The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, will run from Friday, Feb. 6 through Sunday, Feb. 22. Over the course of those two weeks, athletes from 92 countries — not including Russia or Belarus — will compete in 16 different sports.
At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the United States finished tied for third in the gold medal count, just behind Norway and Germany. The U.S. brought home nine gold medals, which was tied with China in that category, but the Americans finished fifth in the overall medal count with 25.
Team USA will try to improve upon those numbers in 2026, and they have some golden opportunities to do just that. Both the men’s and women’s hockey team should be in the running for a gold medal, Jordan Stolz is a favorite in speed skating, Chloe Kim is hitting the halfpipe in snowboarding and Mikaela Shiffrin will once again be on the ski slopes. And figure skaters Alysa Liu and Ilia Malinin have high potential to reach the podium.
Norway will attempt to defend its title as the most awarded country in the Winter Olympics, both from 2022 and all-time. The Norwegians won 16 gold medals and 37 total medals at the Beijing Games four years ago, and they possess a large edge in the all-time medal count. Norway has won 148 gold medals and 406 total medals in its 24 appearances at the Winter Olympics. The Americans are a distant second with 330 total medals.
Russian and Belarusian athletes are permitted to compete, but only as individuals under a neutral flag. They’ll be classified as “Individual Neutral Athletes,” and their medals won’t factor into the overall count. Russian and Belarusian teams are still banned from competing the Olympics.
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Keep track of the live medal count over the next couple weeks as the United States looks to fill up its trophy case while competing across Northern Italy.
Ryan Garcia got his hands on the WBC welterweight world title back just weeks ago but the Californian is already looking to unify, revealing that he is ready to challenge for another belt in the division as soon as July.
Garcia comfortably outpointed Mario Barrios to claim his first world title and tee up potential rematches with fellow welterweight titleholders Rolando Romero and Devin Haney – the latter making up one of the most fierce rivalries in the sport due to their controversial first fight.
Although, in the time that has passed, Haney and Romero have been locked in discussions for a unification fight themselves, whilst Garcia has been pursuing a scrap with pound-for-pound superstar Shakur Stevenson.
Now, Garcia has taken to X to provide Haney with a more lucrative unification opportunity, offering to fight ‘The Dream for a second time in July, whilst Haney offered a September fight date in response as the pair went back and forth in a series of posts.
Ryan Garcia: “Devin is terrified.”
Devin Haney: “You scared to death to sign up for drug testing. I told Turki [Al-Alshikh] let’s do it. Get u signed up for drug testing.”
Ryan Garcia: “Devin I’ll fight you in July! Stop saying drug testing, dumba*s POKE ME YOURSELF.”
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Devin Haney: “He wanna fight in July cause he still cycling those PEDS. September & start drug testing now.”
Haney may prefer a September date so that he can prepare with a fight beforehand, due to the fact that he is yet to fight since his November WBO title win against Brian Norman Jr.
Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau (3) cuts down net to celebrate 95-62 win over Tennessee at the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional Final at United Center in Chicago on Sunday, March 29, 2026.
Michigan starting point guard Elliot Cadeau did not travel with his teammates to Indianapolis Wednesday for the Final Four due to an allergic reaction to something he ate, according to team officials.
Cadeau is expected to meet the team later Wednesday evening as they prepare to face Arizona in the second national semifinal contest on Saturday.
“Before the team departed the Player Development Center today, Elliot alerted the medical staff that he may have had an allergic reaction to something that he ate,” Michigan spokesperson Tom Wywrot said in the statement. “The doctors evaluated Elliot and he is fine. Out of an abundance of caution, he is receiving medical supervision and will be traveling to Indianapolis later today.”
The North Carolina transfer started all 38 games for the Wolverines in his debut season in Ann Arbor. He is averaging a career-best 10.2 points per game and leads the team with 5.8 assists per outing. The junior is one of three players with 60-plus 3-pointers made and is converting 37.7 from beyond the arc.
NEW DELHI: The meteoric rise of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is no longer just a feel-good breakout story; it is rapidly turning into a serious selection debate, with growing chatter around a potential India debut in the upcoming Zimbabwe T20I series.Just days after turning 15, the Rajasthan Royals prodigy delivered a stunning statement, smashing a blistering 15-ball half-century against Chennai Super Kings. The knock not only showcased his fearless intent but also reinforced why he is widely regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in Indian cricket today.
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A Father’s Pride: How RR, Dravid & Vikram Shaped Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Remarkably, this came on the back of a 35-ball IPL century last season, underlining that his performances are far from a one-off.Chasing a modest target of 128, Sooryavanshi ensured there was nothing modest about his approach. Taking full advantage of the powerplay, he tore into the bowlers, racing to 52 off just 17 balls in a dazzling display of strokeplay. Alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, he laid the foundation for a dominant chase, effectively sealing the game within the first six overs.Explaining his aggressive mindset, the teenager said, “I think of defending, but the plan was to decide the game in the powerplay as we’d restricted them to a low score. If the bowlers had bowled well in the powerplay then the game might have turned their way, but we went all out in the powerplay.” It was a mature assessment, reflecting not just raw talent but also a growing understanding of match situations.
Zimbabwe tour perfect launchpad for India debut
With India scheduled to tour Zimbabwe in July 2026 for a three-match T20I series, the timing of his rise could prove significant. Historically, tours to Zimbabwe have served as a platform for fresh faces to break into the national side. Players such as Sanju Samson, KL Rahul, and more recently Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel have all made their T20I debuts there.Players to debut in Zimbabwe T20I series over the last decade
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Tushar Deshpande – 2024
B Sai Sudharsan – 2024
Abhishek Sharma – 2024
Dhruv Jurel – 2024
Riyan Parag – 2024
Dhawal Kulkarni – 2016
Barinder Sran – 2016
Rishi Dhawan – 2016
Mandeep Singh – 2016
KL Rahul – 2016
Yuzvendra Chahal – 2016
Jaydev Unadkat – 2016
Sanju Samson – 2015
Stuart Binny – 2015
Kedar Jadhav – 2015
Manish Pandey – 2015
Axar Patel – 2015
Sandeep Sharma – 2015
Given India’s packed international calendar and the team management’s tendency to rotate squads after major tournaments, the Zimbabwe series presents a realistic opportunity to test emerging talent. Sooryavanshi, with his explosive style and growing confidence, fits that bill perfectly.
Experts divided as calls grow to fast-track Sooryavanshi
Unsurprisingly, a growing chorus of former cricketers is now calling for the youngster to be fast-tracked into India’s T20 setup. Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal believes it is only a matter of time before Sooryavanshi dons the national colours.“In just 8 IPL games, he has been piling records — he already has a hundred. I think in the coming international games for India, he will get a chance after IPL. He will become a young player of the T20 international team. He has proved himself in every place. If he continues to perform, he will definitely get the chance,” Akmal said.He also highlighted the youngster’s maturity, adding, “His presence of mind, game awareness, the way he plays — he has a counter to everything at such a young age. This is remarkable… We are discussing his performance more because it was a low-scoring match of 128. But his performance is visible because he scored 50 runs on 15 balls.”Former India batter Mohammad Kaif, who had earlier urged caution around the hype, has now revised his stance. “Last season I thought Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was getting hyped way too early. An old-school cricketer, I believe there should be no haste in fast-tracking young players. But a year later, I think he is ready to graduate to the next level,” Kaif wrote. He further praised the youngster’s ability to “entertain and play match-winning knocks.”Echoing similar sentiments, veteran leg-spinner Piyush Chawla backed the idea of accelerating his progression. “If he plays like that, I would love to see him fast-tracked,” Chawla said, while also pointing out his consistency across formats and his knack for scoring not just hundreds, but “big hundreds.”Former India batter Ambati Rayudu also weighed in, describing Sooryavanshi as “a cut above a lot of youngsters”. However, Rayudu offered a note of realism, highlighting the challenges of breaking into a settled and successful Indian T20 side. “Don’t forget, our Indian team is a world champion team. It’s won the T20 World Cup. So to replace somebody in that side is not easy. To me, there are a few players ahead of him at the moment, because you tend to pick and build your teams ahead of the next ICC competition,” he said.While the excitement around Sooryavanshi continues to build, not everyone is in favour of rushing his progression. Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has urged restraint, emphasising the need to manage expectations around a 15-year-old prodigy.“Don’t give him such a target. He is not even a guy, he is a kid,” Ashwin said. Stressing the importance of patience, he added, “If Sooryavanshi plays till 40, he has two and a half decades left in cricket. Leave him alone, he will come on his own when the time is right.”Despite his caution, Ashwin had no doubts about the youngster’s ability. “He is too good to not play for India. He will play anyway eventually. When will he play? For that, we might have to wait a bit. Why are we always in a hurry,” he remarked.As the debate intensifies, the selectors face a delicate balancing act: whether to fast-track a generational talent or allow him the time and space to develop naturally. With the Zimbabwe tour looming, the conversation is only set to grow louder.
18 February 2026, Italy, Cortina D’ampezzo: Olympia, Olympic Winter Games Milan Cortina 2026, Alpine Skiing, Slalom, Women, Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) celebrates her gold medal after the award ceremony. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa (Photo by Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Mikaela Shiffrin has spoken about the moment that helped her reset before winning slalom gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Speaking during an interview on TODAY, Shiffrin described standing at the start gate before her second run and feeling something shift.
She said it was “almost an out-of-body experience,” a moment that came after watching the skier ahead of her miss a gate, which brought back memories of her performance at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
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“My biggest fear going into the Games was that I would feel really isolated and alone,” she said.
Instead, she found support.
“They made me feel very supported and feel very together,” she said of her team. “It felt like they were skiing it with me.”
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That moment helped her settle before her run. She went on to produce a clean second run and win her third Olympic gold medal.
The win adds to an already strong career that includes 110 World Cup victories and six overall titles.
When asked about the 2030 Winter Olympics, Shiffrin kept things open.
“Very good, very good. We’ll talk later,” she said with a laugh.
With the Masters only a week away, and you’ve probably noticed an influx of limited-edition gear hitting the market just in time to celebrate the year’s first major championship.
Now, you can add Mitsubishi’s offering to that list. Check out the newly-released Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana BB 2026 Season Opener Limited Edition Wood Shaft. The name is a mouthful, but the details will make fans of premium shafts — and premium courses like Augusta National — smile.
If you like owning head-turning gear with “if-you-know-you-know” details, you’ll love the design of this shaft. A pattern featuring the leaves and flowers that populate Augusta, like White Dogwood, Golden Bell, and Azalea, combines with praying hands to pay tribute to a certain three-hole stretch. (Hint: you may need a prayer or two to get through these holes without disaster.)
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This one-time release shaft is built on the Diamana 6th Generation BB platform and has been produced in extremely limited quantities in Japan. In short, if you want to get your hands on one of these shafts, better act fast! Check out the shaft in detail below, and click the link to order yours now.
Shop the Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana BB 2026 Season Opener Limited Edition Wood Shaft at Fairway Jockey
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Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana BB 2026 Season Opener Limited Edition Wood Shaft
This limited release blends elite performance with a design inspired by one of golf’s most iconic traditions.
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Golf.com Editor
As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Issue, which debuted in February 2018. Her original interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.
The battle of Stamford Bridge was already getting spicy and bubbling when Sjoeke Nusken finally grabbed the goal Chelsea had been pushing for all night. Then, as Arsenal held on to what was now only a one-goal advantage, Katie McCabe set it alight by pulling the hair of Alyssa Thompson as the winger surged away on the counter-attack in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Sonia Bompastor and the Chelsea bench leapt to their feet, the French coach exploding at the fourth official on the touchline when the Danish referee, Frida Klarlund, waved play on and the VAR apparently fell asleep.
If Chelsea were to exit the Champions League, again, they would do so while torching the place down. Bompastor was booked twice in two minutes for her furious protests, a dramatic sending off encapsulating her anger at the officiating throughout this quarter-final. Bompastor raged last week when Chelsea had controversially seen a goal ruled out in their 3-1 first-leg defeat at the Emirates. The officiating, she said, showed a lack of respect for the women’s game, and those claims were repeated loud and clear to Uefa here.
Chelsea’ manager Sonia Bompastor walks away whilst being shown a red card in stoppage time (AFP via Getty Images)
It wasn’t why Chelsea did not overturn Arsenal’s advantage in the second leg – numerous wasted chances in the first half, plus an outstanding display from goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, saw to that as well – but McCabe’s hair-pull going unpunished was the final straw for Bompastor and how the night would be remembered by.
During a post-game TV interview, Bompastor pulled up a video of the incident on her phone and held it to the camera. “Why do we have VAR?” she demanded.
McCabe protested her innocence, posting an immediate statement on Instagram to say she “wouldn’t ever want to pull someone’s hair”; the Republic of Ireland international said she attempted to grab Thompson’s shirt when the Chelsea forward burst away on the counter-attack. Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers also insisted it was not deliberate. But Thompson, whose hair had been pulled, was left in tears, Bompastor said.
Katie McCabe said she was ‘genuinely reaching for the shirt’ and didn’t mean to pull Thompson’s hair (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
“I think the intention is clear,” Bompastor added, before the former Lyon coach reeled off a series of four or five incidents that had gone against just Chelsea, or against her, or both, in the Champions League.
Bompastor raged at the referee while McCabe protested her innocence (Getty Images)
Right to the end, this was wonderful chaos; and a result to bolster Arsenal’s belief that this could be their year again. Sleger’s side may have lost their run of 11 consecutive in all competitions but they emerged from this bruising affair with their title defence intact after a resilient defensive effort. They will either face Lyon, in a possible rematch of last season’s semi-finals, or Wolfsburg for a chance at returning to the final they won last year against Barcelona in Lisbon.
“Champions of Europe” was the cry from the away end at Stamford Bridge and it is no secret that Arsenal almost ghosted in last season to capture the one trophy Chelsea want to win above all others. Chelsea had suffered three consecutive semi-final exits to Barcelona in this competition but a quarter-final exit to their London rivals will hurt more. Chelsea will also be relinquishing their Women’s Super League crown after six straight titles to Manchester City in the next few weeks.
They appeared a sad imitation of last season’s team, which confidently overturned a 2-0 first-leg defeat to swat Manchester City aside at Stamford Bridge in last year’s Champions League quarter-finals. The reality of a transitional year, which perhaps was always to be expected following the departure of Emma Hayes, and which may have been somewhat covered up by last season’s unbeaten domestic treble, is now painfully clear. “The reality is the season is not where we want it to be,” Bompastor admitted.
A brilliant performance from Daphne van Domselaar was key to Arsenal’s progress (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Chelsea had enough chances to have cancelled out Arsenal’s lead. “The story of our season, we missed the clinical element,” Bompastor accepted. In the first half, Nusken and Thompson turned wide as Ellie Carpenter caused a threat down the right and James pulled the strings in midfield. When Chelsea spurned those opportunities, James started to drop deeper and deeper, the frustration rising as Chelsea became even more disconnected. Sam Kerr was denied a vintage strike by Van Domselaar, who brilliantly tipped over her shot from the edge of the box after she had been released with a long pass over the top.
Bompastor turned and began to laugh when Van Domselaar later tipped Nusken’s header onto the post, the second time Chelsea had struck the frame of the goal in their late siege. It was evidently not going to be their night, but Nusken gave Chelsea some hope when the German finally finished one of their chances by slamming in Kerr’s cut-back in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Then came McCabe’s hair-pull, and the most explosive of exits.
It has been almost three years since Errol Spence Jr stepped through the ropes, but a summer return against Australia’s Tim Tszyu seems to be gathering pace.
Spence was handed the first defeat of his career back in 2023 by Terence Crawford, who became the undisputed welterweight world champion that night. Despite many feeling that it was a pick ’em fight beforehand, Crawford won handily, dropping Spence three times before scoring a TKO in the ninth.
After a lengthy lay-off and persistent rumours of a return, Spence reportedly has ‘a done deal’ with Tszyu provided the Aussie comes through Denis Nurja this weekend in Wollongong.
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Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Crawford praised Tszyu’s campaign so far.
“Tim Tszyu [has] had a great career, it’s still going. He’s accomplished a lot for what his experience entails. His fight this weekend – I don’t know too much about the opponent other than he’s undefeated. Will he be back on top and become a champion again? I can’t say he won’t, I can’t say he will. We just got to wait and see.”
“I think Spence beats him. At this point in both of their careers, I think he beats him.”
Fans will hope to see a reinvigorated Spence, particularly since he will be returning at 154lbs after cutting to the welterweight limit of 147 for so long. However, questions remain over what he has left in the tank following various injuries – not least a serious car accident.
Arsenal captain Kim Little says she believes her side are “getting better and better” as they reach the semi-finals of the Women’s Champions League, after beating Chelsea 3-2 on aggregate to close in on successfully defending their title.
Former NHL player J.T. Brown’s wife Lexi LaFleur is calling for immediate action after a video surfaced online showing a group of Dallas Stars fans performing Nazi salutes during a game.
The incident reportedly happened on Dec. 21, 2025, when the Stars faced the Toronto Maple Leafs at American Airlines Center in Dallas, ultimately winning 5-1. According to a Reddit post that has since gone viral, a fan who attended the game recorded a group of young men sitting in front of them doing a Nazi salute “every time the stars scored.”
“I was at the Stars game on December 21 and these boys were sitting in front of us doing a Nazi salute every time the stars scored,” the original poster wrote. “I’ve been to several games and never seen anything like this before. I recorded them and sent it to arena management, but they said they couldn’t find the boys despite me giving them their exact seat numbers.”
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LaFleur Brown quote-tweeted the post reshared on X with a strong message:
“Lifetime ban from all NHL arenas immediately. It’s literally in the NHL Fan Code of Conduct. If you ever see behavior like this at a game, alert staff. Unacceptable.”
In her follow-up comments, she attached a link to the NHL Fan Code of Conduct which explicitly prohibits such behavior.
Lexi LaFleur looks back on her days of playing on the boys’ team as a child
Lexi LaFleur herself has played junior hockey throughout school. Last week, LaFleur posted a photo from her elementary school yearbook on X revealing a childhood dream that has taken on new meaning in light of recent success of the PWHL.
“Crying over my elementary school yearbook in which I wrote ‘when I grow up I want to play in the NHL’ because now little girls get to dream of playing in the PWHL,” she wrote.
But her path to hockey wasn’t without obstacles. In a viral TikTok video that has garnered over 1 million views, LaFleur Brown shared her first experience with toxic masculinity in hockey at just 10 years old when several boys on her youth peewee hockey team voted to have her removed with the help of a parent.
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“It lit a fire under my ass that has fueled me for the rest of my life,” Brown said in the video. “My love for hockey is bigger and greater than anybody’s ability to hate me.” [H/T Glamour magazine]
Following the recent controversy involving President Donald Trump’s phone call to the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team, she has been among those calling for greater respect for women in sports.
“It’s sad that fans are new to this and that was kind of their first hockey heartbreak,” LaFleur Brown said in response to the controversy. “I have seen people say, ‘That’s it, I’m just gonna support the PWHL.’ I think that’s great too. There are other ways to love hockey than to just support the NHL.”
The incident occurred when Trump called the men’s gold medal-winning team and joked that he would “have to” invite the women’s team to the State of the Union or risk being impeached. The comment drew rancorous laughter from players in the locker room.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has established himself as a fan favorite during his legendary stint with the team. Cincinnati Bearcats men’s basketball team’s new coach, Jerrod Calhoun, is among the fans rooting for the Chiefs’ tight end.
During Wednesday’s episode of the “New Heights” podcast, Jason and Travis talked to Calhoun during a segment. The reigning MW Coach of the Year shared that fellow Ohio native Donald D’Alesio influenced his fandom for the Chiefs.
Thanks for the submission!
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“I was very close with Donald D’Alesio, so we became die-hard Chiefs fans, man, we flew out every year with a group of Youngstown guys. And, you know, the Phantom fireworks guys and all those guys,” Calhoun said (Timestamp- 1:20:00 onwards).
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“I was born in East Liverpool, but I grew up in Cleveland. I’m a Cleveland guy, but I spent seven years at Youngstown. Jim Tressel was a huge mentor of mine, and you know, so I’ve had a lot of good guys help me along the way.”
D’Alesio served as the Chiefs’ defensive assistant in 2021 and was promoted to the safeties coach the following year. He was hired by the New York Giants as their new secondary coach and defensive pass game coordinator in January.
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