No longer a Group 1 virgin, Pericles delivered a gritty performance to secure his maiden elite win in Saturday’s $750,000 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield.
The frustration of half a dozen Group 1 minor placings—a Futurity Stakes second from two years back among them—dissipated as the hardy six-year-old by Street Boss triumphed on his 32nd top-level start.
Bjorn Baker assumed control of Pericles from James Cummings after the latter left his Godolphin position midway through the previous campaign, and Godolphin Australia GM Andy Makiv called the Group 1 conquest a deeply gratifying milestone.
“It’s amazingly satisfying, he’s been a fabulous horse, he’s a home-bred off Northwood Park, the stud here in Victoria, by our fantastic stallion Street Boss, so for him to achieve Group 1 glory is wonderful for so many people,” Makiv said.
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“It’s been a great journey and I’m really pleased for all the team and pleased for Bjorn. It’s great.”
Futurity Stakes specialist Craig Williams produced a sharp ride on Pericles, landing the success that elevated his stakes to within a whisker of $7 million.
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Starting positively, Williams took a trailing position as Evaporate and Treasurethe Moment contested the front before launching a devastating turn of foot to lead at the 50m mark.
The $5.50 hope extended the margin late on, scoring three-quarters of a length ahead of $31 longshot Buckaroo—who threaded the eye of the needle inside to pip favourite Treasurethe Moment ($1.90), who had bolted at 250m but stopped—for runner-up.
“Coming into the autumn when Mr Brightside was not going to be here, I said, ‘I need a replacement’,” Williams said.
“It’s not easy to fill those shoes, so I got in touch with Bjorn Baker.
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It looks like he’s gone to another level in the spring. To win a Group 1, well done to all the team behind them and their patience.”
This marked Williams’ sixth Futurity Stakes success and third in succession post his Mr Brightside doubles, two off Roy Higgins’ eight-win benchmark in the event.
Find the best betting sites with racing odds for upcoming features like the Futurity Stakes.
Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Tariq Bugti resigned from his post on Thursday after imposing a two-year ban on national captain Shakeel Ammad Butt, following the fallout from the team’s troubled Australia tour during the FIH Pro League.
Bugti confirmed that he had sent his resignation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as tensions escalated within Pakistan hockey over the recent controversy, according to a report by news agency PTI.
Hotel controversy sparks crisis
The latest developments come after videos circulated on social media showing Pakistan players standing on the streets with their luggage during the Australia leg of the Pro League, raising questions over accommodation arrangements. Initially, Butt released a clip stating that everything was fine, but after returning to Lahore, he criticised the federation and alleged serious mismanagement during the tour.
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Butt claimed the squad had to wander without confirmed hotel bookings and even carry out basic chores before matches, while also raising concerns about unpaid daily allowances for several players.
Ban imposed over disciplinary issues
Before stepping down, Bugti announced a two-year ban on Butt from international and domestic hockey, citing verbal misconduct and actions that he said had brought disrepute to Pakistan hockey. He maintained that disciplinary measures were necessary to maintain order within the team set-up.
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The media reports also state that the head coach expressed concerns about indiscipline within the squad and said certain players’ behaviour had affected the team’s performance during the Pro League campaign.
PHF and PSB trade blame
The resignation comes amid an ongoing dispute between the PHF and the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), with both sides holding each other responsible for the logistical breakdown during the Australia tour. Bugti stated that the PSB handled travel and accommodation arrangements, while questions were raised over funds released for hotel expenses.
Players questioned why logistical issues occurred despite government funding being allocated for the team’s participation across all phases of the Pro League.
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Poor results add to pressure
Pakistan’s struggles on the field have compounded the crisis, with the team losing all eight matches so far and sitting at the bottom of the nine-team standings. The disappointing run has intensified scrutiny of the federation’s management and the overall structure of Pakistan hockey.
What lies ahead
With Bugti’s resignation now awaiting formal approval, uncertainty surrounds the future leadership of the PHF and the national team. Pakistan are scheduled to travel to Egypt later this year to compete in the final World Cup qualifying tournament, even as the fallout from the Australia tour continues to dominate headlines.
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway is the undisputed king of the Milan Cortina Olympic Games. With six gold medals, the 29-year-old cross-country skier equaled the record of US speed skater Eric Heiden at the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid. With a total of 11 gold medals in his career, Klaebo is the most successful Winter Olympian in history.
His fellow Norwegian, Jens Luraas Oftebro, celebrated three Olympic victories in the Nordic combined. With three gold medals, Franjo van Allmen of Switzerland was the outstanding alpine skier. Among the women, Federica Brignone sparked euphoria among the Italian hosts with her victories in the super G and giant slalom – as did two-time gold medalist Federica Lollobrigida in speed skating.
Federica Brignone’s two gold medals gave the home fans something to cheer aboutImage: Michael Memmler/Eibner-Pressefoto/picture alliance
Some gold medal dreams were spectacularly shattered. Figure skating superstar Ilia Malinin of the United States, who took a lead into the free skate, fell twice and plummeted to eighth place.
A similar fate befell skier Atle Lie McGrath in the slalom. The Norwegian started the decisive second run in first place but crashed out due to an error. Devastated, he fled the slope for the adjacent woods.
How was the atmosphere?
Many athletes complained that while the Games in northern Italy were well-organized, they lacked the true Olympic spirit. They said the large distances between the competition venues made it impossible for a lot of them to follow other disciplines.
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They also complained that in some sports, like alpine skiing, the spectators were too far away from the action.
“If this is what enjoying the Olympics is supposed to be like, I’m glad this was my last time,” lamented German skier Linus Strasser.
What were the biggest controversies?
Lindsey Vonn’s crash dominated the headlines on the first weekend of the Olympics. The 41-year-old had hoped to crown her illustrious career with a second Olympic gold medal in the downhill after 2010 – despite having a torn ACL, which she had suffered in her last race before the Games.
Lindsey Vonn sustained a complex tibia fracture in her attempted Olympic comebackImage: Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo/dpa/picture alliance
A few seconds into the race, she crashed, suffering a complex tibia fracture and was forced to undergo multiple surgeries.
The disqualification of Ukrainian Vladislav Heraskevych sparked discussion beyond the world of sports. The skeleton racer was excluded from the event because he insisted on wearing a helmet bearing images of more than 20 Ukrainian athletes killed in Russia’s full-scale war on his country.
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarded this as a violation of the Olympic Charter, which prohibits political statements at competition venues. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the IOC’s ban on Heraskevych’s participation.
How did Germany fare?
The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) sent a record contingent of 185 athletes to Milan Cortina with the stated goal of finishing in the top three in the medals table – which it failed to achieve.
While Germany dominated in luge and bobsleigh, there were some bitter disappointments, including in biathlon, Nordic combined, and men’s alpine skiing, where Germany failed to win a medal.
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Germany’s luge relay team took home the gold medalImage: Matic Klansek/GEPA pictures/IMAGO
The results in ski jumping were also meager overall; apart from Philipp Raimund’s sensational gold, the team went home empty-handed. Germany’s men’s ice hockey team, featuring superstar Leon Draisaitl, fell to Slovakia in the quarterfinals.
What can the IOC learn for the next Winter Games?
The problem of long distances between venues is also bound to come up at the 2030 Games in the French Alps; the events are to be spread across the city of Nice and several ski resorts in the Alps, some of which are more than a six-hour drive away from the Riviera.
To improve the atmosphere on the ski slopes, the IOC should at least ensure closer proximity between the athletes and spectators. The Olympic rule-makers would also be well advised to agree on a clear policy beforehand to prevent a repeat of the communications disaster that occurred in the Heraskevych case.
Shortly after winning America’s first gold medal in men’s hockey in 46 years, members of Team USA honored Johnny Gaudreau, a former Team USA member who tragically died in August of 2024.
Zach Werenski, who played alongside Gaudreau during his final NHL seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, held up Gaudreau’s Team USA jersey along with team captain Auston Matthews and assistant captain Matthew Tkachuk shortly after he fed Jack Hughes for the game-winning goal against Canada.
The gesture occurred with members of Gaudreau’s family looking on in the stands.
After receiving their gold medals, Werenski and Dylan Larkin, who played with Gaudreau at multiple world championships, brought Gaudreau’s young children out to the ice for a team photo.
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“It means everything — we all know he should be here with us,” Larkin said of Gaudreau prior to the gold medal game. “He should be with us. We love him, and I like that we continue to think about him and I wouldn’t imagine it any other way.”
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Johnny and his younger brother Matthew Gaudreau were killed after being stuck being an alleged drunk driver while cycling in New Jersey. Like his older brother, Matthew Gaudreau was also an accomplished hockey player who played professionally in the AHL and ECHL before becoming a coach.
A seven-time NHL All-Star, Johnny Gaudreau was a six-time All-Star for the Calgary Flames. He was the 2017 recipient of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, which is given annually to an NHL player “adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.”
In 2022, Gaudreau shocked most of the hockey world by deciding to sign with the Blue Jackets as a free agent. He was named to his seventh and ultimately final All-Star team during his first season in Columbus, who has continued to honor his legacy following his untimely death.
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Gaudreau helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2013 IIHF Junior World Championships. He most recently played on Team USA during the 2024 IIHF World Championship. He never got a chance to play in the Olympics, though, as the NHL did not participate in the previous two Olympics.
“He wanted to be on this team,” his father, Guy Gaudreau, said during the third period of the America’s win over Slovakia. “And it would’ve been nice if he’d been here.”
Members of the Gaudreau family made the trip to Italy after being invited by Team USA.
“Our two daughters, for 24 hours, they just kept at us: ‘You have to go. The boys would want you to do this. This would mean so much to John,’” said Gaudreau’s mother, Jane. “It just means so much to our family, and we’re so excited to remember what our boys meant to hockey.”
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Their presence was certainly felt by Team USA.
“It’s great having them here, and it’s super special,” Werenski said prior to Sunday’s game. “We’re happy that we made it to the gold medal game so they can watch that and be a part of it. It’s on us to make them proud.”
Gaudreau served as inspiration throughout the Olympics for Team USA. His uniform was on the locker room throughout the Olympics, and it was on the ice on Sunday when the Americans made history by winning the gold medal for only the third time.
“He was one of America’s very best,” said Team USA coach Mike Sullivan. “He’s just a good person on the ice and off the ice, and I think he’s an inspiration to our players to this very day.”
And while Spurs briefly fought back to go level at half-time, the subsequent collapse and lack of threat in the second half will be cause for concern for Tudor, with the club now in 16th and in real danger of being dragged into a relegation battle.
Speaking on Sky Sports after the full-time whistle, Redknapp called the game “a complete mismatch”, adding that Spurs could be relegated if they aren’t careful.
”They [Arsenal] were so much better than Tottenham, it was like two different leagues. If Tottenham aren’t careful, they might be in a different league.
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“They cannot keep performing like this. They’ve not had a win in 2026,” added the former England midfielder.
As mentioned by Redknapp, Tottenham are without a win in the league in 2026, while they have also exited the FA Cup at the hands of Aston Villa.
And though they have advanced to the knockout rounds of the Champions League, that will be of little consolation to a side that has four draws and five losses in nine league games in 2026.
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Spurs sit in 16th in the league, just four points ahead of West Ham in 18th (Action Images via Reuters)
But while the threat of relegation looms over the club, new manager Igor Tudor emphasised his confidence in Spurs escaping the drop, explaining that “these are good players with bad habits”.
“They are good players, nobody can tell me they don’t have quality. We need to change [a] mental switch and have this mental sharpness to be in the game in the first to second minutes,” added the Croatian.
The result leaves Tottenham in 16th after 28 games, just four points ahead of 18th-placed West Ham with 10 games remaining, and Tudor’s side will face Fulham in the league next week before a string of potentially tricky matches against Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare has spoken out against racism after he was targeted with abusive messages on social media following Wolves’ 1–0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday.
Arokodare missed a first-half penalty at Selhurst Park, with Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson saving his effort shortly before half-time. After the match, the forward revealed that he received racist messages online.
“It’s still unbelievable to me that we are playing in a time where people have so much freedom to communicate such racism without any consequences,” Arokodare said in a social media post.
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“These individuals should have no place in our game and we all have to take action to punish anyone who behaves like this.”
The missed penalty was Wolves’ best chance to take control of the match. Henderson also saved a long-range effort from Arokodare as Wolves tried to respond to an early strong start from Palace. Yeremy Pino and Ismaïla Sarr both went close for the hosts in the opening minutes.
Wolves’ situation worsened just after the hour mark when Ladislav Krejčí was sent off for a second yellow card. Substitute Evann Guessand later scored from close range to secure the win for Palace and end their eight-match winless run at home.
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The result moves Crystal Palace up to 13th in the Premier League table, while Wolves remain in the relegation zone and are still without an away win in 16 league matches.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul’s 2026 season is off to an impressive start, as the 23-year-old claimed her eighth career LPGA win at the Honda LPGA Thailand on Sunday — and her first-ever victory in her home country.
Thitikul fired rounds of 67-63-66-68 to reach 24 under, edging Japan’s Chizzy Iwai by one shot. Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim was third at 22 under.
Thitikul was three shots back at the tournament’s halfway point but entered the final round with a two-stroke lead after birdieing the final three holes of her third round. On Sunday, Thitikul made six birdies, bringing her tournament total to 25, which tied for the most of any player in the field.
Thitikul has competed in her home-country tournament a total of eight times, but until this year, her best finish was runner-up in 2021.
“I mean, I would rate it like A+++ something,” Thitikul said Sunday of where this victory ranks. “I mean, you know, like I know it’s not that big event like compared to the majors, but like for us, for me, winning in my home country just means a lot to me, sometime more than a major feeling.”
Another element adding to the momentousness of the occasion was the fact that Thitikul’s mother was onsite to watch her daughter win in person for the first time.
“Yeah, it’s mean a lot. My mom just came up to me when I finished 18 and she cried a lot, and then I told her, I finally won the tournament in front of you. Like you were here with me,” Thitikul said. “So she’s just really emotional. Make me emotional, too.”
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Thitikul has now won three times in five starts, and has earned $17,704,399 in just 86 total starts, bumping her to No. 7 on the LPGA’s all-time career money list. Annika Sorenstam is No. 1 with $22,583,693 in 308 starts.
This week, the LPGA heads to Singapore for the HSBC Women’s World Championship where Lydia Ko is the defending champion. The first round begins on Thursday, February 26.
Former unified heavyweight world champion Hasim Rahman has looked ahead to April’s veteran showdown between Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder, predicting that the contest will end by knockout.
Chisora was advised to retire by fighters and fans when he came up short in a second challenge for the heavyweight throne against Tyson Fury, back in December 2022. However, the beloved big man has continued to fight on and has surprisingly strung together three straight victories since.
Although, Chisora has promised that his next outing will be his last, as he reaches fight number 50 in his professional career, bowing out on home soil against former WBC champion Wilder, who will also achieve the same landmark half-century bout in the contest.
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At ages of 43 and 40 respectively, some have criticised whether Chisora and Wilder should still be fighting, but Rahman told FightHype that he believes the clash is fair game, because of their similar ages.
“The way that I look at it is this, if you are talking about one of them fighting somebody significant younger than them, then there might be an issue, it might be something to talk about.
“But, you are talking about both of them, the playing field is even, so it’s OK.
“It washes out, it evens itself out, both of them are in the same boat, so what is the difference? Ain’t no advantage, either way.”
“I think that, if Deontay has anything left, he should win the fight by knockout. But, if Deontay is through, with his wars with Tyson Fury, then I see Derek outworking him and possibly stopping him late.”
Feb 19, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis (left) shares a laugh with Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) following their game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Denver Nuggets in San Francisco due to an illness.
Acquired at the trade deadline from Atlanta this month, Porzingis made his Warriors debut in a 121-110 home loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday. Coming off the bench, he had 12 points, one rebound, one assist and one block in 17 minutes of play.
Porzingis, 30, was on a minutes restriction in his first action since Jan. 7, when he played for the Hawks. He sat out six weeks with Achilles tendinitis.
He is averaging 16.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in 18 games (12 starts) this season.
And we’re off! The stunning Verona Arena is ready and starts in a fashion familiar to it, with an operatic performance getting things going in front of an audience mostly wrapped up in disposable ponchos.
European nations dominate Winter Olympic medal table
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As mentioned earlier, there was a distinctly European feel to the top of the medal table. Aside from the US in 2nd and Japan in 10th, the rest of the top 10 on the table were European nations.
Even at this late stage, there have been a couple of significant news lines from the Games’ final weekend. On Saturday, the IOC cleared FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who is also an IOC member, saying he had not broken the Olympic Charter’s neutrality requirement by donning a red MAGA-style USA hat at the first meeting of Donald Trump’s Board of Peace earlier in the week.
IOC chief Kirsty Coventry said she didn’t even know Infantino was an IOC member when pressed ahead of the decision during a press conference where she admitted she “wasn’t aware” of a number of issues which face her organization.
Then, on Sunday, ahead of the closing ceremony, protesters took the streets of Verona to object to having had the Games in their region. Hundreds of people marched through Verona just hours before the ceremony was set to start to protest against housing costs and environmental concerns linked to the Winter Games.
The “Olympics? No thanks” rally was organised by university groups and others that oppose hosting an event they say disrupts forests, pours concrete onto fragile land and deepens social inequality.
Politics and sport prove tough to separate at 2026 Olympics
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While there have been countless sporting achievements, there have also been plenty of moments during this Games where the spotlight was away from the events.
Heraskevych told DW moments after his disqualification was announced that: “If (the) IOC reacts in a way with common sense, we will not have this terrible scandal now. And then there is much less politics in this competition and also much more attention (being paid) to the athletes in the competition now.”
Ukraine’s skeleton star slams Olympic ban over helmet
The new boss of the IOC, Kirsty Coventry had tears down her eyes when announcing the decision, admitting that it was ” a message of memory and no one is disagreeing with that” but confirming it broke IOC rules.
There were also protests against the presence of American ICE agents, a British skier urinating a profanity against Donald Trump in the snow and the decision, announced during these Games, that Russian athletes can compete under their national flag at the upcoming Paralympics.
Organizers the IOC have promised to tell the story of Italy through a “tapestry of music, art, and storytelling,” adding that the ceremony will showcase “not only athletic excellence, but also Italian cultural identity and innovation.”
Performers include Italian singer and rapper Achille Lauro, award-winning Roman actress Benedetta Porcaroli and Italian DJ Gabry Ponte.
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As with the opening ceremony earlier this month, each nation — with a handful of exceptions — will have chosen athletes to be their flagbearers. In Germany’s case this will be Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt. The pair became the country’s most successful Winter Olympians by each winning a seventh gold in luge.
Welcome to our Winter Olympics closing ceremony coverage!
Hello and welcome to DW’s live blog of the 2026 Winter Olympics closing ceremony.
After 17 days of skiing, sliding, jumping and curling, the USA defeated neighbors Canada to win the last of 116 gold medals at Milan-Cortina. That left the US second on the medal table, six behind Norway whose Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won six on his own, becoming the most successful Winter Olympian of all time in the process.
With the sport over, it will soon be time for the curtain to officially come down on the Games. The closing ceremony will take place at the Verona Olympic Arena, a beautifully preserved ancient amphitheater built in 30AD and is scheduled to start at 20:30 CET and run for somewhere approaching three hours.
Holders Chelsea edged past Manchester United into the FA Cup quarter-finals thanks to an extra-time tap-in from defender Naomi Girma.
The United States international prodded home from close range in the 99th minute to open her goal account for the Blues after the visitors had failed to clear their lines from a corner.
It was a disappointing end to the tie for Marc Skinner’s side, who had battled from behind to take the contest into extra-time.
Substitute Simi Awujo arrived at the back post on 81 minutes to cancel out Sam Kerr’s opener – the Australian had come off the bench to steer home Veerle Buurman’s knockdown three minutes prior.
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Chelsea had beaten United in last season’s final and victory will hand Sonia Bompastor’s side a psychological edge over the Red Devils before they meet again in the League Cup final at Ashton Gate on 15 March.
Elsewhere, captain Kim Little scored for a second FA Cup tie in a row as 14-time winners Arsenal claimed a 3-0 victory over Bristol City.
Victoria Pelova and Frida Maanum were also on target in a second half that was blighted by a head injury to winger Olivia Smith, who was stretchered off.
Manchester City are also through after ruthlessly despatching second-tier Sheffield United 4-0.
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The Women’s Super League leaders raced into a three-goal lead inside 22 minutes thanks to two close-range finishes from Lauren Hemp, and a low drive from Aoba Fujino. Laura Coombs poked home their fourth in the 90th minute.
Brighton ran out 2-1 winners at West Ham in another all-WSL tie, as manager Dario Vidosic returned to the dugout.
The 38-year-old has been away from the team in Australia for the past month after the passing of his father Rado, who was also Brighton’s women’s and girls’ head of coaching.
Veteran Fran Kirby rolled back the years with a goal and assist in a commanding first-half display, with Leila Wandeler’s 75th-minute goal unable to inspire a West Ham fightback.
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Birmingham City and Charlton Athletic prevailed in the only ties not involving top-flight clubs.
Oceane Hurtre scored a hat-trick in an 8-0 rout for the Blues over Chatham Town on Friday night, while the Addicks edged out fourth-tier Oxford thanks to Lucy Fitzgerald’s 76th-minute penalty.
London City Lionesses host capital neighbours Tottenham on Monday, 23 February (19:30 GMT) in the remaining fifth-round tie.
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