Leon, we know that's not all: Leon Draisaitl, center of the Edmonton Oilers, just received an honor as "Star of the Week" of the US ice hockey league NHL. Five goals and five assists in just three hockey games is actually not a bad average either. They add up to a season that couldn't be going better for the Cologne native. We're quite confident, however, that there will be a few more honors to come this year. Maybe the Stanley Cup triumph with his team, maybe gold with Germany at the Olympics - we're curious.
No, it's not good news at first: the case of China's tennis star Peng Shuai has once again shown us all how quickly freedom can come to an end in China. Shortly after the rape allegations against party official Zhang Gaoli were made on social media, the 35-year-old disappeared from the scene. Good news for us, however, is that the tennis player is alive, and currently wants to spend her time with family and friends, according to her own words. The fact that the German IOC President Thomas Bach, of all people, allowed himself to be harnessed by Chinese propaganda for a 30-minute video call with the athlete - that appalls us. But we hope - perhaps too naively - for another piece of good news: that the Peng Shuai case will also help the Me Too movement to take hold in China and fight sexual exploitation.
She is one of the most successful skiers in the world - and could possibly now put a climate stamp on her sport. US superstar Mikaela Shiffrin expressed deep concern about climate change in a roundtable discussion with journalists, as reported by Swiss newspaper Blick. "I have problems with the fact that the sport requires so much travel," the 26-year-old said of her carbon footprint, which is certainly longer than one of her skis. Forest fires or snowstorms in her native U.S. are a clear warning to Shiffrin. "This is the environment's way of telling us that we're doing something very wrong." The skier says she could even imagine ending her career because of the climate.
Run, Alexandra, run! No, Alexandra Burghardt doesn't want to become a female Forrest Gump. But she does want to run fast enough to make it to two Olympic Games in just seven months. The German champion over 100 metres competed at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. At the beginning of next year, she now wants to go to the Winter Olympics in Beijing as a pusher in the bobsleigh.. "The prospect of two Olympics within such a short time is very tempting. I have my first runs behind me and I know that this is a realistic goal," the 27-year-old told the Internet portal leichtathletik.de. After all, she pushes the Germany bob of 2018 Olympic champion Mariama Jamanka. The track and field athlete will presumably make her debut in the rink as early as this weekend - run, Alexandra, run!
Not Black Friday, Green Friday! Now that's a sensible way to deal with the consumer battle called Black Friday. The European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) is once again launching Green Friday to raise money for much-needed conservation projects. A number of companies including Adventure.ie, Aku, Deuter, Keen, La Sportiva, Lesovik, Nikwax Germany and Stanley are directing a percentage of the revenue from their online sales to EOCA. Some of the companies also raise money directly for specific projects. Other companies such as Buff, Lowe Alpine, Nikwax, Ortlieb, Osprey Europe, Pomoca or Trangoworld have donated discontinued or returned items that are now sold and the proceeds of which also go to the environmental protection organization.
The cliché of the European Union is bureaucracy and regulation - but now EU parliamentarians have delivered real political value. In a report that was approved with a large majority report the parliamentarians demand more rights for athletes and more diversity in sport in general. However, if you take the discussion about money from Qatar as a yardstick, you will find some tricky statements in it. The MEPs demand that human rights and democratic principles be respected when awarding major events and choosing sponsors. In addition, more women and members of ethnic minorities should be in management positions. The transfer market for players in all sports should also become more transparent. Our wish: Make "should" a "must".
When the Pope asks, you don't say no: That's how Italian star striker Ciro Immobile became the referee of a soccer match organized by the Vatican-organized soccer match. The former Borussia Dortmund player and current Lazio Rome star refereed a charity match between a Vatican team and a selection of Roma people who had travelled from Croatia. The Pope's team included soldiers from the Swiss Guard, three refugees and a man with Downs Syndrome. However, anyone assuming that the final score of 7:7 would be a peaceful and cheerful kick was mistaken. Ciro Immobile had to whistle for penalties and give both coaches a yellow card for disorderly conduct. It's a pity that Pope Francis wasn't there - he could have given extra time with a confessional...
