U.S. Olympic skater Ilia Malinin did not hold his scheduled media session Saturday. The session was postponed, according to Christine Brennan. 

The postponement comes one day after Malinin finished eighth in the men’s free skate. The American star was the frontrunner to win gold but fell twice during his performance, shocking fans and pundits. 

Malinin’s folly was considered one of the most unexpected stories of the Winter Olympics since he dominated competition prior to Friday. 

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Ilia Malinin of the United States competes during the men’s free skate program in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Feb. 13, 2026. (Ashley Landis/AP Photo)

Malinin revealed his mind became flooded with “thoughts and memories” before his performance.

“I just had so many thoughts and memories flood right before I got into my starting pose, and almost, I think, it maybe overwhelmed me a little bit. I’ve been through a lot in my life, a lot of bad and good experiences,” Malinin told NBC Washington after the competition Friday. 

“So, I just feel like it’s the pressure of especially being that Olympic gold medal hopeful. It was just something I can’t control now.

“The pressure of the Olympics, it’s really something different, and I think not a lot of people understand that. They only understand that from the inside and going into this competition, especially today, I felt really confident, really good,” he said. “But it really just went by so fast I did not have time to process.” 

POWER OUTAGE HALTS MILAN CORTINA OLYMPICS CURLING COMPETITION MOMENTS AFTER MATCHES BEGIN

Ilia Malinin of the United States reacts to his disastrous routine in which he fell twice during the men’s singles skating-free skating competition at the Milano Ice Skating Arena at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games 2026 Feb. 13, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)

When his routine started Friday, Malinin connected on a quad-flip to start but then settled for a single axel. He then had a double loop instead of a quad loop.

He then fell on a quad Lutz attempt and then fell on another jump shortly after. He scored a 156.33, a far cry from the world record of 238.24 he set in December and the 200-mark he routinely hits in the free skate.

Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan won the gold with a total score of 291.58, a personal best. His 198.94 score in Friday’s free skate was also the highest of his career.

Yuma Kagiyama of Japan got the silver, and Shun Sato, Kagiyama’s teammate, came away with the bronze.

Malinin, who posts total scores in the 300s regularly, settled for just 264.49. His personal best is 333.81.

Malinin congratulated his Kazakhstani competitor after the event concluded.

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Ilia Malinin of the United States falls during men’s single skating at Milano Ice Skating Arena at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games Feb. 13, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

While on the bench, Malinin said if he had been in Beijing four years ago, he would not have skated as poorly as he did. Malinin was 17 when he was left off the roster in favor of veterans.

Malinin’s finish sparked widespread disappointment among Team USA and ice skating fans across social media. 

Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.

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Karolina Muchova defeated Victoria Mboko 6–4, 7–5 to win the Qatar Open title, securing her first WTA 1000 crown.

The victory marks Muchova’s second WTA title and her first tournament win since 2019, ending a long wait after several injury hit seasons. The result will see her rise back to world No. 11 in the updated rankings, putting her within reach of a return to the top 10.

In the final, Muchova handled the pressure well against the 19 years old Mboko, who had enjoyed a breakthrough week in Doha. After taking the first set, the Czech stayed composed in a tight second set to close out the match in straight sets.

Speaking after the win, Muchova reflected on what the title meant.

“It’s been a while since I won a tournament. It’s just nice to get that feeling again and to be reminded of that victory feeling here in Doha. It’s incredible,” she said.
“I’d like to congratulate Victoria. You’re still a teenager if I’m not mistaken. You play with so much maturity and you play incredible. It’s been an incredible week for you. Congratulations. I’m sure you have many titles ahead of you.”

Muchova also thanked her team and the crowd in Doha for their support throughout the week.

“I’m so excited for my team that we get to experience this together. Thank you for standing here with me. Thank you everyone. Your support means a lot. I’m just very glad that we get to celebrate it and live this win together.”

Despite the loss, Mboko remained positive about her run to the final and praised her opponent.

“I first want to thank everyone who came to support this week. Everyone did a really great job. It was amazing,” Mboko said.
“I wanna thank Karolina and her team. You played really well. It’s not the outcome I wanted, but I think there’s so many positives to take away.”

The Doha final capped an impressive week for both players, with Muchova lifting a title and Mboko confirming her rapid rise on the WTA Tour.

James McDonald hesitates to equate Autumn Glow directly with Romantic Warrior, the Hong Kong star, but recognizes her upward momentum.

The mare produced a thrilling effort that gave McDonald goosebumps, storming to a 2-1/2 length success over Aeliana in Saturday’s Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, making it nine unbeaten runs.

With 15 wins in 20 races for Romantic Warrior—including eight steered by McDonald—the gelding remains the benchmark, but McDonald feels Autumn Glow has the chops to rival him if her form holds.

“It’s very special. Just the way and the ease with which she’s doing it,” McDonald said.

“You’ve got to remember, there were a lot of stayers in the race. But I’m riding a very good horse in Hong Kong (Romantic Warrior) and she’s on a trajectory where she is improving all the time, she is lightly raced, and let’s just say, the world is her oyster.”

Autumn Glow was electric, sitting off the speed before dismantling the field with effortless acceleration.

Trainer Chris Waller sees this debut run back as a strong indicator, aiding his planning for her program.

“The first run of the prep is the most important. It tells you where they are,” Waller said.

“You can have as many track gallops, trials and exhibition gallops but until they’re under race pressure, you don’t really know.

“It tells me she’s in a pretty good position.”

She lines up next in the Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) followed by the George Ryder Stakes (1500m), then owners will opt for mile trips or the 2000m Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Heading for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes means probable rematch with Aeliana, who Waller rated highly on return.

“Aeliana was brilliant. It was good to see she can take up a spot if she needs to as well. She was put in the race and she was still strong late,” he said.

Waller completed the trifecta via Lindermann in third, but Joe Pride had concerns over sixth-placed Ceolwulf bleeding from nostrils after the Apollo Stakes. The racing betting markets are heating up for her upcoming targets.

The gelding faced scoping Saturday afternoon for signs of internal bleed, which imposes a three-month stand-down.

Pride’s Weeping Woman struck Group glory in the Triscay Stakes (1200m) 40 minutes later, yet Ceolwulf’s mishap soured the moment.

“I’m hoping more than anything (that it wasn’t a bleed),” Pride said.

“It’s not presenting typically like a bleeder would present. It sucked the life out of that win for me.”

Weeping Woman ($3.40 fav) marked her debut Group victory in the Triscay Stakes, beating Manaal ($4.20) by 1-1/4 lengths, Verona Rose ($12) third half-neck off.

The post McDonald, Waller bask in Autumn Glow’s stunning return first appeared on Just Horse Racing.

Minnesota Vikings misses and myths are heating up again as free agency and the draft inch closer. The malarkey builds fast this time of year, and some of it deserves a hard stop. Here’s a look at the Nopedy Nopes.

Vikings fans keep seeing the same three claims recycled, so here’s the clean reset on each one and why they’re shaky.

Each week, this column tracks the flimsy takes floating around the Vikings’ orbit — along with the ideas that never had much footing to begin with.

The Week’s Strangest Takes Around the Vikings

The Vikings’ Nopedy Nopes of Offseason Week No. 6.

The Nopedy Nope: Justin Jefferson will be traded to the Buffalo Bills.

CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani kept his trade ideas minimal — just two total: Justin Jefferson to Buffalo and George Pickens to Denver.

On Jefferson, he wrote, “Joe Brady’s name popped up on NFL radars in 2019, when he served as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at LSU. The undefeated Tigers had a historical season, which was powered by the play of Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase.”

“Now, he’s the head coach of the Bills, and this offseason, Buffalo makes an aggressive move to pair its new coach with a friend of his — sending the Minnesota Vikings a package of picks for Jefferson. Why would Buffalo choose now to take a big swing at receiver? After all, Brandon Beane hasn’t been this aggressive before. Realize that the Bills front office is under just as much pressure as Brady to prove that the firing of Sean McDermott wasn’t a mistake.”

At the moment, Buffalo’s WR1 is Khalil Shakir, typically a 750-yard type of producer.

Dajani continued, “It’s about winning right now for the Bills, and what they will do is lean into Brady’s vision for the offense. Yes, Brady oversaw the No. 1 rushing attack in the NFL this past season, but his background is passing the ball. Jefferson is coming off his worst NFL season, as he set career lows in receiving yards (1,048) and receiving touchdowns (2).”

“We all know he’s one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. His career 90.2 receiving yards per game ranks No. 2 in NFL history, and his 7,432 receiving yards through five seasons were the most in NFL history. Imagine a talent like Jefferson teaming up with a quarterback like Josh Allen.”

Vikings fans saw the Dajani concept and collectively winced.

The Verdict: Nopedy nope on the Vikings trading their best player in an offseason when they’re renewing all-in stakes while also eating a $46 million dead cap hit.

The Nopedy Nope: Tua Tagovailoa, despite beef with Brian Flores, could be the Vikings’ QB1 or QB2 in 2026.

Jared Allen claimed this week that if the decision were up to him, he’d find a way for the Vikings to get Tagovailoa this offseason.

Given Flores’s history with Tagovailoa, Minnesota is unlikely to explore a trade for the quarterback, regardless of his potential availability. Flores coached Tagovailoa for his first two seasons in Miami, a relationship that never worked out. In fact, in a 2024 podcast, Tagovailoa described Flores as a “terrible person,” a sentiment he has not retracted.

Flores later expressed disappointment with this characterization, maintaining that their working relationship was never intended to become acrimonious. Had Flores accepted a head coaching position elsewhere last month, speculation about Tagovailoa’s arrival in Minnesota might have intensified. Instead, he signed a significant extension to remain Minnesota’s defensive coordinator, ensuring this dynamic remains within the organization.

The Verdict: Nopedy nope on acquiring the quarterback who thinks the defensive coordinator is a terrible person.

The Nopedy Nope: Max Brosmer would latch on as a productive passer and maybe even become the next Brock Purdy.

Vikings faithful clicked on Nick Shook of NFL.com’s 2025 quarterback rankings expecting to find J.J. McCarthy’s place in the league hierarchy — and instead got blindsided by Max Brosmer’s rock-bottom standing.

Shook didn’t sugarcoat it. “Max Brosmer proved why he was an undrafted free agent, appearing overwhelmed by the speed of the game. We’ll all remember that Week 17 win over Detroit — you know, the one in which the Vikings recorded six takeaways and did almost nothing with the extra possessions — as the evidence we all needed to know Brosmer wasn’t a viable backup option.”

Brosmer anchored the list at No. 63 — dead last — trailing New York Jets passer Brady Cook (No. 62) and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee (No. 61).

The advanced numbers backed up the ugly optics. Per EPA+CPOE, Brosmer finished 43rd of 49 qualifying quarterbacks in 2025 — technically ahead of McCarthy in that metric, which only adds another layer to the Vikings’ quarterback debate heading into 2026.

All of those theories from the summer about Brosmer as an unearthed gem … were wrong.

The Verdict: Nopedy nope on Brosmer as the Vikings’ sneaky long-term QB option.

Man Utd will play just 40 games this season and their light schedule has been a dream for the broadcasters, who have been able to put them on in the slot nobody wants.

It’s a feeling Manchester United regulars are having to get used to this season. While they are watching the FA Cup fourth round from a distance this weekend, they will spend next weekend watching nine more Premier League games before their team eventually return to action, 13 days after they were last seen.

That was Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham in London. There were seven weekends left in February and March at that point, but United will play on only two of them. Widen it out to include the Easter weekend at the start of April, and six of the next eight weekends will pass by without Michael Carrick’s team playing.

This is partly of their own making. Including this weekend, there are three FA Cup rounds that won’t involve United after they were beaten by Brighton in round three. There is also an international break in there.

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But United’s failure to qualify for European football this season has made them vulnerable to the whims of broadcasters and their trip to Everton next Monday will be a familiar sensation. A first trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Liverpool’s waterfront should be a great away day, but not on the first night of a working week.

It will be the fourth time United will have fulfilled Sky Sports’ Monday night slot in the last 14 weeks, and some of those had no Monday night game at all. To make matters worse, they will play on a Friday night in March. At Bournemouth.

United are ideally placed to be moved to Monday night because they aren’t in Europe. In weeks with European football, none of the Premier League’s nine participants in the Champions League, Europa League, or Conference League can play in that slot. United are always a dream for TV ratings, so sticking them on a Monday is seen as ideal.

Those fixtures wouldn’t normally be seen as TV gold. Maybe there is an argument for home and away games against Everton making the cut for TV, but United have also played Bournemouth, West Ham and Wolves on Monday nights.

It means that in a season with very little midweek football, there are also few weekend games for United. They have played 19 games on a Saturday or Sunday so far, but will play only eight out of 21 weekends between drawing 2-2 with Tottenham in early November and the home game with Leeds on April 11, which could yet be moved.

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Late changes to the schedule have become a recurring theme this season. United are getting plenty of notice for these games, but they are not enjoyable for supporters. Monday night games will never have the same kind of atmosphere and feeling as a weekend fixture.

The production values of Sky Sports’ show are good, and the analysis of the weekend’s football is often a must-watch, but actually being involved in the game isn’t a lot of fun.

But then, at least United’s Monday games have all been on their doorstep, with three at Old Trafford and now a trip to Merseyside. The Friday, March 20 date at Bournemouth is disastrous. It will require a day of work and either an overnight stay or a return from the south coast in the (very) early hours.

And let’s be honest, there is probably more of this to come. TV selections for April and May are yet to be confirmed. That is seven games in total, and while the final day of the season will be on a Sunday, it wouldn’t be a surprise if there was another Monday or Friday date in there for United fans to put up with.

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It was not pretty in the early going, but the U.S. hockey team picked up the pace and showed why it is a favorite to play for a gold medal.

After trailing 2-1 through the first period, the Americans dominated on offense to take a 6-3 victory over Denmark Saturday in the Milan Cortina Olympic Games.

The Americans scored three unanswered goals to open the second period, with 4 Nations cult hero Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators), Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights) and Noah Hanifin (Vegas Golden Knights) finding the back of the net. 

Denmark, though, was not going out without a fight, putting a third goal past Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins) before the horn sounded.

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The United States’ Brady Tkachuk, right, celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during a preliminary round match of men’s ice hockey against Denmark at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

It was false hope for them, however, because Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay Lighting) scored, and Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils) added another for good measure late in the third.

Both sets of brothers on the team — Brady and Matthew Tkachuk and Jack and Quinn Hughes — each had a point in the contest. Fourteen players had points for the Americans with a different goal scorer each time the lamp was lit.

The United States’ Jack Eichel, second right, celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal during a preliminary round match of men’s ice hockey against Denmark at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

AMERICANS ATTENDING OLYMPICS URGED TO ‘EXERCISE CAUTION’ AFTER ITALIAN RAILWAYS HIT BY SUSPECTED ‘SABOTAGE’

Swayman struggled early on, especially as Denmark’s second goal was scored from nearly center ice, but he found his footing in the final two periods. Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets) got the start in the first game, and Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars) will likely be in the crease in their next game.

The Americans had 47 shots on goal compared to Denmark’s 21.

The U.S. ends preliminary play Sunday with a game against Germany at 3:10 p.m. ET. The Americans will once again be heavy favorites, and a victory will put them into the knockout stage.

The Americans can also go right to the knockout stage with an overtime loss. With a regulation loss, their fate would be determined by Canada’s game against France and point differentials with Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.

The United States’ Brady Tkachuk, right, challenges Denmark’s Oliver Bjorkstrand during a preliminary round match of men’s ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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But as a heavy favorite against a German team with just eight NHL players, the U.S. may not need to worry.

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Team GB’s men’s curlers took a step closer to securing a Winter Olympics semi-final place as they compiled an accomplished victory over Germany.

Bruce Mouat’s world champions have now won four of their opening five matches in northern Italy, with six victories almost certain to guarantee a place in the last four and a shot at the medals.

The Scottish quartet beat their German counterparts in both the European and the World Championships last year and were rarely in danger here.

Level at 2-2 after three ends, the British rink moved smoothly into a 5-2 advantage at the interval, then accelerated clear with a further steal of two in the seventh end.

Germany were floundering at that stage and, although they cut the deficit, Mouat closed out another couple in the ninth end to secure the win.

The men are back on the ice later on Sunday, against the unbeaten Switzerland (18:05 GMT).

Before then, the GB women will play their fourth match, with the fancied Sweden their opponents (13:05) as they try to revive their own semi-final hopes.