Sports
Shiffrin wins slalom gold as Su claims China’s 1st title
U.S. ski star Mikaela Shiffrin ended her Olympic medal drought in style with gold in the slalom on Wednesday as snowboarder Su Yiming won China’s first title of the Milan-Cortina Games.
Shiffrin is one of skiing’s all-time greats, but she has had to wait eight years since the 2018 Pyeongchang Games for the third gold of her glittering career.
In the final alpine skiing event in Italy, her emotional victory brought some solace to a U.S. ski team still reeling from Lindsey Vonn’s horrific crash in the downhill.
The 30-year-old led after the first run in glorious conditions in Cortina d’Ampezzo and cruised to victory in a combined time of 1min 39.10sec, an impressive 1.5sec ahead of Switzerland’s world champion Camille Rast.
Sweden’s Anna Swenn Larsson rounded out the podium to claim the first Olympic medal of her career.
Shiffrin shed a tear after a victory that will help banish the bitter memories of both her last Olympics in Beijing – where she failed to pick up a single medal from six races – and her disappointing displays in the team combined and giant slalom in northern Italy.
“I wanted to be free, I wanted to unleash,” said the American. “It’s not easy to do that, but I’ve been so focused every single day.
“Through a lot of discussions with my psychologist and my mum and my team, everything we said was that, despite pressure or nerves, I want to feel this skiing.
“In the end, today, showing up – that was the thing I wanted most. More than the medal. Now, to also get to have a medal is unbelievable.”
China’s gold at last
Team China amassed nine gold medals on home soil at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, but until Wednesday they were yet to win a single title at the Milan-Cortina Games.
Su changed that, winning the snowboard slopestyle gold after losing his big air crown earlier in these Games – and for good measure, it came on his 22nd birthday and as China celebrates Lunar New Year.
He scored 82.41 points on his first run of three at a sun-soaked Livigno Snow Park and was never caught, upgrading the silver he won four years ago.
Japan’s Taiga Hasegawa took silver and Jake Canter of the U.S. won bronze.
“There’s no better way, you know, this is like the best ever,” said Su. “I was actually thinking there’s no better gift for myself for my 22nd birthday, so I really appreciate it.”
Two hours later, China had another gold as freestyle skier Xu Mengtao won the women’s aerials final.
The U.S. and pre-tournament favorites Canada stayed on track to meet in the Olympic men’s ice hockey final as they reached the semi-finals, although both needed overtime to do it.
Mitch Marner scored the crucial overtime goal as Canada saw off the Czech Republic 4-3 in their quarter-final.
The Americans were also made to fight till the end against Sweden before Quinn Hughes netted 3min 27 sec into overtime for a 2-1 victory in front of thousands of U.S. supporters in Milan’s Santagiulia Arena.
Canada goes on to face reigning champions Finland and the U.S. will play Slovakia, with both semi-finals on Friday.
Klaebo in class of own
Norwegian cross-country skier Johannes Klaebo won the 10th Olympic gold medal of his career, extending the all-time record he set earlier in the Games.
The only athlete in Winter or Summer Games history with more Olympic titles is American swimmer Michael Phelps, who won 23 golds.
Klaebo and his Norwegian teammate Einar Hedegart comfortably won the team sprint free event, with Klaebo slowing before the finish line to soak up the applause of the crowd.
It was 29-year-old Klaebo’s fifth gold medal of these Games alone, meaning he has won every event he has entered – and he has one more to go.
Norway has a huge lead atop of the medals table with 15 golds and 33 overall. Hosts Italy are in second spot with nine golds and a total of 26 medals while the U.S. are third with seven golds and 24 medals.
Eight of the nine skiers missing in California after an avalanche have been found dead and one remains missing in horrific blizzard conditions, police said Wednesday.
Rescuers have been desperately searching for the group, which was caught in the avalanche early Tuesday on Castle Peak in the Tahoe area. Earlier, six skiers were found alive, two of them being taken to hospital.
“We are still looking for one of the members at this time,” Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said, cautioning that the storm is hampering any movement.
“Extreme weather conditions I would say is an understatement: lots of snow, gale-force winds, winds making it impossible to see,” Moon said.
Sugar Bowl Academy said multiple victims were linked to the private, ski-focused school, without identifying the people.
“We are an incredibly close and connected community. This tragedy has affected each and every one of us,” Stephen McMahon, the school’s executive director, said in a statement.
“The best thing we can do is surround our athletes and families with care and support while providing the necessary space and time for grief and healing.”
Blackbird Mountain Guides, the company leading the doomed backcountry trip, said the 11 clients and four guides had been staying at the Frog Lake huts since Sunday and were “in the process of returning” back to base.
Over 40 first responders launched the search, according to officials, including “highly skilled rescue ski teams” from both Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center.
But after quickly finding the six known survivors, the teams came up empty handed.
Experts had warned of severe avalanche risk.
And Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo pleaded with the public to stay away until the weather clears.
“Please avoid the Sierras during this current storm and in the upcoming days, avoid mountain travel. It’s treacherous.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the operation.
A powerful storm packing several feet of snow has continued to pummel the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
Sugar Bowl Resort, in the immediate area, is reporting 67 inches (1.7 meters) of snowfall there in the past week, including 30 inches from Tuesday to mid-day Wednesday.
The National Weather Service said parts of the Sierra Nevadas above 3,500 feet could see up to eight feet of snow, with wind gusts as strong as 55 miles (90 kilometers) an hour.
Sheriff’s office Captain Russell Green also told local station KCRA that backcountry skiing is inherently dangerous.
“People go out and use the backcountry at all times,” Green said. “We advise against it, obviously, but I wouldn’t say that it’s uncommon. Not that it was a wise choice.”
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center has tallied six U.S. avalanche fatalities so far this season, including one in Castle Peak in January.
Tiger Woods is still on the mend, but he is not closing the door on Augusta.
The 15-time major champion, recovering from back surgery last October, said Tuesday he has no firm timetable for his return yet has not ruled out playing in this year’s Masters.
Woods, who has not competed since missing the cut at the 2024 British Open, spoke to reporters ahead of the Genesis Invitational in Pacific Palisades, California, where he serves as tournament host. Asked whether the April 9-12 Masters was off the table, he paused and grinned.
“No,” Woods said.
The 48-year-old has endured a long rehabilitation stretch. In March 2025, he underwent surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon. Last December, he was cleared to resume chipping and putting for the first time since undergoing lumbar disc replacement surgery.
There is still no set date for his comeback, but the five-time Masters champion made one thing clear: Augusta remains a possibility.
As for his Achilles, Woods said it is no longer an issue, but his back remains sore.
“As far as the disc replacement, it’s just sore. It takes time,” Woods said. “My body has been through a lot. It’s just one of those things where it’s each and every day. I keep trying, I keep progressing, I keep working on it, trying to get stronger, trying to get more endurance in this body and trying to get it at a level at which I can play at the highest level again.”
Despite not having competed since July 2024, Woods has been keeping busy as a PGA Tour policy board player-director and as vice chairman of PGA Tour Enterprises.
The 48-year-old is also trying to decide whether to take on more responsibility after he said the PGA of America asked for his input on the 2027 Ryder Cup captaincy and whether he would want the job.
“Yeah, they have asked me for my input on it, and I haven’t made my decision yet,” Woods said Tuesday. “I’m trying to figure out what we’re trying to do with our tour.
“That’s been driving me hours upon hours every day and trying to figure out if I can actually do our team, Team USA, and our players and everyone that’s going to be involved in the Ryder Cup, if I can do it justice with my time.”
Woods turned down the U.S. captaincy for the 2025 Ryder Cup because of time constraints and responsibilities to the PGA Tour but added at the time that it did not mean he would never lead the team in the future.
Fenerbahçe host Nottingham Forest on Thursday night in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League round of 16 playoff, aiming to take a decisive step toward the last 16.
The match at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium kicks off at 8:45 p.m. local time.
It will be the first-ever meeting between the two clubs. The winner over two legs will face either FC Midtjylland or Real Betis in the next round.
Fenerbahçe’s European quest
Fenerbahçe’s path to the playoffs was uneven. They collected 12 points from eight league phase matches, finishing 19th after winning just one of their final five European games. A narrow 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa exposed defensive lapses, and a 1-1 draw with FCSB confirmed they would need an extra hurdle to reach the last 16.
Yet their home record in Europe remains a pillar of confidence. Before the Villa loss, they were unbeaten in five straight continental matches in Kadıköy. They have never lost consecutive home fixtures in European competition, a statistic that reinforces the importance of taking control in Istanbul.
Domestically, the picture is far brighter. Under Domenico Tedesco, Fenerbahçe are unbeaten through 22 Super Lig matches and have won their last four league games, scoring 11 goals in the process. They remain within three points of leaders Galatasaray, keeping alive hopes of a first league title since 2014. Momentum is on their side.
Forest under pressure
For Nottingham Forest, this tie marks the beginning of a new chapter. Owner Evangelos Marinakis has already dismissed three managers this season before appointing Vitor Pereira to an 18-month contract.
The Portuguese coach takes charge for the first time in a high-stakes European away match.
Forest finished 13th in the 36-team league phase table with 14 points, just two shy of automatic qualification.
They won four matches, drew twice and lost twice, including an emphatic 4-0 victory over Ferencvaros in their final league phase outing. Their away form produced five points from four games, showing they can compete on the road.
However, their domestic situation adds urgency. Forest sit 17th in the Premier League, only three points above the relegation zone.
Pereira has built a reputation for fast starts, winning his opening match in each of his last seven managerial roles. He now faces Fenerbahçe, a club he previously managed in two separate spells, adding emotional weight to his debut.
Tactical battles
Fenerbahçe will be without Edson Alvarez following ankle surgery. Archie Brown has returned to training but is not expected to feature. Nelson Semedo and Oğuz Aydın are one booking away from suspension and risk missing the return leg in England if cautioned.
January additions have strengthened the squad. N’Golo Kante and Matteo Guendouzi are expected to anchor midfield, likely alongside Fred or İsmail Yüksek, providing balance between defensive steel and forward thrust. In defense, Milan Skriniar is set to lead the back line.
The main attacking threat remains Anderson Talisca. The Brazilian has scored 21 goals in 35 appearances across all competitions this season and is expected to operate centrally in a three-man attack with Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Marco Asensio. Talisca and Aktürkoğlu have accounted for the majority of Fenerbahçe’s Europa League goals this term.
Forest travel without several key players, including Chris Wood, Willy Boly and Matz Sels. Goalkeeper Angus Gunn is likely to start, while Lorenzo Lucca competes with Igor Jesus to lead the line. Defensive responsibility may fall on Nikola Milenkovic and Morato if Murillo does not recover in time.
Fenerbahçe have faced English opponents 21 times in European competition, winning just four of those matches. That record underlines the challenge ahead, even with home advantage.
For Fenerbahçe, the objective is clear. Build a cushion before the return leg at the City Ground on Feb. 26. For Forest and Pereira, it is about resilience and belief at the start of a turbulent new era.
Galatasaray staged a stunning comeback to beat Juventus 5-2 in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 playoff, overwhelming the Italian side with a four-goal second-half surge.
The hosts opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Sara calmly finished after a defensive error from the Italian side. Juventus, deploying Weston McKennie as a makeshift false nine due to attacking absences, responded swiftly. Teun Koopmeiners equalized after Pierre Kalulu’s header was saved, tapping in the rebound to make it 1-1.
The Dutch midfielder struck again on 32 minutes, completing a neat one-two with McKennie before driving the ball home to give the visitors a 2-1 lead at halftime.
Galatasaray shifted momentum early in the second half as Dutch winger Noa Lang brought the score level, capitalizing after Juventus were forced into defensive changes following injuries to Bremer and Andrea Cambiaso.
The Turkish side then surged ahead on the hour mark when Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez headed in his first-ever Champions League goal. Juventus’ hopes of mounting a comeback faded further when substitute Juan Cabal was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.
Galatasaray continued to press their advantage. Lang, who joined on loan from Napoli in January, punished more defensive lapses in the 75th minute, and Sacha Boey, back on loan from Bayern Munich, sealed the emphatic result with a powerful fifth goal.
The return leg will be played in Turin next Wednesday, with the winner set to face either Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur in the round of 16. The draw to confirm the matchup is scheduled for Feb. 27.
Elsewhere, three additional first-leg ties were set for Tuesday, including defending champions Paris Saint-Germain visiting Monaco, record winners Real Madrid traveling to Benfica weeks after losing in Lisbon, and Borussia Dortmund hosting Atalanta. The Dortmund match was delayed by 15 minutes due to the late arrival of the home team bus.
Four more first-leg matches are scheduled for Wednesday.
Coco Gauff came to Dubai focused on forehands and footwork. Instead, the world No. 5 found herself fielding questions about unrest at home.
Speaking Sunday ahead of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the 21-year-old American said she remains proud of her country while condemning the January killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
“I’m proud to be an American,” Gauff said. “But everything going on in the U.S., obviously, I’m not really for it. I don’t think people should be dying in the streets just for existing. I don’t like what’s going on.”
Good, a 37-year-old poet and mother of three, was fatally shot by an ICE agent earlier in January. Weeks later, Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was killed during a protest tied to that shooting.
Their deaths ignited demonstrations in Minneapolis and beyond, intensifying debate over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and federal use of force.
Gauff is the latest high-profile American athlete to step into that debate.
Winter Olympian Hunter Hess said earlier this month that wearing the U.S. flag does not mean endorsing everything happening in the country. His remarks drew a sharp response from Donald Trump, who criticized him on social media.
On the WTA Tour, Madison Keys voiced hope that the country can reunite around values rooted in diversity and immigration.
Top-ranked American man Taylor Fritz took a different path. He declined to comment, saying any quote could be pulled into headlines and become a distraction in the middle of a tournament.
Gauff understands that choice. She insists athletes have the right to stay silent. She simply will not.
“The biggest thing I hate is when people say stay out of it when we’re being asked about it,” she said. “If you ask me, I’m going to give you my honest answer.”
For Gauff, the issue runs deeper than a news cycle. Her grandmother was the first Black student to attend a previously all-white public school in Delray Beach, Florida, in 1961 and later became an activist. That family history shapes how she approaches questions about justice and equality.
“I lived this,” Gauff said. “This is literally my life. I’m OK answering tough questions.”
Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have reached an agreement to stage an exhibition bout on April 25, 2026, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with Kinshasa expected to host the event.
If finalized, the fight would return global prizefighting to the same city that staged the iconic 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle,” where Muhammad Ali stunned George Foreman and etched his name into sporting folklore.
More than five decades later, two of boxing’s most polarizing figures are poised to headline a nostalgia-fueled spectacle in that same historic setting.
Tyson, 59, remains one of the sport’s most magnetic figures.
The former heavyweight champion owns a 50-7 record with 44 knockouts, but he has not won a professional fight since 2003.
His most recent outing came in November 2024, when he dropped an eight-round decision to Jake Paul in a Netflix-streamed event that drew massive global viewership. Even in defeat, Tyson proved he can still command attention.
Mayweather, 48, retired undefeated at 50-0 after defeating Conor McGregor in 2017. Since then, he has turned exhibitions into a lucrative second act. He most recently faced John Gotti III in August 2024, marking his eighth exhibition since leaving the professional ranks. For Mayweather, these events are business ventures wrapped in showmanship, carefully controlled and risk-managed.
The matchup was first floated publicly in September 2025, though details were scarce and competing rumors cast doubt on whether it would materialize. At one point, Mayweather was linked to other potential exhibitions abroad, fueling uncertainty.
Tyson put that speculation to rest in a recent interview, confirming the bout is moving forward. He framed it as a challenge he could not ignore, suggesting Mayweather initiated the idea.
While contracts are still being finalized, officials in the Congo have welcomed the prospect of hosting another globally watched boxing event. The historical symmetry is obvious. In 1974, Ali reclaimed the heavyweight crown in sweltering Kinshasa. In 2026, two aging icons from different eras and weight classes would step into the ring not for titles, but for spectacle, nostalgia and sizable paydays.
Competitive stakes will be secondary. As an exhibition, the bout is expected to feature modified rules designed for safety and entertainment rather than rankings or legacy shifts. Yet the intrigue lies in the contrast. Tyson, the former heavyweight destroyer known for early-round knockouts. Mayweather, the defensive tactician who built an unbeaten career on precision and patience.
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