World Gymnastics has lifted all restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes with immediate effect.

Athletes from both countries were banned from international competition in March 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

They were subsequently permitted to compete as neutrals towards the end of 2024 but will now be allowed to return to international competitions under their national flags.

World Gymnastics confirmed the decision in a statement, external following a meeting of its executive committee in Egypt last weekend.

The reversal applies across all five disciplines governed by World Gymnastics, including artistic, rhythmic, acrobatic and aerobic gymnastics as well as trampolining.

Russia has historically been one of the strongest countries in gymnastics.

They won two golds and 10 medals overall at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, competing under the Russian Olympic Committee banner, before being banned from Paris 2024.

The move to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part under their flags follows a similar decision by World Aquatics in April while the International Judo Federation lifted its ban last November.

The International Paralympic Committee removed its suspension on athletes from the two countries competing last year and they took part in the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan-Cortina.

William Davis, a football player for the Sam Houston State Bearkats who transferred to the school after playing one year with the West Virginia Mountaineers, has died. He was 22.

Sam Houston State head coach Phil Longo released a statement confirming the defensive back’s death on Sunday.

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William Davis participating in spring workouts at Sam Houston State. (Sam Houston State University)

“It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of Will Davis,” Longo said in a statement. “Will was a beloved member of our Bearkat football family here at Sam Houston who touched the lives of everyone he knew.

“Will was an upbeat, positive, passionate young man who will be sincerely missed. Tanya, the kids and I are praying for Will’s family during this difficult time.”

Davis started his collegiate career at Virginia Union. He played 19 games with the school and recorded five interceptions and one touchdown. He transferred to West Virginia after the 2024 season and played one game for the Mountaineers.

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He was set to compete for a roster spot at Sam Houston State. He graduated from West Virginia in 2025 with a masters of science in sports management. He expressed excitement about continuing his collegiate career with the Bearkats.

“Sam Houston felt like home from the moment I first set foot on campus,” he said, via Nilson Sports. “As a Virginia kid that had played every snap of football in my life within driving distance of home, it was important to me that I’d play somewhere where I fit seamlessly into the culture if I was going to be so distant geographically.

Former Western Virginia Mountaineers defensive back William Davis died in May 2026. (West Virginia University)

“The ability to play for Coach Dovonte Edwards, someone with experience playing in the NFL that can show me the blueprint of what it looks like to become the type of player who can achieve success at the highest level, was a motivating factor for me as well.”

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Davis’ cause of death was not announced.

First Published: May 16 2026 | 12:37 PM IST

FRIBOURG, Switzerland (AP) — Canada scored five goals in the final period against Denmark and Sidney Crosby assisted on four of them in a 5-1 victory at the ice hockey world championship on Monday.

The Group B game in Fribourg was a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal when Denmark stunned star-studded Canada 2-1 and ended its quest for a 29th title.

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This time Canada left it till late to translate its dominance into goals.

The Canadians needed 28 shots to break the deadlock despite Denmark goalie Nicolaj Henriksen playing his maiden game at the worlds.

Porter Martone scored the opener 28 seconds into the third period on a cross-goal pass by Crosby to put the favorite ahead.

Gabriel Vilardi doubled the advantage 3:02 into the frame and Denton Mateychuk buried a rebound 31 seconds later to make it 3-0 after Crosby set him up.

Ryan O’Reilly and Parker Wotherspoon finished the scoring with a goal each after Crosby found them unmarked in front of the net.

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Teenage captain Macklin Celebrini had two assists and Jet Greaves stopped 15 shots.

Nick Olesen had the lone lone goal for Denmark.

It was the third straight win for Canada after dispatching Sweden 5-3 and Italy 6-0.

Canada next plays Norway on Thursday.

US down again

It’s up and down for the defending champion United States at the worlds.

Lenni Hameenaho scored twice and assisted on another one to lead Finland past the U.S. 6-2 for a third straight win in Group A in Zurich.

The U.S. lost to host Switzerland 3-1 in the opener then defeated Britain 5-1.

Hameenaho wristed a shot past goalie Joseph Woll after a turnover to put Finland 1-0 up 6:06 into the game.

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The U.S. came back 1:38 later thanks to Matt Coronato‘s one-timer.

Finland then pulled away with four straight goals.

Patrik Puistola and Aatu Raty scored in the first period followed in the middle period by Hameenaho on a power play and Saku Maenalanen 31 seconds apart.

That forced the U.S. to pull Woll, who allowed five goals from 10 shots, and send on Devin Cooley.

Ryan Leonard reduced the deficit with the second U.S. goal in the final period but Anton Lundell completed the victory.

The U.S. has Germany next on Wednesday.

Later Monday, host Switzerland played Germany in Zurich and Sweden met Czechia in Fribourg.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Caitlin Clark had an efficient Sunday night as the Indiana Fever picked up a victory over the Seattle Storm.

Clark scored 21 points on 5-of-10 shooting, making all nine of her free-throw attempts and nailing two 3-pointers. It was the first time since Sept. 19, 2024, in which she had 10 or fewer field-goal attempts – doing so against the Washington Mystics in 19 minutes of game action where she was 2-of-5 from the field.

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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shoots against Seattle Storm guard Zia Cooke in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on May 17, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

The WNBA star was asked about her performance against the Storm and seemingly came to the realization that she didn’t need to shoot a lot in order for the team to win. She had 10 assists for the first time since July 13, 2025, against the Dallas Wings – one game before she went down with an injury that cost her most of the 2025 season.

“No reason to press. Get my teammates involved,” she said, via The Athletic. “Take what the defense gives me. I thought I did a good job of getting to the line, so there’s no need to probably shoot a bunch of shots. I mean, I only played 23 minutes but I also got to the line nine times. … I think that’s what I can do a better job of – really trying to get to the line and free points.”

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark warms up on the court before a WNBA game against the Seattle Storm on May 17, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Doug McSchooler/Special to IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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Indiana won the game, 89-78.

Clark led the team in scoring but Kelsey Mitchell had 17 points in 28 minutes and Sophie Cunningham came off the bench and contributed 17 points and three rebounds. The team also played without Aliyah Boston, who was sidelined with a lower-leg injury.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark plays during the first half of a WNBA game against the Seattle Storm at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 17, 2026. (Doug McSchooler/Special to IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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Indiana will be back in action on Tuesday night against the Portland Fire at home.

MVP has been the voice behind All Elite Wrestling (AEW) stars Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin since all three pro wrestlers entered the company in 2024, and now he’s taken his mic skills to a new social media platform.

“Marking Out with MVP & Dwayne Swayze” podcast and show will be released on BZZR each Friday ahead of their episodes going on YouTube. BZZR is one of the newest social media platforms to hit the internet vowing to unite sports fans and cut out the noise.

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Wrestlers Shelton Benjamin, left, and MVP attend the Los Angeles premiere of “Queen Of The Ring” at AMC The Grove 14 on March 6, 2025, in Los Angeles, Calif. (Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)

MVP told Fox News Digital in a recent interview that he was hopeful that joining BZZR will allow the audience for his podcast to grow.

“It’s a mutual partnership. BZZR is a new platform where content creators can get online and share content, talk about sports – all sports, no noise. It’s a great opportunity for a lot of people,” he said. “But for me, my YouTube show that’s also a podcast, we just reached out first year, the partnership with BZZR will hopefully allow both of us to grow audience. It’s a beneficial relationship for both of us. It’s professional wrestling, which I’m a bit of an expert on. It’s an honor to be given the opportunity to be the wrestling outlet on the platform.”

MVP said he wanted the aesthetics of the show to be similar to his wrestling gimmick – in a speakeasy with a VIP lounge and an exclusive atmosphere.

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Wrestlers Chris Jericho and MVP compete on Aug. 24, 2009. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

He and Swayze have garnered more than 10,000 subscribers since launching the channel a year ago and the audience is only growing.

“It’s kinda funny just to show my age. When I first started ‘Marking out with MVP and Dwayne Swayze,’ my idea was to create a YouTube show,” he said. “I wanted to create a show and it’s visual because we shoot at a speakeasy in Houston with the bar and the aesthetic. The visual aesthetic was very important to me because the MVP brand is VIP, you know, VIP lounge, luxurious, high end.

“When I started it, I had people coming up saying, ‘Oh, congratulations on the podcast, congratulations on the podcast.’ And I said, I don’t have a podcast, I have a YouTube show. Only to learn, in this day and age, everything is a podcast. And I said, wait a minute, the whole term ‘podcast’ comes from iPod. It’s not a – OK, all right, it’s a podcast, sure. But it’s a YouTube show and it’s meant to be watched. You can listen to it. It has an audio aspect, of course. But visually, I enjoy the fact that we’re putting on a show, a weekly show.”

MVP credited BZZR with having the opportunity to give content creators their ability to be their authentic selves.

“It’s a different platform in that it lets content creators … it puts them out there in a way that they can be authentic and you don’t have the same corporate overlords dictating who says what and how they can say it,” he told Fox News Digital. “Various creators at various levels can join the platform and contribute and be seen and be heard.

MVP, Dwayne Swayze and Kayla Becker have all partnered with the sports-focused social media platform BZZR. (BZZR)

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“I think that’s the primary difference.”

Suncorp Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 11 NRL game between Gold Coast Titans and
Newcastle Knights. The game kicks off at 2:00 pm with Newcastle Knights heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Gold Coast Titans vs.
Newcastle Knights
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Sunday May 17, 2026 at 2:00 pm

Where: Suncorp Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Gold Coast Titans vs Newcastle Knights Odds

Gold Coast Titans vs Newcastle Knights Preview

Newcastle’s resurgence has quickly made them one of the competition’s most entertaining sides to watch. The Knights are playing with speed, confidence and strong support around the football, led by a mobile forward pack laying the platform for their dynamic spine. Dylan Brown’s arrival has added another layer of unpredictability, with Newcastle consistently turning half chances into points.

The Titans remain difficult to gauge week to week. There were encouraging signs around young playmaker Zane Harrison last round, particularly in how he linked with Jayden Campbell, but consistency continues to elude Gold Coast. Defensively, the Titans still struggle to absorb sustained pressure against disciplined attacking teams. Newcastle’s ability to repeat effort and maintain shape gives them a clear edge heading into this clash. If the Knights win the middle exchanges early, their strike players should see plenty of opportunities out wide.

Between visa holdups, fitness issues and a scary dehydration episode, James Rodriguez has rarely played for Minnesota United.

Yet when he stepped onto the field last Sunday, his class was obvious.

Rodriguez provided both assists in a 2-2 draw against Austin FC. And as he departed Minnesota for Colombia national team training camp only a handful of days later, he had proven he still possesses the elite ball-striking ability to make a difference at this summer’s World Cup.

It’s a shame American Gio Reyna never gave himself the same chance.

Reyna is not nearly as famous as Rodriguez, who has suited up for club superpowers like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, won a World Cup Golden Boot and a Copa America Golden Ball.

But the two are similar in this regard: Both are technically gifted, athletically limited men who are most dangerous as the gravitational center of a team’s attack.

And if Reyna had really wanted a club environment where he could prove he could be that guy for United States men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino, an MLS stint would’ve made a lot more sense than coming off the bench for another Bundesliga season at Borussia Monchengladbach.

Reyna’s on-the-ball abilities are rare enough in MLS that a team could’ve orchestrated their entire attack around him had they swooped in when he finally departed Borussia Dortmund almost a year ago.

There’s also no shortage of current MLS managers who have helped coach him in his previous USMNT stints. They include 2022 World Cup boss Gregg Berhalter, who is now at the Chicago Fire, and three of his former assistants; Nashville’s BJ Callaghan, Austin’s Nico Estevez and San Diego’s Mikey Varas.

The closed MLS league structure also would’ve made taking that chance on Reyna a far less risky proposition. The worst that could’ve happened? A team tries Reyna out, he sputters offensively and his defensive vulnerabilities are exposed, and the team either changes course after the World Cup or endures a bad season.

At Monchengladbach, the downside of going all in on Reyna was far more dire, i.e. the prospect of relegation from the German top flight. That they were fighting the drop for most of the season virtually guaranteed Reyna would be a role player rather than a starring man. He entered the final matchday of the Bundesliga season having played only 496 minutes in 18 appearances

Reyna’s remarks earlier this week suggested even he wasn’t confident he had done enough to warrant inclusion on Pochettino’s final 26-man squad.

Pochettino no doubt knows Reyna can do things with the ball that few — if any — Americans can. But he should only pull the trigger if he believes Reyna is capable of a true No. 10 role. Reyna’s limitations off the ball are too great to be worth the tradeoff unless the plan is to give him possession as often as possible.

A season or so at the MLS level would’ve been a more fitting stage for Reyna to answer that question. Instead, heading into the most important World Cup in U.S. Soccer history, it’s anyone’s guess.

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has said finishing in a European place would be the “best way” to finish his time at the club.

The former Spain defender joined the club in 2023, replacing Gary O’Neil, but will leave in the summer when his contract expires.

With two games of the Premier League season remaining, Iraola’s side sit sixth in a Europa League spot, but are just four points off a Champions League place while they could still end up in Europe’s third-tier competition, the Conference League.

Sixth may even be enough for the Cherries to play in the Champions League should Aston Villa beat Freiburg in the Europa League final and finish fifth.

“It would be the best way to finish these amazing three seasons,” Iraola said.

“Especially this year, it has been really challenging for me as a coach because we’ve changed the team a lot and we’ve changed, not completely our style, but it’s a different type of football comparing to last season.

“It would be the best way to end it.”

The Cherries have never played in European competition in their 127-year history and close out the season with the visit of title-chasing Manchester City on Tuesday (19:30 BST) followed by a trip to Nottingham Forest on Sunday (16:00 BST).

Just one point is required from their last two games to secure European football.

“We are really close, but there is a big difference between being really close and getting it and grabbing it,” added Iraola.

Bournemouth are currently on a remarkable 16-match unbeaten run in the top flight – the longest of any side in the competition this season, with their last defeat coming against leaders Arsenal on 3 January.

Iraola’s side have not been defeated since selling then-top scorer Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City in the January transfer window with the forward returning to the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday.