Sports
Olympic biathlon champ dies in Pakistan mountaineering accident
Germany’s two-time Olympic biathlon champion, Laura Dahlmeier, died at age 31 after being struck by falling rocks while climbing a mountain in Pakistan, officials confirmed Wednesday.
The dangerous nature of the site made rescue efforts “impossible,” her agency said in a statement issued on Wednesday, which confirmed her death.
“Rescue efforts to recover her failed and the operation was suspended,” the statement continued.
The accident happened around midday on Monday at an altitude of 5,700 meters (18,700 feet) on Laila Peak in the Karakoram range, according to a statement from her team on her official social media pages.
Dahlmeier’s climbing partner was able to sound the alarm after reaching safety.
“It was determined that a helicopter rescue is not possible,” Areeb Ahmed Mukhtar, a senior local official in Ghanche district, where the more than 6,000-meter mountain is located, told AFP earlier Wednesday.
“The conditions at the altitude where she was injured are extremely challenging,” he added.
Shipton Trek & Tours Pakistan, which organized the expedition, confirmed the ground rescue by a team of four that includes three Americans and a German mountaineer.
Dahlmeier was “hit by falling rocks,” her team said Tuesday, adding no one had yet been able to reach her due to the danger of further rockfalls and the site’s “remoteness.”
Muhammad Ali, a local disaster management official, told AFP that weather conditions have been “extremely harsh” in the region for the past week, with rain, strong winds and thick clouds.
Dahlmeier, an experienced mountaineer, had been in the region since the end of June and had already ascended the Great Trango Tower.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued a statement on Wednesday calling Dahlmeier “an ambassador for our country around the world (and) a role model for peaceful, joyful, and fair coexistence across borders.”
She won seven world championship gold medals, and at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang she became the first female biathlete to win both the sprint and the pursuit at the same Games.
Dahlmeier retired from professional competition in 2019 at the age of 25.
She went on to become a commentator on biathlon events for German broadcaster ZDF, and also took up mountaineering.
She was a certified mountain and ski guide and an active member of the mountain rescue, according to her team.
Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri acknowledged Thursday that the title fight has effectively narrowed to a duel between him and McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
The Australian holds a 16-point lead over Norris heading into this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix – the final race before the August break.
Four-time champion Max Verstappen sits third, trailing by a daunting 81 points with 11 races left, a gap that looks nearly impossible to close given McLaren’s current form.
“When asked if it’s now a two-horse race, Piastri replied, ‘I suppose so.’”
While both drivers and McLaren officials previously resisted declaring early dominance, mounting evidence now makes that stance increasingly difficult to maintain.
“Every weekend now, or the last few weekends anyway, it has been Lando and me. I expect our competition to still be strong and put up a good fight, especially at certain tracks through the rest of the year,” Piastri said.
“Whether that comes from Max or Ferrari or Mercedes or someone else, we never really know. I’m not too concerned about what happens in that. I’m just trying to win each race and extend the lead.”
Piastri took his first Formula One win at the Hungaroring last year, while Norris was on pole.
McLaren has had six one-two finishes in 13 races, with Piastri winning six times so far and Norris four. Verstappen has two victories.
The team has scored 516 points and is already a mighty 268 points clear of second-place Ferrari.
“Hungary has been historically a good track for us as a team, certainly the two years I’ve been with the team. I expect us to be strong again this weekend,” Piastri said.
The 24-year-old said he had full confidence in himself to come out on top by the end of the year.
“Not every weekend has been perfect, but there aren’t many weekends in my whole life that have been perfect,” he said.
“Just trying to put together a solid, consistent year is ultimately going to be important. The pace in the last few weekends, especially Spa, I’ve been very confident in and very proud of.
“I’m more than capable of continuing that for the rest of the year. I’m confident that I can do it, but it’s not going to be easy.”
Galatasaray have signed striker Victor Osimhen from Serie A side Napoli for 75 million euros ($85.7 million), the Süper Lig champions announced on Thursday.
The figure makes the 26-year-old Nigerian the most expensive incoming transfer in Turkish football history.
Osimhen’s transfer shattered the previous record set by Fenerbahçe when they signed Youssef En-Nesyri from Sevilla on a five-year contract for 20 million euros in July last year.
As part of the deal that ended weeks of negotiations, SSC Napoli will receive 10% of any future profit from Osimhen’s next transfer, Galatasaray said in a statement to the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP).
“A four-year contract has been signed with the player, starting from the 2025-2026 season” the club said.
Osimhen, who arrived in Istanbul late Wednesday, will earn 15 million euros per season in net guaranteed salary, the statement said.
He will also get a net loyalty bonus of 1 million euros per season and 5 million euros as image rights payments – compensating for the use of his name, image and likeness in the club’s branding and promotional activities.
Napoli also confirmed the terms of the deal.
Negotiations between Galatasaray and Serie A champions had been ongoing for several weeks but had stalled over the terms of payment for the transfer.
Osimhen was absent as Napoli resumed training at the start of the week as the finer details of the deal were concluded.
He had been linked with a move away from Napoli last year but the Nigeria international had seen a permanent move collapse on deadline day of the close season transfer window.
A key figure in Napoli’s 2023 title triumph, Osimhen spent last season on loan at Galatasaray, scoring 37 goals and providing 8 assists in 41 appearances across all competitions.
He finished the season as the top scorer in the Süper Lig with 26 goals as the Istanbul club claimed their 25th league crown.
One year ago, at the Paris Olympics, a 51-year-old Turkish marksman stepped up to the firing line and made history, not just with a medal, but with a mood.
Yusuf Dikeç, the veteran shooter and retired gendarmerie officer, didn’t just win Türkiye’s first-ever Olympic shooting medal.
He did it with one hand in his pocket, both eyes open, and the demeanor of a man waiting for his coffee.
Silver in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event never looked so nonchalant.
Dikeç, alongside teammate Şevval İlayda Tarhan, posted 582 in the qualification round and pushed Serbia’s Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec to the brink in a tense final.
But the scoreboard only told half the story.
Online, his image – stoic face, pocketed hand, basic prescription glasses – erupted into a viral storm.
Nicknames poured in: The Turkish John Wick. The Chillest Olympian Alive. One meme read, “When you’re an assassin but still have Olympic duties at 5.”
In a field dominated by high-tech visors, specialty lenses, and noise-canceling headsets, Dikeç showed up in a white national team T-shirt, yellow earplugs, and calm that cut through the noise.
He shot not like a tech-reliant pro but like a backyard legend who wandered into the Games by accident–and then stole the show.
The internet crowned him its hero.
Social media lit up with fan art and tributes, some imagining him accidentally qualifying for the Games while shooting cans in his backyard.
By the following day, he was trending worldwide.
But behind the memes was a decorated marksman with medals from the World Championships and European tournaments and a career that started long before viral fame.
A four-time Olympian since 2008, Dikeç had always trusted instinct over equipment.
His unorthodox style – both eyes open, no eye cover, hand in pocket – wasn’t rebellion. It was rhythm.
“I’ve learned to trust myself,” Dikeç told Turkish media. “I don’t think about the crowd or the cameras. I focus on the target.”
His coolness caught on.
South Korea’s Oh Ye-jin struck his trademark pose on the podium after winning gold in the men’s 10m pistol.
Archers, fencers, and fans mimicked the stance across venues. Dikeç had started a trend without trying.
When he returned to Türkiye, he was met like a conquering hero.
Thousands greeted him at Istanbul Airport.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called his achievement “a historic moment for Turkish sports.” Billboards across Istanbul and Ankara showed his iconic silhouette with the words: Yusuf Dikeç: Cool Under Pressure.
His silver was Türkiye’s third medal in Paris, but it was the story of the Games.
Because beyond the podium, Yusuf Dikeç gave the world something rare in modern sports: a reminder that style doesn’t have to be loud, and greatness doesn’t need to be flashy.
Sometimes, a tucked-in hand and a quiet stare are all it takes to own the world stage.
With a Champions League qualifier looming, Fenerbahçe capped off their 2025 preseason preparations in style, edging Serie A side Lazio 1-0 Wednesday at a buzzing Chobani Stadium, thanks to a captain’s performance and winning strike from İrfan Can Kahveci.
The win marks a strong finish to José Mourinho’s summer training campaign as the Yellow Canaries now shift focus to their third qualifying round first-leg clash against Feyenoord on Aug. 6 in Rotterdam.
Kahveci delivers again
After a goalless first half, it was 30-year-old midfielder İrfan Can Kahveci who broke through in the 60th minute.
Latching onto a sharp assist from new signing Youssef En-Nesyri, Kahveci coolly slotted home his third goal of the preseason – a moment that sealed the win and capped a captain’s performance.
He exited to loud applause in the 73rd minute, replaced by Cengiz Ünder.
Kahveci’s resurgence under Mourinho this summer, after previously featuring off the bench last season, signals a major role ahead for the veteran midfielder.
New faces, familiar impact
The match also marked Kadıköy debuts for summer signings Archie Brown and Jhon Duran.
Brown, the 21-year-old English left-back, continued his promising form after a solid Portugal training camp.
Duran, who had featured off the bench in previous friendlies, earned a starting nod but made way for En-Nesyri just before Kahveci’s goal.
Meanwhile, defender Jayden Oosterwolde returned to the pitch for the first time in nearly 10 months following ACL surgery, earning a starting spot and looking sharp throughout – a major boost for Fenerbahçe’s backline depth.
Skriniar spotted in the stands
Slovakia international Milan Skriniar, fresh off a half-season loan with the club, was seen watching from the stands as transfer talks for a permanent deal continue.
The 30-year-old center back landed in Istanbul earlier Wednesday and is expected to finalize negotiations in the coming days.
Modern upgrades, classic atmosphere
The evening also saw the debut of Chobani Stadium’s new high-definition scoreboards – part of the club’s ongoing stadium modernization project.
But it was the return of Fenerbahçe’s passionate fans, filling the ground for the first time in two months, that truly set the scene.
Chants echoed throughout the night, providing the energy for a convincing final preseason display.
All eyes on Rotterdam
With preparations complete, Fenerbahçe now face their first major test of the 2025–26 season.
They’ll head to the Netherlands next week to take on Feyenoord in a pivotal UEFA Champions League qualifier – with the return leg set for home turf.
Lionel Messi made a dazzling return from suspension with two assists – including a last-gasp winner – as Inter Miami edged Mexico’s Atlas 2-1 in their Leagues Cup opener Wednesday night.
Fresh off a one-game ban for skipping the MLS All-Star Game, Messi threaded a perfect pass to Marcelo Weigandt, who buried the winner in the final seconds of stoppage time. The Argentine icon also teed up Telasco Segovia’s 58th-minute opener after receiving a slick ball from Sergio Busquets.
“It’s a tournament we always show up for,” Messi said in Spanish during a post-match interview with Apple TV. “We played really well against a very good team.”
Rivaldo Lozano equalized for the Guadalajara-based club in the 80th minute. Weigandt’s goal in the 96th was initially ruled offside before being confirmed by video review.
The assist marked Messi’s fifth of July. He was recently named Major League Soccer’s Player of the Month after scoring eight goals and helping Miami go 4-1-1 in league play.
Both sides had chances in a chippy first half that featured a brief heated exchange between Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano and Atlas coach Gonzalo Pineda after an Atlas player went down.
“It’s just a soccer situation,” Pineda said through an interpreter. He added that he was upset when play continued. “I was protesting that play. I told him (Mascherano) it was nothing against him, just a soccer play. We talked about it in the dressing room – nothing beyond that.”
Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo made three first-half saves, including one in which he slid across goal to deny Eduardo Aguirre’s back-post header. Luis Suárez struck the crossbar just before halftime.
Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, Messi’s longtime national teammate, made his Inter Miami debut after officially signing with the club last week.
After Weigandt’s goal was confirmed, fireworks lit up Chase Stadium. Messi pumped his fist and embraced De Paul and Suárez in celebration.
Pineda said he was surprised to see Messi celebrate so passionately, given his long history of playing in high-stakes matches.
“He’s won so much,” Pineda said. “He’s usually quite even-keeled.”
Mascherano said the reaction was a reflection of the tension in the match.
“We play to win,” Mascherano said through an interpreter. “That’s what this beautiful sport is about. The way we celebrated was probably just a way to vent how we felt at the time. We won a game that we didn’t play brilliantly, and at the final second, in an epic way, we were able to win it.”
Victor Osimhen is back in Istanbul, and this time, it’s permanent.
The Nigerian striker, who captured Galatasaray hearts last season with his golden boot-winning loan spell, touched down at Atatürk Airport late Tuesday night to a thunderous reception.
Thousands of fans flooded the General Aviation Terminal, waving flags, chanting and igniting flares in a celebration worthy of a league title.
“I’m home,” Osimhen told reporters after stepping off the jet. “Look at the crowd, look at the love. This is where I want to be.”
Osimhen’s return caps off weeks of high-stakes negotiations between Galatasaray and Italian side Napoli, where the 26-year-old had been under contract.
Galatasaray Sportif AŞ Vice President Abdullah Kavukcu personally flew to Germany to finalize the deal and escort Osimhen back to Türkiye on a private jet, signaling just how committed the club was to bringing their man home.
The striker’s agent, George Gardi, described the transfer as complex, but said Osimhen’s determination to rejoin Galatasaray played a decisive role in sealing it.
“Victor really wanted this,” Gardi said. “Napoli was tough to deal with, but Galatasaray showed Europe what kind of project they’re building. This was an incredible transfer that proves the club’s vision – to be among Europe’s elite, not just Türkiye’s.”
The reception Osimhen received reinforced just how much he means to the club and its supporters.
After clearing passport control, he waved the club’s red-and-yellow flag, led fans in the traditional “üçlü” chant, and took time to acknowledge supporters who had waited for hours to greet him.
In one emotional moment, he stepped away from his security detail to meet two disabled fans in the crowd, posing for photos and sharing a heartfelt exchange that quickly went viral online.
Such gestures highlight why Osimhen’s bond with Galatasaray runs deeper than most player-club relationships. His return is not just a high-profile signing – it’s a homecoming.
Central to the narrative of this transfer has been the phrase “Solo il Gala,” or “Only Galatasaray,” a slogan that took on a life of its own during the saga. Coined by Italian media and embraced by fans, it became a symbol of Osimhen’s unwavering loyalty.
“That’s been the only thing on my mind since the start of the year,” Osimhen said. “Now it’s time to focus, to meet the goals the coach and club have set. I want to give everything this season.”
That season, already brimming with expectation, now carries even greater weight. Under head coach Okan Buruk, Galatasaray are targeting more than another Süper Lig crown – they’re eyeing a breakthrough in the UEFA Champions League.
And with Osimhen back leading the line, their ambition suddenly feels much more tangible.
Last season, Osimhen’s goals were the difference as Galatasaray reclaimed the domestic title. His pace, physicality, and clinical finishing redefined the team’s attacking threat. Now, with his return confirmed, fans are dreaming even bigger.
Gardi emphasized that Osimhen didn’t just return for trophies – he returned because he belongs. “This is not about money or fame,” he said. “Victor is emotionally invested in this club.”
The message from Galatasaray is equally clear. Securing a striker of Osimhen’s caliber amid interest from other major European clubs speaks volumes about where the club sees itself.
As the new season looms, Osimhen is ready to pick up where he left off – and perhaps, take the story even further.
“The story continues,” he said. “And I’m proud it’s continuing here.”
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