December 4 -  Britain's Shelley Rudman (pictured) secured her first World Cup gold medal of this season, in a stunning return to the Cesena track near Turin where she won her silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics.  

December 2 - Annecy has launched its logo for its bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics, claiming that it reflects the powerful regional support for the bid.

By Duncan Mackay

December 2 - London 2012 have been forced to defend their choice of official automobile partner for the Olympics and Paralympics after Nissan claimed that BMW's contract to supply 4,000 "low emission" vehicles was a "backwards step" for the capital’s chances of becoming an electric-car world leader.

December 1 - Lawyers for Rio 2016 are investigating whether it is possible to sue Hollywood superstar Robin Williams (pictured) over a joke he made about their successful Olympic bid.