America skier Lindsey Vonn crashed at the Winter Olympics.

American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn has endured a devastating crash during the downhill event at the Winter Olympics.

The 41-year-old was representing Team USA despite battling a ruptured ACL in the lead-up to the Milan Cortina Games. The former Olympic champion had been tipped as a strong contender for the title before her earlier injury setback.

Vonn hung up her skis in 2019 but a partial knee replacement in 2024 paved the way for her return to competitive skiing. Her Olympic ambitions took a blow following a crash in late January.

However, she remained determined to compete and successfully completed her mandatory training runs earlier in the week. What could have been a remarkable comeback ultimately ended in heartbreak as Vonn lay still on the slope during the women’s downhill final.

She quickly received assistance and was airlifted to the hospital. The scene drew an emotional reaction from the BBC’s broadcast team.

“I actually feel guilty that I am this emotional,” said commentator Chemmy Alcott. “When we thought about the end of this story, we never thought and never believed that it would end in her in a clump at the side of the piece, not moving. What we saw is the top section is running very fast.

“The left-footer is really hard for healthy athletes. She is trying to throw herself down this, gunning for the podium. She doesn’t have a left knee, she drops her hip back and this is an absolute nightmare. It is an absolute nightmare.

“The whole world is watching and we wanted to see her come through the finish smiling, because she was fast, we wanted to see her take on this challenge, it is just really tough.”

The commentator added: “I feel so bad that I feel this way because her family and all over her team… it is so sad. We have to be realistic. The risk was really really high for her to take on the G-force of this downhill.

The risk she faced when you fall are double that. Her body will not be able to withstand that. The crowd here, everyone is feeling it. There is intermittent clapping and I think that is hope that she is going to get up.

“But then the screen comes on and we see all the medical staff around here. They have actually had to put on some background noise because it is quite uncomfortable.”

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IRAN’s top diplomat claimed today that enemies “fear” its atomic bomb, while refusing to stop the nuclear program which the country claims is “peaceful”.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi refused to budge on nukes, despite growing US pressure for a deal to wind down their development.

Speaking to diplomats at a summit in Tehran, he said: “I believe the secret of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s power lies in its ability to stand against bullying, domination and pressures from others.

“They fear our atomic bomb, while we are not pursuing an atomic bomb.

“Our atomic bomb is the power to say no to the great powers.

“The secret of the Islamic Republic’s power is in the power to say no to the powers.”

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Araghchi insisted that he wasn’t intimidated by US President Donald Trump’s threats to “do a Venezuela” on Iran unless it agrees to a nukes deal.

Trump recently warned mullahs that the “consequences would be steep” if Iran did not back down.

He added that the US armada near Iran would “wait around awhile” as it did before last month’s raid on Caracas when Venezuelan tyrant Nicolas Maduro and his wife were snatched.

But Araghchi claimed that “military deployment in the region does not scare us”.

He said the blood-soaked regime will never stop enriching uranium, even if the US strikes Iran.

It comes as US special envoy for peace missions Steve Witkoff visited huge aircraft carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln as it lies, poised to strike, in the Arabian sea.

Witkoff said the soldiers were “keeping us safe and upholding President Trump’s message of peace through strength”, as tensions rise in the region.

He wrote on X: “We thanked the sailors and Marines, observed live flight operations, and spoke with the pilot who downed an Iranian drone that approached the carrier without clear intent.

“Proud to stand with the men and women who defend our interests, deter our adversaries, and show the world what American readiness and resolve look like, on watch every day.”

Peace talks in Oman collapsed after supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s henchmen refused to co-operate after US military chief General Brad Cooper arrived unexpectedly.

Sources likened it to “conducting negotiations with a gun on the table”.

The US and Iran were still in peace talks at the time of Trump’s huge  surprise stealth bomber attack, which hit Iranian nuclear sites in June last year.

Trump is set to meet Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu this week to discuss progress on nuke talks.

It comes as brave Iranians told The Sun that the world has yet to “grasp the depth of catastrophe” of the regime’s bloody crackdown on protests.

Witnesses said the Ayatollah’s ruthless stooges gunned down children, burned bodies with acid, and broke the limbs of protesters.

The Prince and Princess of Wales reportedly stunned diners with an unexpected visit to a luxurious restaurant in the ‘ski capital of the world’ in the idyllic French Alps

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Prince William and Kate gave diners an unexpected treat when they popped into a lavish restaurant tucked away in the stunning French Alps. The Royal pair reportedly took a break at the Courchevel ski resort, nestled in the Tarentaise Valley.

A magnet for Michelin-starred establishments, Courchevel – called the “Saint Tropez of the slopes” or the “ski capital of the world” – has drawn in A-listers, having previously welcomed the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, the Beckhams, and Elton John.

Last month, the Prince and Princess of Wales were spotted at a mountainside eatery, with fellow guests whipping out their cameras as the Royal duo headed off.

A member of staff revealed to The Mail’s Harriet Kean: “They had a very nice time and were very polite.” Harriet also noted the future king and his wife looked “immaculate” kitted out in their skiing gear.

The encounter clearly left its mark on one particular diner, who gushed: “I couldn’t believe I was having lunch in the same restaurant as Kate and William. They looked adorable in their beanie hats.”

This wouldn’t mark the first occasion the Wales family have headed to the French Alps, with reports suggesting they initially visited back in 2016, bringing along their eldest youngsters.

Meanwhile, in what was described by a source as a “Middleton knees-up”, the family, which includes three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, were also said to have enjoyed a skiing holiday last year.

In other news, the young Prince George made headlines yesterday when a royal expert claimed that the second in line to the throne was faced with a “daunting” reality as he braces for a “testing year”.

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The 12-year-old prince will celebrate his thirteenth birthday on July 22 and is also preparing to start secondary school. Speaking to the Mirror, Royal commentator Jennie Bond said: “Certainly, as a family, the Waleses do have a complicated destiny.

“They can’t pretend that there is total equality between their three children because one of them is going to be the ultimate top dog – the King. And that obviously creates different issues for each child.”

She added: “For George, it must be daunting, but I think William and Catherine are intent on letting him just enjoy his childhood for as long as possible without worrying about the future.”

Jennie said Catherine was an “acknowledged expert” in the area of early years development, noting that she is “the most capable person” to deal with the children and “reassure them of their worth”.

During a reception for the Red Roses held at Windsor Castle, the Princess of Wales revealed an anecdote about her children playing rugby at home, humorously confessing that she does “not want to get tackled by George”.

She expressed: “Rugby is so accessible, Louis is playing touch rugby and it’s such a great game. Actually, they shouldn’t necessarily need to push boys and girls in particular sports too early.

“Obviously, as they get physically stronger – George now, if we play at home, I do not want to get tackled by George – but, up to a certain age, I think it’s great.”

Lindsey Vonn has suffered a devastating crash in the women’s downhill skiing final at the Winter Olympics.

The 41-year-old American ruptured her ACL in a crash at a World Cup race in Switzerland on 30 January but was determined to compete at the Olympics nevertheless.

Just 13 seconds into her final run in Cortina, northern Italy, on Sunday, Vonn crashed on the piste, having clipped a slalom flag while mid-air.

The Team USA athlete was heard screaming after the crash as she was surrounded by medical personnel.

She was then strapped to a gurney and flown to hospital by helicopter.

The severity of her injuries is not known.

Vonn was considered a medal hopeful despite her ruptured ACL and completed two impressive training runs earlier this week.

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The UK heritage shoemaker Russell & Bromley has been bought by high-street clothing giant Next. Despite the brand’s rescue from administration, dozens of jobs will be lost in initial redundancies, and there are rumours that more than 30 shops could close. As one of the few independently owned footwear brands left in the UK, the sale spells another loss to the industrial heritage of the British footwear industry.

The closure of fashion stores is nothing new, and the gradual demise of the British high street has been well documented. In fact, research in 2021 revealed that the fastest-declining sector on the UK high street was fashion retail. Shifts in consumer behaviour driven by online shopping, alongside fast fashion, placed inevitable pressure on independent, mid- to high-end stores like Russell & Bromley.

With so much competition (particularly in the context of footwear, where many clothing retailers and supermarkets have added shoe lines), staying relevant has become even more challenging.

What set Russell & Bromley apart was its long history. It was founded in 1880 in Sussex and continued under the leadership of five generations of the same family. It has a strongly defined heritage as a British independent brand, with a focus on craftsmanship and understated luxury.

It has also been a favourite of the Princess of Wales, which guaranteed the brand further endorsement. More recently, another brand linked to the princess, LK Bennett, was sold to the owner of Poundland. LK Bennett was founded in 1990, also as a high-end shoe retailer, later branching out into clothing as well.

The Russell & Bromley sale followed the announcement that heritage sports shoe brand Gola had been acquired by Japanese conglomerate Marubeni – a response to booming sales in retro trainers. Gola, too, has a long history. It was founded in Leicester, once a centre for British shoemaking in 1905, making it one of Britain’s oldest sportswear brands.

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Its origins were in making football boots, but in the 1960s the brand took off with its Harrier style being favoured by football fans, and its later endorsement by celebrities including Liam Gallagher and Paul Weller. But in recent years, Gola struggled to compete with the powerhouses of Nike and Adidas.

The cases of Russell & Bromley and Gola exemplify the challenges of maintaining independence in the complex global footwear industry where conglomerates are taking a dominant stance. The brands’ change in ownership highlights the transformation of what was once a flourishing footwear manufacturing and retail industry.

Dominance and decline

The 1960s was the heyday of fashion retail on the British high street with the emergence of boutiques like Mary Quant’s Bazaar and the advent of Topshop in 1964, which brought a new, younger consumer.

Footwear retailers were always a staple on the high street, with brands like Dolcis, and Lilley and Skinner. Both were part of the Leicester-based conglomerate the British Shoe Corporation, and alongside Clarks and Russell & Bromley they captured the footwear retail market.

But the UK’s fashion footwear retail industry started to decline in the 1990s with the closure of the British Shoe Corporation and its huge portfolio of stores.

This decline in shoe retail followed a significant change in the UK’s footwear manufacturing industry. While Northampton remains a centre of excellence for men’s footwear manufacturing, shoe factories in Leicester started to close from the 1980s. They could no longer compete with the prices and volumes of manufacturers in Brazil, India and China.

Recently, China has taken the lead in global shoe manufacturing, adapting the traditional skills and craftsmanship with technical advances and the ability to produce high volumes.

So where does Next fit into this picture? In 1982, the Midlands-based clothing company opened its first womenswear store and by 1988 had launched the Next Directory, which introduced home delivery. Consumers no longer had to go to separate shops to find shoes to match their outfits – suddenly it was all available in one place.

It was not just Leicester that suffered the decline of its footwear industry. London also had a long history in shoemaking, but failed to weather the competitive landscape. The 1990s saw an increase in international brands and retailers entering the UK retail space, placing further competition on domestic brands.

Despite this uncertainty and change in UK footwear and retail, Russell & Bromley continued to thrive well into the 21st century. This is testament to its position as a high-end retailer that sold its own well-crafted shoes and bags with the desirable Made in Italy label. Investments in a refresh in 2025 may have proved too costly, as the market became increasingly difficult.

While there is plenty of choice for consumers at the lower and designer ends of the footwear market, the mid to high-price points where Russell & Bromley sits could perhaps be at risk of becoming squeezed out.

Italy, Spain and Portugal have maintained their rich shoemaking heritage. While this has much to do with legacy, it may also be the result of these countries’ continued endorsement by luxury brands, where the allure of artisanal shoes resonates with higher price points.

Despite the sales, the Russell & Bromley and Gola brands are not being lost. Under their new owners, they will be able to go on representing the legacy of the British footwear industry, which has been defined by heritage, fashion and craftsmanship.

it might not be on many people’s must-visit lists but people love it here.

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It might not be on many tourists’ must-visit lists but locals in this town say they can’t think of anywhere they’d rather live. Just half an hour from Sheffield, and around 90 minutes from Manchester, it’s home to a thriving community, a stunning market and a huge range of independent shops.

Meeting with residents and shop owners on a grey day, life in the town bustles on despite the gloomy weather. Chesterfield is known for its historic crooked church spire which dominates its skyline. In recent years, the town has begun to grow, with plenty more on the horizon.

Alec Chapman-Taylor, 32, works at the Cheese Factor. The business has become a core part of the town with people travelling into Chesterfield to purchase its cheese. There’s a constant flow of customers despite the dull weather.

He says: “There’s a new market square, that’s going to be like the new event square. It’s fantastic. It looks a lot better. I think it’s hard to be an independent business these days. I really do think it’s hard. Luckily for us, Simon, who owns the place, has been here since the 60s with his dad.

“I’ve worked in the town now for probably the last maybe 10 or 15 years. Chesterfield has this kind of unique position where we have the heritage here. So the town hall is quite old. Again, I’d say the market’s quite old and traditional. It’s been going on for a long time. A lot of people have family connections to the market too which makes it really special.”

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He says one of the town’s strengths is its quirky independent shops and he estimates there are around 80 in Chesterfield.

He adds: “The Davidson family have been running a cheese store since the early 60s, I’ve only been working here for two years but I’ve lived in Chesterfield since the mid-90s and I love it. I really love it. I’ve lived in quite a few places including Manchester, but I always came back to Chesterfield. It’s the perfect size and it’s got anything you want. I just really enjoy it, the people are really nice. It’s got some fantastic bars. I’m bringing up a family here. All my brothers and sisters all live here too – we’ve moved our family from elsewhere to Chesterfield.”

In terms of improvements, he says he has always wanted to see more events – and those have started to be put on now too. He explains: “We had an animatronic dinosaurs day which was great for the kids and we had a 1940s market which people loved too.”

Out on the high street, plenty of shoppers are milling around, dipping in and out of shops. Janice Wallhead, 72, is out shopping for the day. She says: “I’ve lived here for 40 years and I like it here. I can walk into town and I do think the high street is good but I would like to see a bit more variation. We have lost a few things over the years – a few of the fashion shops. There’s been some money spent on improving the market but I still think there’s other things that need to be improved in town other than just the market.”

Bringing new life to a well-known pub, The Royal Oak, Patrick Hopman, 30 and Meg Hopman, 29, say they think Chesterfield has a lot to offer. The couple have become known among local business owners for defying the odds and making a success of the pub despite the current economic climate.

The two former school teachers say the pub has been a great success – and stepping inside, it’s not hard to see why. Walking through a small door on a side street, the building opens up once you’re inside. Bright orange walls are adorned with memorabilia which the pair have collected. From decorative plates to signs and posters, it’s a feast for the eyes.

At the other side of the bar is a church-like setting, not too dissimilar from the set of a film. There’s stained glass windows, high ceilings and dried flowers.

The couple have clearly established the pub as a place to visit and a destination in the town. Pat says: “We took a bit of a punt by buying this pub but we’ve been really pleasantly surprised. We’ve had it for a year but we reopened it in April last year.

“Chesterfield has a few really unique buildings, the Spire is the main one. But after that, our pub is on the list for sure – school trips actually come and sit outside on our benches.”

Pat grew up in London and Meg grew up in Devon but they say they now feel at home in Chesterfield. They both agree that, at first, they wanted to live in Sheffield but due to Chesterfield being cheaper, they opted for the town instead – with the thought that Sheffield is just a short drive away.

But after living in Chesterfield, they say that everything they need is there, and they find themselves visiting Sheffield less and less. Pat says: “We’re about five minutes’ drive from the Peak District. We’re perfectly situated for Sheffield, Derby and Nottingham. It’s less than two hours into London. We even went to Newcastle last weekend which is only two hours away as well. Location wise, it’s great.”

Pat adds: “There’s quite a lot of negativity around, especially when I’ve been to loads of meetings where everyone says the town centre’s dead. I think it’s complete rubbish – certainly from what we’ve seen.”

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Locals say the town is one filled with creativity and life. Emily Bowman, 44, managing director at Junction Arts, which is a community based arts charity based in the town, is keen to have an array of artists paint murals on some of the town’s buildings to add colour and vibrancy.

Arriving at its new home, there’s paintings and sculptures dotted around as we head to the conference room to talk about Chesterfield’s future. On February 1, a total of 11 local creatives took up a spot in the building.

Emily says she has high hopes for the town. She told the Express: “All of our work is grassroots and up so we work really closely with our community and there’s a real sense of pride in where people are from, what our communities have been through.

“We’re an ex-mining community and ex-industrial so there’s been quite a lot of change but there is a real sense of history in our town. It echoes across our business and across the community.”

Emily says that in May, she is looking forward to the Chesterfield Make-Off which will see around 40 artists “making and creating”. She adds that it’s an opportunity for locals to get involved and “see what we’ve got on our doorstep and how brilliant it is”.

She adds: “It’s really important to recognise the huge ambition for the future of Chesterfield.” Chesterfield might not be your first thought for a day out, but it’s a place that is definitely putting itself on the map. With affordable homes and great transport connections to larger cities nearby, it’s no surprise that so many people don’t want to leave.

American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn crashed hard in the Winter Olympics downhill event, nine days on from rupturing her ACL.

The 41-year-old was the 13th of 36 racers to take to the Olympia delle Tofane course in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where she has won a record 12 World Cups.

But she crashed hard in the top section of the course after catching her shoulder on a gate, with her injured left leg – which has no functioning ACL – giving way.

Medics attended to her quickly and she was put on a stretcher and airlifted to hospital while the competition was paused.

BBC Sport commentator and former Alpine skier Chemmy Alcott said: “I feel guilty that I am this emotional. I just never believed it would end in a clump at the side of the piece not moving. What we saw that the top of the piece is really hard for a fit athlete, she just had her right knee. It is brutal, think about her family, her team and herself.

“We have to be realistic the risk was really high, the risk she takes when she falls will double that, her body will not be able to take that. There is clapping and there is hope that she would be okay but they have put up some background music because it is uncomfortable.”

Double Olympic champion Tina Maze, speaking on Eurosport and TNT Sports coverage, said: “We all know the difficulties Lindsey was going through in the last days, and I think in the end she risked too much.

“This kind of crash can happen of course, if you are not healthy the consequences are even worse, but Lindsey wanted to do this no matter what. It’s really tough for everyone here to see this especially for her family and teammates and everyone working with her. It’s just terrible. A tough day.”

Teammate and reigning downhill world champion Breezy Johnson set the fastest time of the early starters, 1.36:10.

There have been multiple stories about how the Dog in a Doublet lock got its name

All across Cambs, there are places and pubs with hilarious names, leaving people to question how that name came to be. One such spot is the Dog in a Doublet Lock.

Dog-in-a-Doublet Lock No 38 is a major waterways place at the junction of the River Nene (main river) with the River Nene (tidal section). The tidal section of the River Nene downstream of Peterborough was an important trade route, with improvements for both navigation and drainage being made from at least the 15th century.

This section of the river gradually fell into poor condition and repairs were eventually made as a result of the 1930 Land Drainage Act. A new lock and sluice was then constructed by the Dog in a Doublet pub – and the lock seems to have been named after the pub.

Opened in 1937, this maintained water levels to Peterborough and prevented tidal waters from entering the city. Commercial traffic returned to the lower river and the port of Wisbech was improved to allow access to larger sea-going vessels.

Today, the Dog in a Doublet pub is no longer open, and is set to become a private home. There have been reports that the initial name of the pub was inspired by a former Dutch landlady, who knitted a doublet for her dog when he lost all his fur.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Winning the headlines during free agency in March doesn’t typically lead to success in January and February in the NFL.

This season, that hasn’t been the case.

Two of the most aggressive teams during the free agency period last offseason ended up in the Super Bowl, with the big-spending New England Patriots taking on the Seattle Seahawks.

“We felt like we needed a total culture shift,” New England general manager Eliot Wolf said. “We spent a lot of time doing work on the type of people that we brought in, and it’s crazy to say, but I don’t know that we missed on a person. Not every player has been the greatest free agent signing ever, but all the people that brought in during free agency have been phenomenal.”

The Patriots handed out the most money on the unrestricted free agent market, with more than $364 million in contracts — nearly $100 million more than the next-highest team — handed out to 19 free agents, according to Spotrac. New England also led in guaranteed money spent, with nearly $175 million of those deals fully guaranteed.

The Patriots won a bidding war for star defensive tackle Milton Williams with a four-year, $104 million contract and added several other key defensive players like cornerback Carlton Davis, edge rushers Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson, and linebacker Robert Spillane.

New England also got No. 1 receiver Stefon Diggs on a three-year, $63.5 million deal, along starting offensive linemen Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury and receiver Mack Hollins.

“I think you just have to be very intentional with the people that you’re bringing in,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “I think sometimes free agency, you have to be able to use it. People use it in different ways. It’s a part of our business. It’s another way to acquire players and player acquisition. Understand that you have to be convicted on the person that you’re bringing in as a player, and also the impact that they’re going to make in the locker room, around the building and in the community.”

The Seahawks came in fourth in free agency spending at more than $205 million, led by a three-year, $100.5 million deal for quarterback Sam Darnold as well as smaller contracts to edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence and receiver Cooper Kupp. General manager John Schneider also hit on several budget deals for players, with tight end Eric Saubert and tackle Josh Jones helping Seattle reach the Super Bowl.

While the free agent moves were important, none of this would have been possible without the draft. Schneider has been on a recent draft heater helped by the acquisition of extra picks thanks to the trade of quarterback Russell Wilson in 2022.

The recent run comes after years of poor picks eroded the roster strength as the Seahawks added players like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Devon Witherspoon, Kenneth Walker, Charles Cross, Byron Murphy, Riq Woolen and A.J. Barner in recent years before using their top two picks in April on immediate impact players Grey Zabel on the offensive line and versatile defender Nick Emmanwori.

“It was a master class by John and our personnel folks,” coach Mike Macdonald said of his balance of draft and free agency. “A lot of coaches have a lot of input, especially through free agency. … When you have a shared alignment about what type of team you want to have, what type of people you want in your building. I think that streamlines that process.”

Shrewd moves in free agency helped fuel Philadelphia’s title run last season, when the Eagles signed AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley to a three-year, $37.5 million deal and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to a three-tear $27 million contract, and got All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun and key offensive linemen Mekhi Becton on one-year deals.

Philadelphia also handed out a big-money contract to edge rusher Bryce Huff, who made almost no impact, but the Eagles likely wouldn’t have won it all without an aggressive March.

The Patriots needed to be aggressive because of some poor drafting at the end of coach Bill Belichick’s tenure following the 2023 season, but Wolf doesn’t plan to follow this path too often.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a rule for us,” Wolf said. “I don’t want to say it’s unique, but in some ways it is. It’s been really rewarding and I’m just really happy for these guys. They’ve kind of come together and bought into Coach Vrabel’s culture and here we are.”

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