril Eickhoff was the overall medal winner, though, as she earned a sixth medal with a bronze in the mass start. Her finish included four titles as well.

Six Olympics is just enough for India's luge Shiva Keshavan, as he focuses on mentoring a new generation of athletes now.

Nyjah Huston: a Tokyo 2020 skateboarding top contender in the news for hosting a Covid-19 "super spreader" party in Los Angeles.

Blanka Vasic: a champion high jumper retires.

Keep the Flame Alive's latest podcast feature interview is Jordan Gray, U.S. women's decathlete (right!) and her work to make that established,

Even more from Tokyo 2020...world champion and world record holder decathlete Kevin Mayer is using the next five months to the Games to continue fine-tuning his comeback from 2019 disappointment.

Despite the Netherlands' overall dominance, Swede Nils van der Poel is the breakout star of the World Single Distance Championships, leaving with two individual golds and a world record in the 10,000 meters.

Meanwhile, Joey Mantia's mass start win is his third in the event, all coming in odd-numbered years. Brittany Bowe's 1000 meter win was also a third win in the event for her.

Vincent Kriechmayr, the new 'King of Speed' joins elite alpine skiing company as he is now only the third man to win both the downhill and the super G races at a FIS Alpine Ski World Championships.

With his fourth round victory over Milos Raonic at the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic is just the second man in history with 300 career Grand Slam match wins. He chases Roger Federer, who is not playing in Melbourne, and carries 362.

Rio 2016 champion Simone Biles gets the documentary treatment in the upcoming Simone vs Herself.

More gymnastics: Brazilian Arthur Nory has a bit of good news after a robbery scare.

Five Canadian Olympic champions, including Patrick Chan and Catriona Le May Doan, recap what they've been up to over the last year as they worked to "stay grounded when everything went off the rails last March".

Can badminton player Sai Praneeth overcome injury to reach Olympic qualification for India?

Beatrice Chepkoech has a second world record, after her 5K road victory in Monaco this weekend.
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Kimia Alizadeh, Iran's only female Olympic medalist, on track to attempt Tokyo 2020 taekwondo qualification as a Refugee Team athlete.

Francesco Friedrich became the first pilot to win four consecutive four-man bobsled world championships, cementing his status as the sport's best this season and powering Germany to the top of the overall medal table at this weekend's bobsled and skeleton championships.

Tiril Eickhoff dominates the World Biathlon Championships, with three gold medals in three women's events...and three more events yet to go.

Congrats to Alex Fiva for representing the 'veterans'...as he, at 35, is the "oldest FIS World Ski Cross Champion ever". 

Welsh swimmers Georgia Davies, Dan Jervis, and Alys Thomas are grateful for the unique training opportunities as they prepare to represent Team Great Britain at Tokyo 2020.

Congrats to Olympic champion swimmer Nathan Adrian as he enters fatherhood!

Tasmania, bonsai, and more on the road to Tokyo 2020...triathlete Jake Birthwhistle is World Triathlete's latest podcast feature subject interview.

Ski jumper Juliane Seyfarth aims to "raise awareness for the sport", and probably some eyebrows, with an appearance in Playboy magazine. 

​Champion canoeist Lisa Carrington is "the most influential Maori sports personality of the last 30 years". Congratulations!

Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird are GQ cover models...

...as are Jutta Leerdam and Koen Verweij.

Alison looks ahead.

Sprinter Ivet Lalova with some wise words.

Linda Cerruti takes a break.

Tai Tzu-Ying is all smiles.

Fabio Basile serves it Italian style.

Thomas Roehler enjoys a workout.

Race Imboden's feeling tough.

Francesco Bonsanto doubles up.

The Associated Press shares a handful of examples of athletes having Olympic dreams shattered with the one year postponement of Tokyo 2020. As Irish once-boxing hopeful Dean Gardiner puts it while facing continuing to juggle training with fathergood and a career, "I have other priorities now that are higher up the list than boxing."

More Ireland: Count rower Paul O'Donovan as one still committed to the Games this year, although he faces domestic competition to earn an Olympic seat again for Ireland.

Javelin thrower Kelsey-Lee Barber is next in World Athletics' series on how 2019 world champions are approaching Tokyo 2020.

Early indoor season was on display at the American Track League's open ing event, led by Ryan Crouser's world indoor record for the shot put.

Team GB promising judoka Nekoda Davis shelves plans for Tokyo 2020 as she struggles to fully recover from a concussion injury that has "robbed" time.

​Skier Johan Clarey: Score one for the (not so) old-timers!

Congratulations to Hungary and the Netherlands, the final two qualifiers for Tokyo 2020's women's water polo tournament. Can the Hungarians improve upon their three​ Olympic fourth-place finishes?

Carolina Marin and Viktor Axelsen are standing their ground as badminton winners with successive tournament championships in Thailand.

Canada's Olympic swimming team begins to take shape, lead by 2019 world champions Margaret Mac Neil and Kylie Masse.

Tokyo 2020: As she does so often, soccer star Megan Rapinoe says what a lot of us are thinking.

Meanwhile, swimmer Rikako Ikee continues her return from leukemia treatment with qualification to Japan's Olympic trials, despite the "painful reminder that competition is unforgiving."

Nice to see curling have top appreciation in some pockets of the world, as Team Hasselborgs wins "Team of the Year" honors at Sweden's Idrottsgalan sports gala.

Norway's cross- country skiing hasn't lost a step, despite a Covid-19 interruption in FIS World Cup racing, with domination at the Lahti Ski Games.

Suzanne Schulting is the big indiviudal winner at the European Short Track Championships, with three individual race titles and the overall title.