Christophe Dubi, the IOC executive director for the Olympic Games, added: “We make a point to receive those petitions, and we have to recognise climate is a challenge for all of us.
“What we have to do as an organisation is to be at the forefront of sustainability, and our principles are very clear.”
One area the IOC is aiming to make the Olympics more sustainable is having Games take place over a wider area with more pre-existing facilities, and Coventry said Milan-Cortina is an acid test for whether this is a viable future.
Milan-Cortina takes place in three hubs spread across northern Italy – in Milan, Cortina and Livigno – with only two newly built sporting facilities: the Santagiulia ice hockey arena and Cortina Sliding Centre.
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The next two Winter Olympics – French Alps 2030 and Utah 2034 – will also have sports spread more widely, while the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane is will have venues across Queensland.
“We are really experiencing a spread out Games here for the first time – we are going to learn a lot,” Coventry said.
“We have taken this decision for sustainability reasons, climate and not having to have new venues. We are seeing there is an impact on National Olympic Committees because of the spreadness [sic], also for broadcast and media, making it harder to get around.
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“What is really cool is that you get to see iconic venues in beautiful places – but now we have to weigh this up, the balance between a spread games for sustainability reasons but not shifting complexity and sustainability to different areas.”
While the action got underway on Wednesday with the start of the curling events, the 2026 Winter Olympics will officially start with the opening ceremony on Friday.
Coventry said she hoped all nations would be treated with respect by spectators, including the USA team amid criticism from Italian authorities about the presence of ICE agents in Milan.
“I hope the opening ceremony is seen by everyone as a chance to be respectful,” she said.
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“For me, when we went to the Olympic village that is the best reminder of how the Games should be. I hope the opening ceremony will do that.”
No golf event is more soaked in alcohol than the WM Phoenix Open, the annual warmup act to (no copyright issue here!) the big game. Coors Light is a tournament sponsor. So is Jack Daniel’s; Don Julio tequila; LaMarca Prosecco wine; and Tito’s vodka. To this scene, we add (for the first time in few years) Brooks Koepka, with his fullback’s physique and his Michelob Ultra sponsorship. He won in Phoenix in 2021. He T3ed there in 2022. Nobody would be surprised to see him contend. The Brooks Koepka comeback tour.
Last week was a dress rehearsal. In San Diego, we saw nervous Brooks, making his return to the PGA Tour after going LIV for a three-year stint, one short of his contracted length. It was weird, in this debut, to see this jockiest of golfing men not own the space around him. But there’s something subdued about the Farmers Insurance Open, the Torrey Pines courses dwarfed by the Pacific Ocean, morning fog acting like a muffler on the whole enterprise.
Phoenix is nothing like it. The tourney there is boozy. Fan and player alike is uninhibited. Ballplayers thrive there. The guess here is that BK 2.0 is going to start looking a lot like the OG edition, the one we know and know. He might not be ready to win yet, and he didn’t win anywhere in the world last year. But he’ll sashay his way around the course in his old familiar way. He’ll be among his people. All that beer-and-football energy.
This is a whole new thing for the PGA Tour, the returning golfer after an enriching LIV run. Patrick Reed will be coming back ’round Labor Day. Kevin Na and Hudson Swafford are likely to get some kind of playing status on Tour again, though you will be forgiven if you don’t notice. On the other end of the noise spectrum, Bryson. It would not be a shocker to see DeChambeau come in from the cold next year, despite, despite missing the once-in-a-lifetime Feb. 2 deadline for the Tour’s grand Returning Member Program. If Bryson wants to come home, there will be a RMP II. He has been sounding unsettled, most recently with his 72-holes-is-not-what-we-signed-up-for remarks. Also, the whole LIV team thing — featuring your RangeGoats, your Cleeks, Bryson’s own Crushers squad — hasn’t exactly caught fire yet. Bryson plays in another league anyhow: Team YouTube. Kill-ing-it.
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So Koepka is back and everybody on the PGA Tour is happy-happy-happy. Well, not everybody everybody. Wyndham Clark has questions, as does Viktor Hovland and Hideki Matsyuama. But the Big Three are totally down with it: Brian Rolapp, in his first full year as the PGA Tour’s first CEO; Tiger Woods, the 50-year-old golfing icon who doesn’t really play anymore but has a full-time gig as a golf entrepreneur and as Brian Rolapp’s consiglieri; and Rory McIlroy, the most powerful person in golf. Reason being, he knows a lot about tournament golf, global golf, and he has the ear of the fellas who are going to finance a lot of the PGA Tour’s future for-profit enterprises, the Fenway Sports Group, John Henry presiding.
It is head-spinning, to think about how quickly things have changed here. As a wise man once said, managing is about managing change. When Koepka went LIV — June 2022 — the Tour was still the Tour, the one your grandparents would have pretty much recognized. There was a straight line from Joe Dey (the first commissioner) to Jay Monahan (the fourth and last). What the Tour leadership has done since the arrival of LIV is manage change, sometimes clumsily, now in the language that makes the whole world take notice: We gonna make you some money.
Koepka is lucky that he is not making this return when Joe Dey was running the show. Dey, who came to the nascent PGA Tour after a long career at the USGA, was a rule-of-law golfing ethicist. The sanctity of the scorecard was his starting point, and golf’s starting point, for everything. The comportment of the player was a sacred to him, too. To varying degrees, the commissioners who followed Dey — Deane Beman, Tim Finchem, Jay Monahan — all carried the Dey flame. There was something righteous about being a golfer on Tour, at least when the sun was out. (At night, you were on your own.) Any of the four commissioners might have extracted a promise from the returning Koepka: Don’t be waving five fingers to others after playing a 5-iron shot. Also, my good man: Could you at least pretend that your media sessions are less irritating than those let’s-try-it-again secondary TSA inspections?
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As for Reed, Dey and Beman in particular would have had a field day with him, in his meet-the-principal session before returning to the Tour: We cannot have any more rules debacles (incidents at the 2019 Hero event and the 2021 Farmers tournament are at the top of the list), and we cannot have any more frivolous lawsuits aimed at beloved members of the Green Division of the Fourth Estate.
Koepka’s return has created a template for how you get back. You write a letter, you sign a check, you play a tourney feeling kinda bashful, you get your groove back over time.
The friendly-wager bets here are Koepka top-10s this week; the New England Patriots will cover the spread (and then some) in the big game, for no other reason than the Fenway Sports Group is on a roll and this game is FSG-adjacent; Coors Light will win the exposure game during the day, the golf telecast on CBS, but Mich Ultra and its Anheuser-Busch adult cousins will carry the night on NBC, during the big game. Here’s to Sunday. Bartenders really should be able to get endorsement deals for their TV remotes, what your grandparents called “the clicker.”
Arsenal moved a step closer to ending their long wait for major silverware after edging past Chelsea to book a place in the Carabao Cup final.
Holding a 3–2 advantage from the first leg, the Gunners completed the job with a dramatic late goal in a tense second-leg clash at the Emirates Stadium.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the seventh minute of added time when substitute Kai Havertz kept his composure to score the winner. The German forward skipped past goalkeeper Robert Sanchez before calmly finishing to spark wild celebrations among the home fans.
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Mikel Arteta’s side will now face either Manchester City or Newcastle United in next month’s final at Wembley, as they chase their first major trophy since 2020.
Arsenal began the match on the front foot but found clear chances hard to come by in the opening half, with Chelsea setting up in a defensive back five. The visitors stayed compact and frustrated the hosts for long periods.
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior tried to change the momentum just after the hour mark by introducing attacking options, including Cole Palmer, but Arsenal remained organised and rarely looked troubled at the back.
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As the game drifted towards extra time, Arsenal continued to push, and their persistence was rewarded in the dying moments. Havertz, recently back from injury, showed sharpness and confidence to deliver the decisive goal and secure a 4–2 aggregate victory.
The Gunners last lifted a major trophy when they beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final in Arteta’s first season in charge. They had not reached the League Cup final since 2018.
This latest success underlines Arsenal’s progress this season. They sit top of the Premier League, remain active in other cup competitions and now have a clear chance to turn their strong form into silverware.
With a settled squad and growing belief, Arteta’s side will head to Wembley hopeful that this could be the start of a trophy-winning chapter.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell watches the action from the sideline at U.S. Bank Stadium, captured during first-half play on Sep 21, 2025, as Minnesota hosted Cincinnati. The moment reflects in-game oversight and communication as O’Connell monitored personnel groupings, situational decisions, and tempo against an AFC opponent in a regular-season matchup. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
If you think the Minnesota Vikings are “running it back” with their coaching staff, that just isn’t the case. Over the last few weeks, the club has lost six coaches and counting, mostly to promotions, while head coach Kevin O’Connell continues to backfill the positions.
Six departures have piled up, forcing Minnesota to reshuffle some jobs early in the 2026 offseason.
Yes, O’Connell’s coaching tree is germinating.
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Six Departures Change O’Connell’s Staff
The 2026 offseason didn’t skimp on purple coaching changes.
Brian Angelichio oversees practice duties at Hanbury Manor during the Vikings’ international session in Thundridge, captured on Sep 30, 2022, as Minnesota prepared offensive installations abroad. The image reflects Angelichio’s role in coordinating tight ends and passing concepts while players adjusted to travel, schedule changes, and a condensed preparation window. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Brian Angelichio (offensive passing game)
New Job:Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinator
Angelichio departed Minnesota on Wednesday, heading to Mike McCarthy’s new staff in Pittsburgh. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted, “The Steelers are finalizing a deal to hire Vikings passing game coordinator Brian Angelichio as their new offensive coordinator, per me and Tom Pelissero. Angelichio, also the TEs coach, is back with coach Mike McCarthy. They were together in Green Bay.”
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It’s the top job Angelichio has held in college and professional football through 30 years, and he’ll inherit a stout offensive line, along with wide receiver DK Metcalf, running back Jaylen Warren — and perhaps even Aaron Rodgers.
Minnesota will need a new passing game coordinator on offense.
Marcus Dixon (defensive line)
New Job:Dallas Cowboys Defensive Line Coach
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Dixon’s contract wasn’t renewed this offseason; he evidently stayed his welcome. But in Dallas, he’ll work for Brian Schottenheimer and notably lead defensive tackles like Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark. Life would be easier for Dixon if Micah Parsons still patrolled Dallas’s defense, but that’s not possible after the Cowboys shipped him to Green Bay five months ago.
Ryan Nielson, who interviewed for the Vikings’ defensive coordinator position in 2023, will take over Dixon’s spot after notably coordinating the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense in 2024.
Michael Hutchings (safeties)
New Job:University of California Defensive Coordinator
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Hutchings actually left town in December before the end of the regular season, jumping at the chance to lead the Cal Bears’ defense.
SI.com‘s Jeff Faraudo wrote around Christmas, “New Cal football coach Tosh Lupoi continues to assemble a young staff of assistants, officially announcing the hiring on Friday of Minnesota Vikings assistant Michael Hutchings as the Bears’ defensive coordinator.”
“Hutchings, a Bay Area native who was a prep All-American at De La Salle High School and played linebacker at USC, comes to Cal later three seasons coaching defensive backs with the Vikings, the past two years as safeties coach. In that role, he worked with former Cal star Cam Bynum, who had three interceptions during the 2024 NFL season.”
The Vikings’ safety job remains vacant in early February.
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Daronte Jones (defensive passing game)
New Job:Washington CommandersDefensive Coordinator
Perhaps the biggest news of this coaching style — after Brian Flores signing an extension to remain with the Vikings — Jones will get his crack at an NFL defense all by himself. He spent five seasons in Minnesota, but left for a year in 2021 to coach LSU’s defense.
Jones won’t walk into a dream situation, yet he’ll have the tutelage of head coach Dan Quinn, who comes from a staunch defensive background.
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These players are already on Jones’s depth chart: Trey Amos (CB), Javon Kinlaw (DT), Frankie Luvu (LB), Jer’Zhan Newton (DT), Daron Payne (DT), Jeremy Reaves (S), and Mike Sainristil (CB).
Minnesota hired Steelers defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander to replace Jones. SteelersNow‘s Chris Ward on Alexander: “Alexander is a big loss for the Steelers, especially with how cornerback Joey Porter Jr. developed under his stewardship.”
“He spent the 2024 season with the Las Vegas Raiders as a safeties coach under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who’s now the DC with the Steelers. Alexander will work under defensive coordinator Brian Flores in Minnesota. Flores was a finalist for the Steelers’ head coach position.”
Chris Kuper (offensive line)
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New Job: N/A
The Vikings’ offensive line underachieved in 2025, even after formulating a formidable fivesome that included Christian Darrisaw, Donovan Jackson, Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, and Brian O’Neill. Injuries rattled the unit, too, and the trenches never really found their groove.
Chris Kuper stands on the sideline at State Farm Stadium during playoff action on Jan 13, 2025, as Minnesota faced the Rams in the NFC wild card round. The moment captures Kuper tracking offensive line adjustments, protection calls, and in-game communication amid postseason pressure and elevated tempo and overall execution. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
So, O’Connell did not renew Kuper’s contract, and he remains a coaching free agent.
Assistant offensive line coach Keith Carter accepted a promotion to Kuper’s spot last month.
Mike Pettine (assistant head coach)
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New Job: N/A
Pettine retired a few weeks ago and claimed he may return to the NFL in time. He later revealed in an interview with a Cleveland Browns-themed podcast that he and the aforementioned Flores didn’t see eye to eye, which is probably why Pettine exited stage left.
O’Connell used Pettine on the offensive side of the coaching staff in 2025 because Pettine couldn’t deal with Flores, or so he implied on the podcast.
Mike Pettine speaks with defenders along the Vikings’ bench at Ford Field during first-half action on Jan 5, 2025, as Minnesota met Detroit. The scene highlights Pettine’s in-game leadership, offering schematic reminders and situational adjustments while the defense regrouped between series during a tense divisional matchup under playoff implications. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images
Pettine originally joined the Vikings at the dawn of the O’Connell era in 2022.
The Miami Dolphins’ offensive coordinator for the last four seasons, Frank Smith, has taken over for Pettine as assistant head coach, and many believe Smith will force the Vikings to run the football more often and more efficiently. They need it.
Sep 15, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Amazon executive chairman Jeff Bezos in attendance before the Kansas City Chiefs play against the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
The Washington Post shuttered its venerable sports department on Wednesday, part of a larger layoff involving one-third of the newspaper’s staff.
“The Washington Post is taking a number of difficult but decisive actions today for our future, in what amounts to a significant restructuring across the company,” a Post spokesperson said in a statement. “These steps are designed to strengthen our footing and sharpen our focus on delivering the distinctive journalism that sets The Post apart and, most importantly, engages our customers.”
Executive editor Matt Murray announced the changes in a video conference with employees.
The move comes with Post reporters already on site covering Super Bowl LX and the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
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“It’s like somebody taking a hammer to my heart,” Sally Jenkins, who wrote a Post sports column until she left the paper last summer, told The Ringer. “It’s not just broken. It’s broken into about 20 pieces, one for every single one of my close friends there.”
Some sports reporters are expected to move into other roles, but the exact number was not reported.
A skeleton crew will continue to produce what Murray described as features about sports as a “cultural and societal phenomenon.”
The Post has undergone repeated changes, downsizings and reinventions since Amazon chief Jeff Bezos purchased the paper in 2013.
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In addition to cutting the sports pages, the Post is reducing its international footprint, making the Metro section more “nimble and focused” and eliminating the Books section.
Nigeria’s U-20 women’s team, the Falconets, delivered a dominant performance as they thrashed the Oyo State women’s side 15–0 in a friendly match played behind closed doors in Ibadan on Tuesday.
The test game was part of the Falconets’ build-up to their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying fixture against Senegal and offered a clear sign of the team’s attacking strength ahead of the decisive tie.
Adegbemile Rebecca stole the spotlight with three goals, while Alaba Olabiyi and Ifeanyi Kindness both scored twice. Ramotalahi Kareem, Nwachukwu Chisom, Moshood Shakirat, Janet Akekoromowei, Mamudu Mary, Oscar Precious, Kafayat Mafisere and Adeshina Fatimoh also got on the scoresheet to complete the emphatic win.
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The coaching crew used the closed-door encounter to fine-tune tactics, assess player combinations and test overall team balance ahead of the qualifier.
The Falconets will take on Senegal in the first leg of the U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifier on Saturday, February 7, at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta. The match is scheduled to kick off at 4:00 pm.
The stable of Anthony and Sam Freedman seeks a steadier autumn run for Tom Kitten than the spring’s disruptions.
Spring saw Tom Kitten in perpetual recovery mode following a gate scratch during the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield in August.
Tom Kitten joined the Freedman father-and-son operation for his first time after James Cummings left Godolphin.
The new season will see Cummings launch his training in Hong Kong.
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According to Sam Freedman, the gelding’s prior prep flowed smoothly to the intended opener, with the co-trainer stating the ongoing one is even stronger.
Marcus Rashford’s future appears to lie away from Manchester United, with a move to Barcelona looking a strong possibility at the end of the season
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick is reportedly the strongest advocate for wanting to keep Marcus Rashford at the club beyond the summer. Rashford’s loan from Manchester United expires at the end of the season, but Barcelona retain an option to make the move permanent.
Rashford has made it clear he wants a long‑term future at the Camp Nou, having previously reiterated his desire to stay. “Of course what I want is to stay at Barca,” he told Sport.
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“It’s an end goal, but it’s not the reason why I’m training hard and giving it my best. The purpose is to win. Barca is a huge, fantastic club, built to win titles. I can’t be in a place where important objectives are not demanded of you;
“For me it is more difficult to be motivated and give my best at a club where the demand is not maximum. I’m in the perfect place and environment to continue my journey as a football player, so I just try to do my best every day and help the team win. We’ll see what happens next summer.”
It’s now being reported in Spain that Flick has already made his stance clear to the board and president Joan Laporta. He is believed to see the England international as a strong fit for the club’s vision and sees his skill set match naturally with the rest of the attacking department.
In Flick’s view, a player with Rashford’s level of international pedigree, still operating in his prime years, is reportedly an asset ‘too valuable to overlook.’
Trabzonspor delivered a strong second-half display to claim a comfortable 3–0 victory over Fethiyespor in Group A of the Turkish Cup.
Nigerian players Anthony Nwakaeme, Paul Onuachu and Chibuike Nwaiwu all featured as the Black Sea side brushed aside their lower-league opponents.
The match remained goalless for much of the contest, with Fethiyespor holding firm for over an hour. However, Trabzonspor raised the tempo late on and quickly took control.
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The breakthrough came in the 69th minute when Ernest Muçi finished neatly after being picked out by Nwakaeme, whose vision and movement caused problems for the defence.
That goal sparked a flurry of action. Seven minutes later, Nwakaeme doubled the lead with a fine individual effort, cutting inside before firing a powerful left-footed strike into the top corner.
Trabzonspor wrapped up the win in the 78th minute. Onuachu, who came on at the break, showed his striker’s instinct by tapping in from close range to make it 3–0.
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Defender Chibuike Nwaiwu also played his part as Trabzonspor stayed solid at the back and comfortably managed the closing stages.
The result lifts Trabzonspor to the top of Group A with six points from three matches, putting pressure on their rivals in the race for qualification.
The game was particularly encouraging for Nwakaeme, who scored his first goal of the season after returning from a long injury absence. His performance will be a big confidence boost as the campaign progresses.
Onuachu also maintained his impressive form, taking his total to 14 goals in 19 appearances in all competitions.
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For Fethiyespor, the defeat leaves them bottom of the group with just one point, leaving their hopes of progressing in the Turkish Cup hanging by a thread.
Gavin McKenna, a star forward for the Penn State hockey team who is widely considered the top prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft, is facing a felony charge following an alleged incident at a bar in State College, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night, Onward State reports.
According to a court filing, McKenna is awaiting a preliminary hearing after being charged with felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor simple assault, as well as summary counts of harassment and disorderly conduct. The Felony I charge is defined as “attempts to cause serious bodily injury or causes injury with extreme indifference.”
According to Onward State, McKenna and other members of Penn State’s hockey team met at Doggie’s Pub with friends and family after Saturday’s game against Michigan State at Beaver Stadium before the alleged assault occurred. McKenna is accused of assaulting an individual, who reportedly suffered a broken jaw in the incident.
An NCAA rule change allowed junior hockey players from the Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League to play Division I hockey. In the past, junior hockey players were considered professionals and therefore weren’t allowed to play in the NCAA, but the change allowed a prospect of McKenna’s caliber to go through the college recruiting process in the U.S.
As a 17-year-old, McKenna put together a sensational season for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League in 2024-25. He posted 129 points (41 goals, 88 assists) in 56 games while also producing 38 points (nine goals, 29 assists) in 16 playoff games as Medicine Hat won the WHL Championship. McKenna, who recorded a 54-game point streak, ranked second in the WHL in points and fifth in goals while leading the league in assists.
Nigerian forward Samuel Amadi was the star for Smouha as they secured a 2-1 win over Pyramid SC in the Egyptian Premier League on Wednesday.
Amadi, a former Akwa United winger who helped the team win the 2021 NPFL title, scored early in the 3rd minute to put Smouha ahead. Pyramid SC equalised in the 26th minute through Zalaka, but the late 88th-minute goal from Ashraf handed Smouha the victory.
The result leaves Pyramid SC with 28 points, drifting further behind league leaders Ceramica Cleopatra, who have 32 points, while Smouha move up to 25 points.
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Pyramid SC will now travel to Nigeria on Friday to face Rivers United FC at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Akwa Ibom. Meanwhile, Amadi continues to impress in Egypt, showing his quality since leaving Nigeria’s domestic league.
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