{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/f3fb5c75-b943-4f5d-bd87-27c91611dd24/696767d57efeb74bf7faa76c?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Festive Season Catch-up: What We Missed, Watched and Debated During The Holidays","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/6100856531fd81f125b34dac/1768384052828-f90ac764-c063-4ac9-9d24-3392b8cd089c.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>There's a lot to catch up on today's Spotlight.  Four weeks of Festive season sport means a range of topics from technology failures in the Ashes to the \"Battle of the Sexes\" debacle, thoughts on cyclo-cross dominance and excitement, Biathlon's appeal, Luke Littler's darts revolution, and some Enhanced Games ruminations as more athletes are announced.  We also tease a few 2026 sports events, and hope you'll join us throughout the year for sports science insights and discussions.</p><p><br></p><p>For the discussion that continues long after the podcast, <a href=\"https://www.patreon.com/c/thescienceofsport\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>become a member of the Real Science of Sport Supporters club by making a small monthly or annual donation</strong></a> and get access to our Discourse community</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Links</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li><a href=\"https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/top-stories/it-was-never-about-proving-anything-aryna-sabalenka-breaks-silence-on-nick-kyrgios-match-criticism/articleshow/126371982.cms\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Article on the Kyrgios-Sabalenka reactions</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jan/04/glastonbury-of-sport-luke-littler-effect-pdc-world-darts-championship\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Luke Littler's moment and the growth of darts</a></li><li><a href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/dec/17/england-consider-formal-complaint-after-snicko-error-costs-carey-wicket-ashes-cricket-australia\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Technology fails England at the Ashes</a></li><li><a href=\"https://scienceofsportpodcast.discourse.group/t/the-simple-guide-to-health-fitness/4931/52\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Gareth's fascinating exploration of the not-so-simple guide to fitness </a>(Supporters Club Members access)</li><li>Stuart Phillips' <a href=\"https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/JP289684\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">paper on resistance training</a> - just do it, and don't get stuck on the details</li><li><a href=\"https://michaelashenden.substack.com/p/not-so-fast\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Michael Ashenden on the Enhanced Games</a> - the source of our philosophical discussion on doping in the show</li><li>The <a href=\"https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/47420530/mask-dead-biathlon-competitor-not-part-training\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">sad death of Sivert Guttorm Bakken</a> of Norway</li><li><a href=\"https://scienceofsportpodcast.discourse.group/t/the-2026-milan-cortina-winter-games/4926/9\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">USA-Canada relations are not looking good</a> - this time thanks to a skeleton controversy</li></ul><p><br></p>","author_name":"Professor Ross Tucker and Mike Finch"}