A commemorative T-shirt on the Olympics online store marking the 1936 Games in Berlin under Adolf Hitler‘s National Socialist, or Nazi, government caught the eye of German media on Wednesday. 

The shirt shows a man wearing a laurel wreath, the quadriga chariot drawn by four horses atop the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and core details like the dates and location of the Summer Games in the capital.

It’s part of a collection of shirts for each of the modern-era Games, but, nonetheless, references probably the most politically contentious ones.

There are no references to Hitler’s government or its symbols and iconography on the shirt.

Early TV and radio-era games, first Olympic torch relay

The Games had already been awarded to Germany before the Nazis came to power, but hosting both the winter and summer events in 1936 provided Hitler’s regime with a stage to showcase the government and country internationally. 

Technological advancements like television and radio enabled the propaganda-reliant regime to double down on these efforts, with Joseph Goebbels paying particular attention to the event. 

The 1936 Games included the first Olympic torch relay of the modern era, a fact that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) commemorated online in 2020 to considerable public backlash because it used Nazi propaganda footage to recall the event.

Berlin Games took place as repression was starting to scale up

The Nazis tried to put a respectable foot forward for the event, removing antisemitic slogans and graffiti from Berlin’s streets and shop windows, moving those it deemed “undesirables” out of the capital, and toning down the rhetoric in its racist newspaper Der Stürmer.

But, nevertheless, the first signs of the coming Holocaust and of Hitler’s ambitions for wars of conquest were starting to materialize for those watching Germany closely. 

In the run-up to the Berlin Olympics in 1936, Nazi Germany remilitarized the Rhineland area on its western border, which its forces had been ordered to vacate after defeat in World War I. It implemented the “four-year plan” designed to prepare the economy and the military for war.

It stripped Roma and Jews of their voting rights that March, a month after the Winter Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The leader of the SS black shirts, Heinrich Himmler, was named the chief of German police a few weeks before the summer’s Berlin Games.

Internationally, Hitler’s government signed its first treaties with future “Axis” allies Japan and Italy in 1936, and provided support to the nationalists under General Francisco Franco in Spain’s civil war.

Only a partial propaganda success for Hitler

The event did not prove satisfactory for Hitler. 

Although Germany led the overall medal tally, the United States dominated some of the highest-profile track-and-field events at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. 

Hitler had wanted to attend and award all German winners with their gold medals, but only the German winners. He was reprimanded by the IOC when he left the stadium to avoid shaking the hand of high jumper Cornelius Johnson as he won the first US gold medal.

The head of the IOC at the time told Hitler he could either congratulate all the gold medalists, or none, so the dictator elected to honor none for the remainder of the Games.

This meant that Hitler never shook the hand of the most successful athlete of the Games, 22-year-old Black US athlete Jesse Owens, who won gold in the 100 meters, 200 meters, the 4×100-meter relay and the long jump. 

Edited by: Sean Sinico

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks rookie teenage standout Cooper Flagg will miss their final game before the All-Star break and not play in the NBA’s Rising Stars game on Friday night because of a left midfoot sprain.

The Mavericks announced Wednesday night than an MRI revealed the injury that occurred in their loss at Phoenix a night earlier, when the 19-year-old had 27 points in 36 minutes. They said further updates will be provided as appropriate

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Flagg, the No. 1 overall draft pick last summer, is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in his 49 games with Dallas.

The Mavericks (19-34) have an eight-game losing streak going into Thursday night’s game at the Los Angeles Lakers.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse welcomed Chris Bell and the California Golden Bears to town for the first game of a two-game homestand, and it was an absolute wire-to-wire thriller in the Dome, one that would need more than the forty regulated minutes.

And despite countless missed free throws down the stretch, aggressive takes from Nate Kingz and JJ Starling, who combined for 48 points, helped lift Syracuse in both overtime periods when they needed it most, giving them a 107-100 win over the Golden Bears.

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And this was a game that saw just about everything. Two power outages, 67 combined free throw attempts, 28 lead changes, 11 combined players in double figures, and even William Kyle being forced to hobble off the floor late.

But despite everything that went wrong throughout the game, Syracuse experienced a feeling that they have not had much of late, a win in a close game down the stretch.

But the storylines began before the game even started, as one of the glaring questions Syracuse fans wanted answered was whether guard Kiyan Anthony would see the floor after being benched due to what Coach Autry determined was a coaching decision against Virginia. However, that question was answered quickly. Anthony checked into the game with 12:26 to go in the first half, but his impact in the early going was minimal, scoring only two points in ten minutes.

And for most of the first half, the impact Syracuse’s offense was providing as a whole was minimal as well.

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That was until the final two minutes. With Syracuse trailing 33-29, Kingz went on a run of his own. The lefty scored six consecutive points, and at halftime, the game was tied at 35 apiece.

Who is Vladyslav Heraskevych?

In Pyeongchang in 2018, the Kyiv native became the first Ukrainian to compete in skeleton at the Winter Olympics. Heraskevych also competed in Beijing in 2022. After the third of four runs there, he held up a sign with the English inscription “No war in Ukraine” for the cameras at the finish line of the run. Thirteen days later, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Since then, Heraskevych has tirelessly used his sport to draw attention to the suffering of the people in Ukraine and to urge further strict sanctions against Russian sports. The skeleton racer was given the honor of being one of Ukraine’s flag bearers for the Milano Cortina Games’ opening ceremonies.

Heraskevych, however, is not among the likely medal contenders at the Olympics. He finished 12th in 2018 and 18th in 2022.

What is his dispute with the IOC about?

Heraskevych wants to wear his “helmet of remembrance” not only in training but also during the Olympic race in Cortina. It features images of Ukrainian athletes who were killed during Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) considers the helmet a violation of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which states: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”

In 2020, the IOC Athletes’ Commission published guidelines on how to implement this rule. According to these guidelines, athletes should only be allowed to express political views during the Olympic Games at press conferences, in interviews in the mixed zones, at team meetings, on internet platforms or through media outlets.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams told a press conference this week: “There are 130 conflicts going on in the world. We cannot have 130 different conflicts featured, however terrible they are, during the field of play, during the actual competition.”

Therefore, Heraskevych is allowed to express his political views outside of competition, but not during the race.

Could a compromise be reached?

There is no current indication that this is possible. The IOC offered the Ukrainian the option of wearing a black armband during the competition — as a sign of mourning for his compatriots killed in the war.

“We feel this is a good compromise,” Adams said.

Heraskevych sees things completely differently.

“The IOC has turned the ‘helmet of remembrance’ into an absurd farce,” the Ukrainian said on Wednesday. He insisted that he was not violating any IOC rule and accused the IOC of “double standards.”

United States figure skater Maxim Naumov displayed a picture of his parents, who died in a plane crash, after his short program on Tuesday evening in Milan, without any objections being raised. Heraskevych has previously pointed to the example of German weightlifter Matthias Steiner, who held up a photo of his deceased wife after his Olympic victory in Beijing in 2008.

According to the IOC, the cases are not comparable. The rules have evolved since 2008. Naumov’s behavior was “a very emotional, very human, spontaneous gesture,” according to IOC spokesman Adams: “In a sense it highlights what we are saying, this Ukrainian athlete, he can do the same.”

What happens if Heraskevych defies the IOC ban?

The IOC Athletes’ Commission’s recommendation regarding violations of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter states: “If an athlete or participant is in breach of Rule 50 and the Olympic Charter, each incident will be evaluated by their respective National Olympic Committee, International Federation [of the sport] and the IOC, and disciplinary action will be taken on a case-by-case basis as necessary.”

This leaves room for interpretation. In the worst-case scenario, Heraskevych could face immediate exclusion from the Olympic Games.

What have the reactions been?

Heraskevych has received support from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On X, he thanked the skeleton racer “for reminding the world of the price of our struggle.”

Thomas Weikert, president of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), expressed understanding for Heraskevych’s action but advised him not to disregard the IOC ban and to abide by the rules.

Three time Olympic luge gold medalist Felix Loch, a close personal friend of Heraskevych, said if he were to be disqualified, it would be “sad and a bit of a scandal.” After all, there is “no text or anything like that” on the helmet in question, he noted.

This article was originally published in German. 

Having shouldered the weight of Winx’s legendary 33-race unbeaten run, Chris Waller takes a pragmatic stance on upholding Autumn Glow’s spotless sequence.

Hailed as potentially racing’s brightest young gun, the mare initiates her latest preparation in Saturday’s Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, tipped at $1.55 to claim victory number nine from nine.

Waller, however, insists his emphasis is on forging the correct preparation rather than fixating on extending Autumn Glow’s faultless ledger, prioritising peak condition for her comeback.

“Not really. I have been in that territory before,” Waller said.

“She is prepared for next week exactly how she would have been prepared last week. She’s not screwed down and with room for improvement.

“And when she gets beaten it will be bad luck, not through ability.”

With 10 acceptors including six Waller-trained, the Apollo Stakes (1400m) acts as the standard carnival kickoff.

Barrier nine is Autumn Glow’s starting post, and indicators suggest she has returned in the form of her spring finale, featuring a first Group 1 in the Epsom Handicap and success in the Golden Eagle (1500m).

Two barrier trials and a Randwick exhibition gallop between races last Saturday have readied her, the latter impressing regular rider James McDonald.

“She has come back well, basically where she left off,” Waller said.

“Everything has gone to plan so far. Two trials, a nice easy gallop today and James is very happy. He said she was never out of second gear.”

Her itinerary eyes the Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m) leading to the George Ryder Stakes (1500m), beyond which remains open.

A mile remains her maximum to date, so the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) or Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) may beckon based on team deliberations over distance trials.

The star-studded Apollo Stakes also houses stablemate Aeliana, Ceolwulf with his multiple Group 1s, and Doncaster Mile winner Stefi Magnetica. Fans can dive into online bookmakers for the best Apollo Stakes prices.

The post Waller not worried about protecting Autumn Glow’s winning run first appeared on Just Horse Racing.

Indian cricket team (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 continues on February 12 with three key group-stage fixtures: Sri Lanka vs Oman, Nepal vs Italy, and India vs Namibia. Sri Lanka will face Oman after registering a 20-run win over Ireland in their previous outing. Oman, meanwhile, will be playing their first match of the tournament. However, Sri Lanka have suffered a setback ahead of the clash, as Wanindu Hasaranga has been ruled out of the World Cup due to injury. Dushan Hemantha has been named as his replacement. The match will be played at the Pallekele Stadium in Sri Lanka, starting at 11 am IST.

In the second game of the day, Nepal take on Italy at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai at 3 pm IST. Nepal enter the contest high on confidence after nearly pulling off a stunning upset against two-time T20 World Cup winners England. Nepal fell short by just four runs, which was also the second-lowest winning margin for a Full Member nation against an Associate team. Italy, on the other hand, come into the match after suffering a 73-run defeat to Scotland. The third fixture will see India face Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi at 7 pm IST. India are coming off a 29-run win over the USA, but there is a concern in the camp. Opener Abhishek Sharma is likely to miss the game due to a stomach infection, accompanied by high fever and severe weight loss. Sanju Samson, who was the designated first-choice wicketkeeper ahead of the World Cup, is likely to open the batting. Samson was dropped for Ishan Kishan because of a poor run of form in the New Zealand series. Namibia head into the match after a seven-wicket loss to the Netherlands.

A different outcome in the spring might have sidelined Giga Kick from embarking on yet another racing venture starting at Flemington.

On Saturday, the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) initiates Giga Kick’s campaign, after which the speedster will proceed to Sydney to press on with autumn targets.

Trainer Clayton Douglas described Giga Kick’s recent campaign as the smoothest in ages and remains optimistic about the gelding replicating the dominance of his two flawless spring appearances last year.

Preceding those were a tough run in Adelaide’s The Goodwood during May and a middling performance in Brisbane’s Kingsford Smith Cup the subsequent month, leading Douglas to suggest the horse might have been done without the spring heroics.

“He had a big last year, and you always worry whether they’re going to come back, a horse like him at six, rising seven,” Douglas said.

“If he hadn’t of performed last spring, we aren’t the type of people that would keep going with him, and there’s been multiple times where it’s been touch and go with him, for sure, but to see him perform as he did, it showed he’s still got that zest for racing.

“He was a bit wishy, washy in his first couple of runs back in Sydney (spring 2024) and we were wondering where he was at and then he ran really well in The Everest.

“Then again, he didn’t have the best of luck in The Goodwood and then he went up to Queensland, and it was only a fair run.

“I’m hopeful that we’ve still got another 18 months, two years, left in him, and this time I feel he’s had the ideal preparation.

“The key is keeping him in good order, feeling good, and hopefully he does the rest.”

The gelding has triumphed thrice in seven first-up races, according to Douglas, who cited credible explanations for the reversals.

An extended layoff stemmed from injury and various niggling problems, which dented his resuming ledger.

A Caulfield Heath gallop on January 29, where he ran second to Lightning Stakes foe My Gladiola, convinced Douglas that Giga Kick’s prime form had resurfaced.

“The other day, he was pumped up, excited to be there,” Douglas said.

“He began fast and I haven’t seen that in him for a long time, and he’s run well up the straight on numerous occasions.

“He won there at two, he won the Danehill Stakes at three and he’s won a Champions Sprint, so I don’t think it will be a problem on Saturday.”

Eight horses are slated for Saturday, featuring three-year-olds in the majority.

Douglas places faith in Giga Kick’s maturity, especially since only six three-year-olds have won the Lightning Stakes over the last 25 editions.

Between 2000 and 2005 saw four such victories in six races, Home Affairs by a whisker over Nature Strip in 2022, and Coolangatta in 2023. Bettors have plenty to consider in the racing betting markets for the Lightning Stakes.

“He might not have a great first-up record, but he’s had the perfect prep leading into this,” Douglas said of Giga Kick.

“It’s going to be a good race, for sure.”

The post Giga Kick poised to sizzle in Black Caviar Lightning first appeared on Just Horse Racing.

Erling Haaland moved joint-fourth on Manchester City’s all-time scorer’s list as Pep Guardiola’s side overpowered Fulham 3-0 to turn up the heat on Arsenal.

Haaland netted his 153rd City goal, moving him level with Colin Bell, in a comfortable victory at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday that trimmed the Gunners’ Premier League lead to three points.

Antoine Semenyo opened the scoring as he continued his superb start in City colours while Nico O’Reilly was also on target in a one-sided contest played in persistent rain.

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All City’s goals came in the first half and, with the job apparently done, Haaland did not return for the second half.

After a recent dip in form, the Norwegian held his nerve to score a vital penalty winner at Liverpool on Sunday and that may have reignited his campaign.

The goal that matched Bell’s career tally for the club – also his 29th of the season in all competitions – came in his 183rd appearance, a remarkable feat. Bell played 492 games for City.

The game was a stroll for City. They led 5-1 after 57 minutes in the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage in December and eventually scraped home 5-4, but there was little prospect of a similar fightback this time.

Fulham were as compliant as City could have wished for and repeatedly gave the ball away to allow the hosts to keep attacking.

It seemed only a matter of time before they broke through and Phil Foden, making his first start in four Premier League games, twice went close early on and O’Reilly fired narrowly over.

open image in gallery

The opener came after 24 minutes when Matheus Nunes swung a cross in from the right and Haaland headed down for Semenyo to slide in and touch past Bernd Leno.

It was the winger’s fifth goal in eight appearances since joining City and his third against Fulham this season after netting two for Bournemouth in October.

Fulham had a chance against the run of play when Harry Wilson forced a good save from Gianluigi Donnarumma but City instantly countered and doubled the lead on the half-hour mark.

Haaland was caught by Joachim Andersen during the charge forward but Semenyo took up the attack and fed O’Reilly, who showed composure to lift the ball over Leno.

City grabbed their third after Fulham again lost possession. Rayan Ait-Nouri found Foden, who in turn fed Haaland on the edge of the box.

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The Norwegian was clinical with a powerful strike into the bottom corner, his first league goal from open play since December.

There was a penalty check before the interval for an alleged hair-pull on Semenyo but nothing was given.

City eased off after the break and Fulham tried to rally but a lively burst by Wilson came to nothing.

The visitors were unable to build any momentum even as City’s intensity dropped.

Foden had a long-range attempt but lacked the power to trouble Leno while Josh King tested Donnarumma late on.