Simon Smale

People in coats stand on the side of a field with footballers in the background.

Hardy folk in the grey and drizzle, watching enthusiastic kids on muddy fields.

This is the lifeblood of sport, the roots that allow the elites to flourish.

Friday Night Under Lights Race in Battersea Park.

Unreal performances all round. Great atmosphere too.

Extraordinary to see a game at San Siro before it’s pulled down.

Even more extraordinary that Bodø/Glimt won it 2-1 against Inter.

Signing off from these Winter Olympics filled with pride at what our small ABC Sport team was able to achieve together.

Ciao, Livigno.

#MilanoCortina2026

Australia's golden Winter Games another step towards sustained excellence Australia's medal-filled 2026 Winter Olympics campaign will live long in the memory. Not as the peak of this sunburned nation's snowy achievements, though. Just the beginning.

Australia’s greatest Winter Olympics.

What an honour it has been to cover these tremendous athletes - not only over the last two weeks but in the years leading up to these Games.

🇦🇺 ❄️

#MilanoCortina2026

Closing ceremony tonight after Australia’s greatest ever Winter Olympics.

Cooper Woods and Dani Scott will carry the flag.

Indra Brown's fifth-place finish confirmation of her rapid rise Four months ago, Indra Brown had not even competed in a senior World Cup event. Her fifth-placed finish in her maiden Winter Olympics proves her meteoric rise is no fluke.

Indra Brown was disappointed in finishing fifth. But that just shows how far she’s come.

#MilanoCortina2026

Second time of asking for the women’s freeski halfpipe.

Much better conditions than last night’s blizzard.

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Indra Brown 'the real deal' according to defending champion Elieen Gu Australian teen Indra Brown's spectacular rise to Winter Olympic medal contender has been stunning to watch, but defending freeski champion Elieen Gu says it's not a surprise.

Australian teen Indra Brown's spectacular rise to Winter Olympic medal contender has been stunning to watch, but defending freeski champion Elieen Gu says it's not a surprise.

Olympic final? Indra Brown's still got maths homework to do Sixteen-year-old Indra Brown came into the Winter Olympics as one of the top medal contenders in freeski halfpipe, a status elevated since she finished fourth in qualification. But it still doesn't ge...

Indra Brown’s youthful exuberance is a joy to behold, a young athlete with the world at her skis.

But only once she finishes her homework.

#MilanoCortina2026

Cassie Sharpe's horrific crash a stark reminder of Winter Olympics dangers As Cassie Sharpe lay motionless on the base of the Livigno halfpipe, the excruciating tension reminded us all that winter Olympians are only ever seconds from disaster.

It was harrowing to watch.

An athlete hitting the deck so hard that she lost consciousness, medics racing to be next to her as she started to convulse.

A reminder once more that these sports are not for the faint of heart.

#MilanoCortina2026

Also, I got to hold the medal.

🤯

Dani Scott's tears of joy a welcome balm after years of pain As anxiety builds in this most tension-filled Winter Olympic sport, it's no wonder tears are a by product of both success and failure. Thankfully for Dani Scott, this time she was crying tears of pure...

The tears flowed as Dani Scott overcame years of Olympic pain and disappointment to claim a stunning silver medal in the aerials competition today.

It was a pleasure to see her come out victorious.

#MilanoCortina2026

Silver for Dani. Astonishing stuff.

🇦🇺: 🥇🥇🥇🥈🥈🥉

#MilanoCortina2026

How Australia's moguls coach almost left the system, and why he stayed With a background in mathematics and an enviable attention to detail, it would be tempting to think of Australian ski coach Peter McNiel as moguls' answer to Moneyball. The truth is far more detailed.

Had a tremendous chat with Peter McNiel yesterday.

Half an hour in and I was willing to run through a wall with him - with being the operative word there, because he’d never ask you to do something he wasn’t willing to do himself.

Pleasure to chat.

#MilanoCortina2026

The 'nuts' way Australia's aerial skiers prepare for delays Delays are nothing new in skiing events, with weather and light a constant battle for event organisers. However, the Australian aerials team has an unusual method to handle the disruption.

Patience is a virtue.

Australia’s aerial skiers will have to show plenty of it as the weather causes chaos in Livigno.

#MilanCortina2026

This Olympic legend's acts of selflessness earned him a rare award As Bree Walker aims to create Olympic history in the women's monobob, she will do so on a track named after a man who made history of his own through one of the Winter Games' most selfless acts.

Bree Walker wasn’t able to write her own happy Olympic story in Cortina.

But the man whose name adorns that track, Eugenio Monti, has one hell of a story to tell.

#MilanoCortina2026

Last man standing: When Steven Bradbury shocked the world In 2002, Australia broke its Winter Olympics gold medal duck in the most extraordinary of ways, as Steven Bradbury put a decade of injury and bad luck behind him to claim the most thrilling of gold medals.

In 2002, Australia broke its Winter Olympics gold medal duck in the most extraordinary of ways, as Steven Bradbury put a decade of injury and bad luck behind him to claim the most thrilling of gold medals.

'How the hell' does Australia dominate moguls? The answer is no secret To the surprise of many, the "beach nation" that is Australia is the best moguls skiing nation on earth. How the team got there is no accident.

How is Australia so good at moguls skiing?

It’s a combination of coaching, culture and a surprisingly large pool of talent.

#MilanoCortina2026

Livigno's idylic quality enhanced as snow stops play Livigno is an Italian outlier in more ways than one. With special tax status and a fairytale quality, the town had a phenomenal dumping of snow that caused a significant shuffling of events.

Bit of snow today. It turned this alpine paradise into something even greater.

#MilanoCortina2026 #Livigno

What a fun day.

🥇 🥇 🥇 🥈 🥉

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These medals are really adding up…

🇦🇺: 🥇🥇🥇🥈🥉

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How 'mortified' Jakara Anthony went from a fall to a second gold medal As Jakara Anthony dealt with the disappointment of her singles moguls crash, her coach Peter McNiel was working out how to pick her back up.

As Jakara Anthony dealt with the disappointment of her singles moguls crash, her coach Peter McNiel was working out how to pick her back up.

Jakara Anthony's redemptive arc leads her to Olympic immortality Jakara Anthony stared down adversity, swallowed back her pain, and delivered a performance for the ages to become Australia's greatest Winter Olympian.

Winning an Olympic gold is hard.

Bouncing back from a crushing disappointment is also hard.

Doing the latter to achieve the former puts Jakara Anthony on a rare level of brilliance as Australia’s first ever two-time Winter Olympic champion.

#MilanoCortina2026

What (another) amazing day.

Australian medal tally: 🥇🥇🥇🥈

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Peel's desperate despair a heartwrenching way for her Games to end Instead of the glint of gold, Laura Peel's lasting Olympic memory will be the glittering diamonds of despair in Zhangjiakou, with the 36-year-old ruled out of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortin...

One of the most heartbreaking, affecting things I’ve ever covered was Laura Peel’s heartbreak at missing a medal in Beijing.

I’d desperately hoped that the last Olympic memory that I had of her was going to be so much happier. 😢

#MilanoCortina2026

The heartache of 'almost' strikes again for Scotty James Scotty James has sought what resides at the end of the Olympic rainbow his whole career. But for the third time, he's had to settle for the numbing pain of almost being an Olympic champion.

Scotty James has sought what resides at the end of the Olympic rainbow his whole career. But for the third time, he's had to settle for the numbing pain of almost being an Olympic champion.

Baff's self-belief a blessing with a golden exclamation Self-belief is the most powerful tool at an athlete's disposal, and Josie Baff utilised it to its fullest extent with a magical run to gold in the 2026 Winter Olympics snowboard cross.

Self-belief is the most powerful tool at an athlete's disposal, and Josie Baff utilised it to its fullest extent with a magical run to gold in the 2026 Winter Olympics snowboard cross.

Baff. Clift. Wilson.

Snowboard cross in the sunshine, Aussies representing well in the spectator area.

#MilanoCortina2026

Some cycling gems on the wall of the Kafe Experience shop in Livigno.

Sonny Colbrelli signed the wall, Michael Matthews left a signed jersey, among others.

Owner of the shop says he loves cyclists because they love lots of coffee! Win win!

🚴‍♂️ + ☕️ = ❤️