A few features from the sports world from the past week, starting with something for soccer and biathlon fans. (No, they didn’t replace the five rifle shots at each stop with five penalty kicks.)

Cross-country skiing: In a more conventional setting for skis, Kikkan Randall took the early Tour de Ski lead, but the more recent results were popular in Poland.

Alpine skiing: How do you hold a downhill race in which all the top guys finish in pretty much the same time? How do you give an award to someone who can’t get into the venue? And how do U.S. speed skiers keep getting better? We can probably answer the third question. 

Not that they’re perfect …

Luge: Finish your injury rehab, play basketball, start another injury rehab. Life isn’t fair.

Short-track speedskating: Meet someone with a more difficult task than Christian Niccum’s doctor.

Track and field: Adrian Peterson … Olympics … dream on, dude, and get back to helping my fantasy team.

UFC: Cain Velasquez has reclaimed the heavyweight belt in emphatic fashion — and in one of the only fights not botched by at least one judge.

Bellator: The logistical issues continue ..

Japanese MMA: A heroic return on the big New Year’s Eve card. But the introductions desperately needed Lenne Hardt.

Elsewhere in MMA, will we ever see the words “sex” and “MMA” in close proximity without also seeing the words “Ronda Rousey”?

Olympics: Speaking of sex …

Tennis: Seems a little less comfortable than it should’ve been …

Women’s soccer: Something cool from @livefierce

And from espnW

MLS: OK, who led the online ballot-stuffing efforts for MLS’s Moment of the Year?

Good analysis from Steve Davis here, but I’ll add one: The Galaxy clearly aren’t too concerned about the future. Not when they sign a goalkeeper who’s almost as old as I am.

Chess: Saved the funniest for last. Seriously: Watch this video.

Happy New Year!