By Nick ButlerDecember 20 - Irish rugby captain Fiona Coghlan has been named Irish Sports Council Sportswoman of the Year at a gala event in Dublin in recognition for an unprecedented 12 month period highlighted by her country's first ever Six Nations triumph.

cross country champion Fionnuala Britton, as well as athletes from squash, swimming, basketball, hockey

TrentoDecember 20 - On the penultimate day of action at the 26th Winter Universiade here, Canada's women's ice hockey

earlier in the day, the United States saw off the challenge of Japan 3-1.Canada has the chance to do the hockey

By Nick ButlerDecember 20 - In the latest "will they won't they" saga involving an international leader travelling to Sochi 2014, Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius is set to attend although President Dalia Grybauskaitė has confirmed she will stay away.

instead be headed by three openly gay figures in former tennis player Billie-Jean King, two-time ice hockey

By Duncan MackayDecember 19 - Olympic figure skating gold medallist Brian Boitano today came out as gay today two days after he was announced as being part of a delegation to represent the United States Government at Sochi 2014.

 Cahow, a two-time medallist in women's ice hockey, will attend the Closing Ceremony with Olympic

By Emily GoddardDecember 19 - Sochi welcomed ice hockey teams from Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic

underway in 50 days' time - and will feature the presentation of the official pucks for the Olympic ice hockey

and Paralympic ice sledge hockey tournaments during the first break of Saturday's (December 21) match

title ©Getty ImagesThe annual Channel One Cup, which has been held since 1996, is the part of the Euro Hockey

By Nick ButlerDecember 19 - Russian President Vladimir Putin has marked the 50 days to go anniversary until the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi by offering an olive branch to his global critics by releasing political prisoners for the second successive day.

will be led by two openly gay figures - former tennis player Billie Jean King and double Olympic ice hockey

By Gary Anderson at Baselga di Pine in TrentoDecember 19 - With past competitors including Olympic champions Jessica Ennis-Hill and Amy Williams, Universiades are a fundamental stepping stone for many athletes with aspirations of competing at the highest level, according to Trentino 2013 Chef de Mission Neil Rogers.

The men's and women's ice hockey, cross-country skiing and snowboard athletes have done broadly as expected

By Nick Butler at Charlotte Street in LondonDecember 18 - Great Britain has reinforced its opinion that attending the Winter Olympics is preferable to any form of boycott by announcing Sports, Tourism and Equality Minister Helen Grant will visit Sochi "at some point" during next year's Games.

be led by two openly gay figures, former tennis player Billie Jean King and double Olympic ice hockey

By Gary Anderson at the Grand Hotel TrentoDecember 18 - Eurosport has claimed viewing figures for the opening six days of the 26th Winter Universiade here have tripled compared to the same period for the previous Games in Ezurum, Turkey, two years ago.

Universiades that will have extensive coverage on Eurosport up until 2017 ©AFP/Getty Images Ice hockey

the consumption of sport is changing rapidly with the use of smartphones and mobile devices.The ice hockey

will include former tennis player Billie Jean King and Caitlin Cahow, a two-time Olympic ice hockey

Caitlin Cahow was a member of the United States ice hockey team that won silver medals at Vancouver 2010

," said Cahow, a member of the US ice hockey team that won bronze and silver medals at Turin 2006 and

By Gary Anderson in Predazzo in TrentoDecember 16 - Aguri Shimizu prevailed on the ski slope of here ttake gold in the Nordic combined mass start competition, winning Japan's second gold of Trentino 2013, while Alexei Kalievich Almoukov won Australia's first ever medal at a Winter Universiade.

The line-up for the knockout stages for the men's and women's ice hockey competitions have been decided

Unlike in other sports such as ice hockey, the MLB took no break during past Olympics and this ensured

By Gary Anderson at Baselga di Pinè in TrentinoDecember 15 - Poland's Jan Szymański was once again the main man in the ice rink as he powered his way to a second speed skating title at the 26th Winter Universiade here today, taking 1500 metres gold to add to Friday's (December 13) 5,000m win.

live up to favourites tag at Trentino 2013December 2013: Hosts Italy off to flying start with ice hockey

By Emily GoddardDecember 14 - The South American Games will return to its birthplace in 2018 after the Bolivian city of Cochabamba was today named as the event host thanks to the personal support of the nation's President, Evo Morales.

ten sports at the Pan American Games Toronto 2015 - karate, rugby, wrestling, bowling, equestrian, hockey

By Gary Anderson at Lago di Tesero in TrentoDecember 14 - Russia confirmed its position as the dominant force at the Trentino 2013 Universiade here today as its athletes claimed five of the six medal spots in the cross-country sprint finals.

live up to favourites tag at Trentino 2013December 2013: Hosts Italy off to flying start with ice hockey