Photos surface of Topps 2014 Sochi Olympics trading cards

By Nick ZaccardiJul 21, 2013, 9:47 AM EDT

Topps is again coming out with a special U.S. Olympic trading card set for the Sochi Olympic and Paralympic Games. Images of the cards have been published on hobby websites.

The release date is Nov. 6, according to Cardboard Connection.

Beckett posted a checklist of the 100 base athletes in the set.

Here is the exact list on its site, followed by a few notes and then pictures of some of the cards:

Max Aaron, Figure Skating
Jeremy Abbott, Figure Skating
Eddy Alvarez, Short Track Speed Skating
Jamie Anderson, Snowboarding
Lowell Bailey, Biathlon
Allison Baver, Short Track-Speed Skating
Gretchen Bleiler, Snowboarding
Brittany Bowe, Speedskating
Maddie Bowman, Freeskiing
Erika Brown, Curling
Bobby Brow,n Freeskiing
Tim Burke, Biathlon
Heath Calhoun, Alpine Skiing
J.R. Celski, Short track speedskating
Kelly Clark, Snowboarding
Julia Clukey, Luge
Stacey Cook, Alpine Skiing
Emily Cook, Freestyle Skiing
John Coughlin, Figure Skating
John Daly, Skeleton
Meryl Davis, Figure Skating
Shani Davis, Long Track- Speed Skating
Billy Demong, Nordic Skiing
Patrick Deneen, Freestyle Skiing
Caydee Denney, Figure Skating
Simon Dumont, Freeskiing
Susan Dunklee, Biathlon
Katie Eberling, Bobsled
Grete Eliassen, Freeskiing
Kaityln Farrington, Snowboarding
Jazmine Fenlator, Bobsled
Pete Fenson, Curling
Dylan Ferguson, Freestyle Skiing
Bryan Fletcher, Nordic Combined
Taylor Fletcher, Nordic Combined
Travis Ganong, Alpine Skiing
Christina Gao, Figure Skating
Lana Gehring, Speedskating
Nick Goepper, Freeskiing
Gracie Gold, Figure Skating
Chas Guldemond, Snowboarding
Erin Hamlin, Luge
Keri Herman, Freeskiing
Elena Hight, Snowboarding
Steven Holcomb, Bobsled
Nate Holland, Snowboarding
Lindsey Jacobellis, Snowboarding
Lolo Jones, Bobsled
Hannah Kearney, Freestyle Skiing
Gus Kenworthy, Freeskiing
Hilary Knight, Women’s Hockey
Scott Lago, Snowboarding
Jocelyne Lamoureux, Ice Hocky – Wmn
Monique Lamoureux, Ice Hocky – Wmn
Steve Langton, Bobsled
Ted Ligety, Alpine Skiing
Evan Lysacek, Men’s Figure Skating
Devin Logan, Freeskiing
Julia Mancuso, Alpine Skiing
Chris Mazdzer, Luge
Alice McKennis, Alpine Skiing
Heather McPhie, Freestyle Skiing / Moguls
Elana Meyers, Bobsled
Bode Miller, Alpine Skiing
Andy Newell, Cross Country
Alana Nichols, Alpine Skiing
Steve Nyman, Alpine Skiing
Noelle Picus, Pace Women’s Skeleton
Amy Purdy, Snowboard
Kikkan Randall, Nordic Skiing
Justin Reiter, Snowboarding
Heather Richardson, Long Track- Speed Skating
Rico Roman, Para – Sled Hockey
Laurenne Ross, Alpine Skiing
Maia Shibutani, Figure Skating
Alex Shibutani, Figure Skating
Jessica Smith, Speedskating
Leanne Smith, Alpine Skiing
Evan Strong, Snowboard
Marco Sullivan, Alpine Skiing
John Teller, Freestyle Skiing
Hannah Teter, Snowboarding
Curt Tomasevicz, Bobsled
Katie Uhlaender, Skeleton
Danelle Umstead, Para – Alpine Skiing
Lindsey Van, Nordic Skiing
Louie Vito, Snowboarding
Lindsey Vonn, Alpine Skiing
Ashley Wagner, Figure Skating
Jeremy Wagner, Para – Nordic Skiing
Tom Wallisch, Freeskiing
Seth Wescott, Snowboarding
Charlie White, Figure Skating
David Wise, Freeskiing
Torin Yater-Wallace, Freeskiing
Agnes Zawadzki, Figure Skating
Ashley Caldwell, Freestyle Skiing/Aerials
Bree Schaaf, Bobsled
Jessica Schultz, Curling
Nick Baumgartner, Snowboarding

There are also 11 limited edition autographed cards by Olympic legends Bonnie Blair, Brian Boitano, Dick Button, Jim Craig, Mike Eruzione, Peggy Fleming, Scott Hamilton, Dan Jansen, Nancy Kerrigan, Picabo Street and Kristi Yamaguchi.

There are also special “swatch cards” with game-worn athlete patches inserted into the card. This follows a trend set more than 10 years ago in other sports (game-worn jerseys, game-used bats, etc.)

Perhaps the most recognizable U.S. Winter Olympian is not on that list — Shaun White. Other notables missing are world champion ski jumper Sarah Hendrickson, world champion Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin and Amanda Kessel, the reigning NCAA women’s hockey player of the year who scored the game-winning goal against Canada in the final of this year’s worlds.

Yes, Lolo Jones is in the set. Of course, it’s no lock she’s going to make the Olympic team.

On multiple sites, I have seen Noelle Pikus-Pace‘s name misspelled on the checklist. We may have another dreaded error card. There were a few in the London 2012 set.

Check out my TOPPS Olympic card. Apparently since my name is misspelled it means I have the rare Error Card! pic.twitter.com/H4qLvEAl

— Tony Azevedo (@WaterPoloTony) April 25, 2012

Topps has not responded to an email asking for more information on the set.

Photo: Lindsey Vonn with men dressed as tigers

French Open: Sloane Stephens takes out seed Karolina Pliskova

Associated PressMay 29, 2023, 8:49 AM EDT

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PARIS — Back on her “favorite court in the world,” Sloane Stephens looked sharp in her opening match at the French Open with a 6-0, 6-4 win over two-time major finalist Karolina Pliskova.

While Stephens’ only Grand Slam title came at the 2017 U.S. Open, she’s also had sustained success at Roland Garros, finishing as a runner-up to Simona Halep in 2018 and reaching two quarterfinals on the red clay in Paris — including last year.

“This is my favorite court in the world, so I’m super happy to be back,” Stephens told the crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier. “To start a Slam on your favorite court, your favorite surface, is always incredible.”

She helped American women go 4-0 through the first few hours of play on Day 2 of the tournament after a 1-4 start on Sunday, when the only U.S. victory came in a match between two players from the country: Jessica Pegula beat Danielle Collins.

FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Women | Men | Broadcast Schedule

Madison Keys, the runner-up to Stephens in New York six years ago and a semifinalist at Roland Garros in 2018, beat Kaia Kanepi 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 on Monday to improve her career record in the first round of majors to 35-5.

Keys next plays American qualifier Kayla Day, who eliminated French wild-card entry Kristina Mladenovic 7-5, 6-1.

Also, Croatian-born American Bernarda Pera beat former No. 2-ranked Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (6), 6-2.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a finalist in Paris in 2021, breezed past Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova 6-2, 6-2; and 22nd-seeded Donna Vekic beat qualifier Dayana Yastremska 6-2, 7-5.

Stephens was down a break in the second set against Pliskova but then won three straight games to close it out.

Stephens had a 19-16 edge in winners and committed only 10 unforced errors to 31 by Pliskova, who lost in the finals of the U.S. Open in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2021.

“This court is a bit tricky. You have to play on it a lot to understand when the wind is blowing and where it’s coming,” Stephens said. “The more you play on it, the more you understand it. But it’s a very complicated court. But that’s what makes it so amazing.”

Stephens won a small clay-court tournament in Saint Malo, France, at the start of the month and also reached the semifinals of the Morocco Open last week after only playing a total of three matches at bigger clay events in Madrid and Rome.

“Last year, my clay season wasn’t great, but I played amazing at Roland Garros last year,” Stephens said, “and this year, I really wanted to get matches and play a lot and to see where that got me.”

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Canada wins men’s hockey world title; Latvia wins first medal

Associated PressMay 28, 2023, 8:00 PM EDT

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TAMPERE, Finland — Samuel Blais scored two goals to rally Canada to a 5-2 victory over Germany in the final of the world men’s hockey championship on Sunday.

It’s a record 28th world title for Canada, and its second in three years. Russia has 27 while Germany has never won the trophy.

Blais netted with a backhand 4:51 into the final period for a 3-2 lead for Canada, which was playing in its fourth straight final.

“It feels really good,” Blais said. “We’ve been in Europe for a month and we’ve all waited for that moment to play for the gold medal game. And we’re lucky enough to have won it.”

Lawson Crouse, Tyler Toffoli and Scott Laughton also scored for Canada, Peyton Krebs had two assists and goaltender Samuel Montembeault stopped 21 shots.

Toffoli stretched the lead to 4-2 from the left circle with 8:09 remaining and Laughton made it 5-2 with an empty net goal.

Adam Fantilli became only the second Canadian player after Jonathan Toews to win gold at the world juniors and world championship the same year.

Canada had to come back twice in the final.

John Peterka wristed a shot past Montembeault from the left circle 7:44 into the game. It was the sixth goal for the Buffalo Sabres forward at the tournament.

Blais was fed by Krebs to beat goaltender Mathias Niederberger and tie it 1-1 at 10:47.

Daniel Fischbuch put the Germans ahead again with a one-timer with 6:13 to go in the middle period.

Crouse equalized on a power play with 2:32 remaining in the frame.

It was the first medal for Germany since 1953 when it was second behind Sweden.

The two previously met just once in the final with Canada winning 6-1 in 1930.

LATVIA GETS BRONZE

Defenseman Kristian Rubins scored his second goal 1:22 into overtime to lead Latvia to a 4-3 victory over the United States and earn a bronze medal earlier Sunday.

It’s the first top-three finish for Latvia at the tournament. Its previous best was a seventh place it managed three times.

The U.S. lost in the bronze medal game for the second straight year. The U.S. team was cruising through the tournament with eight straight wins until it was defeated by Germany in the semifinal 4-3 in overtime.

Rubins rallied Latvia with his first with 5:39 to go in the final period to tie the game at 3 to force overtime.

Roberts Bukarts and Janis Jaks also scored for Latvia.

Rocco Grimaldi scored twice for the U.S. in the opening period to negate Latvia’s 1-0 and 2-1 leads.

Matt Coronato had put the U.S. 3-2 ahead 6:19 into the final period.

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