Supreme Shiffrin continues domination
ALPINE SKIING: Mikaela Shiffrin, 22, further underlined her status as the overwhelming favourite to retain the Winter Olympics slalom title with victory in Lienz, Austria.

The American's victory, by a comfortable margin of 0.89 seconds, was her third in a row in World Cup events.

She has claimed five wins overall in the 2017-18 season: two in her pet event, slalom, and the others in giant slalom, parallel slalom and downhill.

North Korea ready to take part in Winter Games
GENERAL: North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un used his New Year's Day speech to announce for the first time that the country would be willing to take part in next month's Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.

"The Winter Games to be held in South Korea will be a good occasion for the country," Kim added during his 30-minute address.

Skating pair Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik are the only North Korean athletes to have so far qualified for Pyeongchang 2018.

Paris enjoys home comfort in Italy
ALPINE SKIING: Italy's Dominik Paris claimed a popular home victory with downhill gold in Bormio - a first World Cup win of the season for Italy's men.

Paris was denied a double celebration in the combined event a day later when, having led after the downhill, a missed gate towards the end of the slalom run allowed France's Alexis Pinturault to take the victory.

Stoch, the two-time reigning Olympic champion from Poland, produced jumps of 126m and 137m respectively, with Freitag unable to challenge with his second attempt.

Olympic and world champion delays return to action
FIGURE SKATING: World champion Yuzuru Hanyu will not compete again until he begins the defence of his Olympic title in Pyeongchang in February.

The Japanese skater, who injured his right ankle in training in November, will sit out this month's Four Continents event to continue his recovery.

Swiss causes upset
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: Unheralded Laurien van der Graaff claimed an unexpected first World Cup victory in the opening leg of the seven-stage Tour de Ski in her native Switzerland.

Sergey Ustiugov of Russia won the corresponding men's sprint race, in which Britain's Andrew Young finished 10th to overshadow more celebrated compatriot Andrew Musgrave, who was 21st.

The Tour de Ski consists of seven events over nine days, starting in Switzerland before moving to Germany and then Italy.