On Olympics

A Defining Moment for the Olympic Games

By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY

Lionel Cironneau/Associated Press

The International Olympic Committee will vote on changes that deal with cost, bidding flexibility, sustainability, and inclusivity.

The International Olympic Committee will meet in special session next week in Monaco to vote on 40 proposals that address issues like Olympic bidding and white elephant venues.

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Kjetil Jansrud of Norway during men's downhill training in Beaver Creek, Colo., on Wednesday.

Norwegian Ski Team Is Small but Mighty

By KELLEY McMILLAN

The men's team has only seven skiers, but Kjetil Jansrud is a contender for three titles, while Henrik Kristoffersen should challenge in the slalom.

Past Rugby Champions Look to Beat the Present Ones

By HUW RICHARDS

Leicester, which won European club rugby's grand prize in 2001 and 2002, will host Toulon, the current back-to-back champion, on Sunday.

The silhouettes of America’s Cup Commissioner Harvey Schiller, left; Michael Dunkley, Bermuda’s premier; and the trophy.

U.S. Holds America’s Cup but Won’t Be Host

By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY

Instead of meeting the challenge on its home waters, the United States team elected to do so in Bermuda.

The funeral of Phillip Hughes, the Australian cricket star, was held in his hometown, Macksville, about 300 miles north of Sydney, on Wednesday.

Funeral of Phillip Hughes, Australian Cricket Star, Prompts Outpouring of Grief

By ALAN COWELL

Hughes, 25, who was killed by a speeding cricket ball last week, was buried in his hometown north of Sydney at a ceremony that drew a global following.

Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng, left, and Xabi Alonso, right, challenged Frank Lampard of Manchester City in a game on Nov. 25.

A Tough Decision Looms Over Frank Lampard

By ROB HUGHES

The former Chelsea star was to help launch New York City F.C. in 2015, but he has proven a valuable cog in Manchester City, and it may need him to stay.

Frank Lampard playing for Manchester City in a Premier League match against Sunderland on Wednesday. Lampard's strong performances have prompted Manchester City to try to extend his loan.

Clubs Set to Discuss Timing of Frank Lampard’s M.L.S. Arrival

By ANDREW DAS

New York City F.C. officials still expect to have Lampard, their marquee signing, leave Manchester City and join the team in time for the 2015 M.L.S. season.

The governing body of English soccer said Friday that it had charged Mario Balotelli with “an aggravated breach” of its ban on abusive and insulting language.

England’s F.A. Charges Mario Balotelli Over Racist Posting

By JOHN F. BURNS

Balotelli faces a five-match ban after the latest high-profile incident involving racist language by a prominent Premier League figure.

Russia Criticizes UEFA Decision Barring Crimean Soccer Clubs

By ANDREW ROTH

Russian officials slammed a decision to ban clubs from the annexed peninsula of Crimea from playing in Russian leagues, calling it “inexplicable.”

Kjetil Jansrud of Norway soars to victory in the World Cup downhill in Beaver Creek, Colo.

Norwegian Adds Famous Course to His List of Triumphs

By BILL PENNINGTON

Kjetil Jansrud had his third successive victory of the season, winning by more than half a second at the Birds of Prey course in Beaver Creek, Colo.

Tiger Woods had a five-over-par 77 in the Hero World Challenge’s first round, but he said he felt healthy.

Tiger Woods Is Pained Only by His Short Game in Return

By KAREN CROUSE

Woods’s body held up in his competitive return to golf at his event, the Hero World Challenge, but he expressed disappointment in his chipping and putting.

UEFA Takes Action Over Crimea

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

UEFA banned soccer clubs in the disputed Crimea region from playing in competitions organized by Russia.

Belarussian Wins World Cup Biathlon Race

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Olympic champion, Darya Domracheva of Belarus, won the women’s 15-kilometer individual race at the biathlon World Cup in Ostersund, Sweden.

Ben Swift, known to Bristol City fans as East End Shed Man, on the roof of his garden shed, where he can watch the team play at no cost.

At Stadium in His Backyard, He Stands Alone

By DAVID GOLDBLATT

When Bristol City demolished its East Stand, Ben Swift was granted one side of Ashton Gate, the club’s stadium, to himself. Now he has a free, mostly unobstructed view, at least temporarily.

Jérôme Valcke, the secretary general of FIFA, did not participate this week in a conference call to discuss the turf issue with several players.

Sports of The Times

Inaction and Inequality on Women’s World Cup Turf Issue

By JULIET MACUR

The Women’s World Cup is six months away, and calls to FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association to change the artificial turf to natural grass are still largely unaddressed.

Editors' Picks

A new fire hydrant was placed in front of Tiger Woods’s home in Florida following his auto accident in 2009.

5 Years After Crash, Tiger Woods Is Still Recovering

By KAREN CROUSE

Since Woods won the 2008 United States Open, he has had two operations, become a father for the second time, been divorced and reached the cusp of middle age.

Jean Béliveau in 1971, after the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup.

Jean Béliveau, Leader of Canadiens and a Hero to Canadians, Dies at 83

By BRUCE WEBER

Béliveau, one of the greatest centers in N.H.L. history, was an icon in Canada, and he led Montreal to 10 Stanley Cups in his playing career.

Corey Gallagher trained last week in Austin, Tex., for Wednesday’s first world championship in the beer mile, a combination of sprinting and chugging.

Cue the ‘Chariots of Fire’ Theme, With Burps

By LINDSAY CROUSE

More than 150 runners will compete on Wednesday in Austin, Tex., in the beer mile world championships, which combine sprinting with chugging beers, one before each quarter-mile.

Gabriel Medina, 20, won the Billabong Pro Tahiti in August, leaping ahead of men’s surfing royalty.

A Young Brazilian Surfer Is Riding a Groundswell

By TALYA MINSBERG

Gabriel Medina, a 20-year-old from Maresias, Brazil, is hoping to win the World Championship Tour title in a sport dominated by Australians and Americans.

Leonardo Silva of Atlético Mineiro hoisted the Copa do Brasil after defeating local rival Cruzeiro last Wednesday.

City Tarnished by Defeat Gets to Bask in Victory

By EWAN MacKENNA

Belo Horizonte, the city associated with Brazil’s embarrassing 7-1 loss in the World Cup semifinals, has experienced an unlikely soccer rebirth.

If the salary cap does not go up, the Rangers could lose Mats Zuccarello, left, and Derek Stepan.

Exchange-Rate Issue Is Cold Cash to N.H.L.

By JEFF Z. KLEIN

The decline in the value of the Canadian dollar against the United States dollar could have an impact on the size of an increase, if any, in the N.H.L.’s salary cap next season.

The Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton celebrating with the team after he won the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and secured his second world drivers’ title.

From Quiet Engines to Roaring Crowds, Mercedes Stole the 2014 Formula One Season

By BRAD SPURGEON

When Lewis Hamilton won the world title at the year’s final race, most fans welcomed a fitting end to a season made exciting by the battle between two teammates.