Ski Season Kicks Off, Greek Basketball Rocked by Arrests, and a New Collectible Coin Debuts

Alpine Skiing Returns to Sölden as a New Season Begins

Winter sport is back. The 2026-27 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup officially kicked off with the traditional Giant Slalom season opener in Sölden, Austria, held on the Rettenbach Glacier — a venue that has hosted the first race of the World Cup season since the 1999-2000 winter season. The women raced on Saturday, October 24, with the men following on Sunday, October 25 — both events on the Rettenbach Glacier high above Sölden in the Ötztal Alps of Tyrol.

The Sölden opener is one of alpine skiing's most storied annual traditions, and this year's edition carried plenty of intrigue heading in. The 2026-27 Alpine Ski World Cup season is just around the corner , with a long calendar of races stretching across Europe and North America through March 2027. Sölden has hosted the Men's World Cup Giant Slalom race 24 times , making it the sport's most reliable season-launching stage. Fans and athletes alike know that what happens on the Rettenbach sets the tone for months of racing to come.

Greek Basketball Scandal Sends Shockwaves Through Sport

While skiers were preparing their gear for opening weekend, a far darker story was unfolding in Greece. Greek police arrested six individuals on October 21 for alleged "interference in the development, form or outcome of basketball games," related to betting activity and match-fixing. The sweep was swift and sweeping in scope, targeting people at the very heart of the sport's administration.

Police seized €931,463 in cash — approximately $1.045 million U.S. — along with 14 mobile phones, six laptop computers, two tablets, memorabilia, and other foreign currency during the arrests. Most alarming of all: those arrested were reported to include the head of the Greek basketball federation and referees. When the people responsible for running a sport and officiating its games are implicated in fixing them, the damage to public trust is enormous. Betting is a growing problem — not only in the rigging of plays or games, but also in social-media abuse and its impacts on athletes, coaches, and organizations. This scandal is a stark reminder that no sport, at any level, is immune.

USA Bobsled and Skeleton Launches a First-Ever Collectible Coin

On a lighter note, USA Bobsled/Skeleton made history this week with a debut of a very different kind. On October 22, USA Bobsled/Skeleton (USABS) unveiled the first commemorative coin in the organization's history — a limited-edition piece for the 2026-27 season developed in partnership with Plain City, Utah-based Artistic Custom Badges and Coins. It's a small object with a big symbolic footprint for a sport that rarely gets the spotlight it deserves.

The coin pairs red, white, and blue enamel with a polished silver finish. One side carries the USABS shield logo, the 2026-27 season mark, and the words "Bobsled" and "Skeleton," while the other side shows a two-person bobsled and a skeleton athlete racing down the track beneath a snow-capped mountain range. The 2026-27 coin launches a partnership that runs through the 2029-30 season, with a new limited-edition design each year celebrating the athletes, places, and milestones that define the sport — and every edition will be produced in limited quantities, making each one a collectible.

The partnership deepens USABS's connection to Utah, home to one of the nation's two sliding tracks in Park City. USABS staff and athletes will hand out the 2026-27 coin at events throughout the season — meaning fans who show up to watch the sleds fly could leave with a piece of history in their pocket. For a federation looking to grow its fanbase with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on the horizon, it's a clever and tangible way to build community around a sport that moves at 90 miles per hour.

A Weekend That Captures Sport at Its Best and Worst

This collection of stories captures something essential about the world of sport right now. On one slope in Austria, elite athletes are chasing glory and Crystal Globes on a glacier that has defined the start of winter for over two decades. In Greece, prosecutors are unraveling a web of corruption that implicates the very officials sworn to protect the game's integrity. And in a small Utah workshop, craftspeople are stamping out coins that will connect fans to the thrill of bobsled and skeleton racing for years to come. The season is just beginning — on the mountain and off it — and the stakes, in every direction, couldn't feel higher.