It's two years until the next Winter Olympics at Milan-Cortina in 2026, so we are in a winter sports mood! Milan-Cortina's slidingnovela (where the sliding events will take place) has us curious about bobsled, so Australian bobsledder (bobsleigher?) Breeana Walker joins us to talk monobob. Bree competed at Beijing 2022 in both the two-woman and the monobob, placing 16th and 5th respectively.

We've wanted to talk about monobob for a while, and Bree sheds some light on the sport for us, including body weight differences between the two events, why you need different sets of runners, and why they call it the lonely sport. Plus, we get into the costs of sleds and runners--you'll be shocked at how much they can cost.

Follow Bree on social @bobsledbree, and check out her YouTube channel and website.

Because it's two years until the next Winter Games, there is a bunch of news from Milan-Cortina, not all of it rosy.

The good news: The NHL is back in the Olympics! They've come to an agreement to have pro players compete at 2026 and 2030, and we are here for it!

The not-so-good news: The sliding track is one construction project we've been focused on, but there are more construction issues happening that could affect other sports and where some athletes sleep.

In Paris 2024 news, French police are investigating the way Paris 2024 CEO Tony Estanguet is paid and whether that is skirting French law in the wrong way.

Final spectator numbers for the Opening Ceremony have been announced--and they're quite a bit lower than originally planned.

Pride House is looking for volunteers, both in-person and remotely. Find more information here.

Tickets for Team NL house are on sale--and it's a pretty good deal! Find them here.

Following up from our Youth Olympic Games coverage, the IOC will announce the next Winter YOG host next year.

In news from TKFLASTAN, we hear from:

• Artistic swimmer Jacqueline Simoneau
• Curler John Shuster
• Shooter Kim Rhode
• The Big O (or Owe)
• Author Andrew Maraniss--register for his March 5 book launch at Parnassus Books in Nashville here.

For a transcript of episode 323, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.

Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!

Photo courtesy of Bree Walker.

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Keep the Flame Alive: The Podcast for Fans of the Olympics and Paralympics with hosts Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown. New episodes released every week and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. Also look for our monthly Games History Moment episodes in your feed.

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