SKIERS - Czech skiers continued in early January in their strong performances in the World Cup. Cross-country skier Kateřina Neumannová won the women's 15 kilometer (nine mile) race in Val di Fiemme in Italy Jan. 14. Neumannová's countryman Lukáš Bauer finished second in the men's 15 kilometer race in Otepaa in Estonia Jan. 8. Meanwhile, mogul skier Karolína Sudová finished third in Jan. 7's World Cup event in Mt. Gabriel in Canada.

TENNIS - Women Czech tennis players started the 2006 season well. Eighteen-year-old Lucie Šafářová won the WTA tournament in Gold Coast, Australia, after beating Flavia Penetta of Italy in straight sets Jan. 8. Only a week later, Iveta Benešová advanced to the finals in Hobart, Tasmania, where she lost to Dutch player Michaella Krajicek. Both were scheduled to play in the Australian Open, the grand-slam event that kicked off in Melbourne Jan. 16.

WITHDRAWAL - Karel Loprais, six-time winner of the annual Dakar rally, withdrew from this year's competition. Loprais, who drove a Tatra truck, gave up Jan. 12 during the 12th stage of the 15-stage race due to an injured back that he suffered during a collision with a competing car.

ATTACK - An unprecedented attack on a fan brought an end to a second league hockey game between Olomouc and Prostějov Jan 12. While walking into the penalty box, Prostějov's defenseman Josef Fojtík hit a fan standing nearby with his stick and cut his face. Fojtík will face disciplinary sanctions.

FINE - HC Vítkovice hockey club has agreed to pay a 200,000 Kč ($8,350) fine that the Extraliga management levied last April against defenseman Pavel Kubina for accusing a referee of corruption. The Tampa Bay Lightning player, who during the NHL lockout last season played with Vítkovice, re-joined the NHL earlier this season. He is refusing to pay the fine.

MONEY - The Czech Olympic Committee has announced the prize money for Czech athletes in the upcoming Winter Olympics that kick off in Turin, Italy, Jan. 10. In individual competitions, gold medalists will receive a bonus of 1 million Kč, athletes will earn 500,000 Kč for a silver and 300,000 Kč for a bronze. Should the hockey team win gold, the team would share 10 million Kč among the players.

SÝKORA - Hockey forward Petr Sýkora moved from the Anaheim Mighty Ducks to the New York Rangers in early January. With seven Czech players in the lineup, the Rangers now have the most Czech players in the NHL.