Petter Northug enters the Olympic season as the man to beat in cross-country skiing, and he isn't doing much to downplay expectations.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia Vancouver Olympic organizers didn't violate women ski jumpers' rights because they had no power to include their event in the 2010 Winters Games.

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. Last February, Frank Rommel struggled to 13th place in the skeleton world championships at Mount Van Hoevenberg, and his four victories in the World Cup regular season quickly became an icy afterthought.

Olympic luge slider Tony Benshoof's back is aching again, just as the international racing season is set to begin.

USA Track & Field named Tyson Gay and Sanya Richards the 2009 recipients of the Jesse Owens Award on Thursday.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia An Olympic housing plan in which thousands of visitors would have stayed on cruise ships has been called off because of the rough economy.

DENVER NBC might have a partner in the cable company that wanted to be its Olympic rival.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia Five months after lifting the Stanley Cup, Sidney Crosby carried the Olympic torch as thousands of people lined a downtown street.

STEVENS POINT, Wis. U.S. curler Chris Plys will appear on a new reality show and try to win some cash to get his family to the 2010 Olympics, including his ill father.

For $5.89, anyone can taste how Erin Hamlin was immortalized. Vanilla ice cream, stacked with Reese's peanut butter cups, Oreos and hot fudge, topped with whipped cream and a cherry. In the sleepy village of Remsen, N.Y., pop. 514, that's how homage was paid to a local who stunned the luge world - the World Champion Erin Hamlin Sundae, a popular item at The Soda Fountain in town.

NEW YORK Fans will have a chance to design the artwork that appears on star skier Lindsey Vonn's helmet during February's Vancouver Olympics.

LONDON BMW is the latest top-tier domestic sponsor of the 2012 London Olympics, and organizers remain in talks with additional potential investors.

The International Olympic Committee sanctioned five athletes on Wednesday for committing anti-doping violations, including stripping the medals of two Beijing Olympians.

LONDON Fifteen months after the Beijing Olympics, Bahraini middle-distance runner Rashid Ramzi was stripped of his 1,500-meter gold medal Wednesday and four other athletes were disqualified because of doping at the games.

STEVENS POINT, Wis. U.S. curler Chris Plys will appear on a new reality show and try to win some cash to get his family to the 2010 Olympics, including his ill father.

ROME Cyclist Davide Rebellin of Italy will be stripped of the silver medal in the road race from the 2008 Beijing Olympics because of doping.

Italian cyclist Davide Rebellin has been stripped of the silver medal he won in the road event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics because of a doping violation.

DENVER NBC might have a partner in the cable company that wanted to be its Olympic rival.

WHISTLER, British Columbia Kate Hansen clinched a spot on the USA Luge national team for the first two World Cup races Sunday, giving the 17-year-old a chance at making the Olympics.

PARK CITY, Utah It's the hardest part of bobsledding, those 5 seconds where racers sprint alongside their sleds before jumping in for the bumpy ride down an icy chute.

PARK CITY, Utah Knowing plenty of eyes will be on their sleds during the Olympic season, the U.S. bobsled and skeleton teams have come up with a way to capitalize.

A group of women ski jumpers had their court appeal dismissed Friday, failing an attempt to include the sport for females at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia A British Columbia Court of Appeal dismissed on Friday a bid by women ski jumpers to force Vancouver Olympic organizers to let them compete.

PARK CITY, Utah Must be an Olympic year, because Todd Hays is flying down bobsled tracks again.

LONDON London faces the largest security challenge since World War II when it hosts the 2012 Olympics, British security minister Alan West said Friday.

Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue has been called upon by the United States Olympic Committee to chair an independent advisory committee to assess the size, structure and operating practices of the USOC board.

PARK CITY, Utah Zach Lund had a bad leg. Eric Bernotas had a bad run. Noelle Pikus-Pace had some bad luck.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. The U.S. Olympic Committee turned to former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue on Thursday to study how its oft-criticized board does business and determine if changes are needed.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland ESPN secured the South American broadcast rights to the 2010 and 2012 Olympics on Thursday in a deal worth about $10 million.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland Two Belarusian hammer throwers stripped of their Olympic medals for doping must wait until next year to try to win them back at an appeal hearing.

ROME The Italian Olympic Committee has rejected a bid by Bari for the 2020 Summer Games.

Jeremy Bloom, one of the United States' most decorated freestyle skiers, announced his retirement from competitive skiing Wednesday.

LONDON The architectural showpiece of the 2012 London Olympics is taking shape after the wave-shaped roof of the aquatics center was lowered into place.

LONDON After four unsuccessful Olympic bids, Istanbul will enter the race to host the 2020 Games.

LONDON London Olympic organizers are working to reduce the travel time for athletes in the two sports whose venue for the 2012 Games is being changed to save money.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. The U.S. Olympic Committee has signed a sponsorship deal that makes DISC Sports and Spine Center its official medical services provider through the 2012 Olympics.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. A charitable foundation is donating $3 million to help keep the U.S. Olympic Committee headquarters in Colorado Springs.

Sasha Cohen, trying to qualify for her third Olympics this winter, will miss the upcoming Skate America event because of a calf injury and will try to be ready for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January.

LONDON Britain will take "pre-emptive action" to stop sex traffickers from targeting the 2012 London Games.

TOKYO Tokyo's governor says he wants to bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics - a month after Japan's capital lost out to Rio de Janeiro for the rights to host the 2016 games.