While an unknown teenager in Turin, she is one of the faces of this year’s Games 20 years on. Fontana carried the Italian flag at the opening ceremony at San Siro, leading the home nation as tens of thousands of compatriots cheered in the crowd.

It was the second time Fontana was honoured to be the opening ceremony flagbearer, having also carried the flag at Pyeongchang 2018.

On how she has kept winning Olympic medals and maintained her place at the top end of speed skating since before Instagram was invented, Fontana says it comes down to a love of the sport – and a love of herself.

“I do have experience, but I have the same drive I did when I was 15. I never get on the ice just to show up,” she added.

“With time, I have been able to understand my body, and my mental fitness – I have taken more time off from racing, more breaks, because mentally it can be tough.

“Elite athletes, we put pressure on ourselves easily, we have high expectation and it can be hard mentally.”

She needed that mental fortitude in the build-up to the Games as a series of injuries – including a hip issue in October – hampered her preparations.

It put paid to Fontana’s plan to also enter long track events, forcing her to concentrate on her signature shorter disciplines.

It was a decision she took with her coach and husband Anthony Lobello after spending four years travelling the world to various competitions.

“We understand each other, he understands exactly what I need,” said Fontana. “We do try not to talk about work at home.”

After almost two years of rumors and speculation, the White Sox finally traded center fielder Luis Robert Jr. last month, sending him to the Mets for utility man Luisangel Acuña and righty Truman Pauley. Considering Robert hit 38 home runs and was a 4.9 WAR player in 2023, it’s an underwhelming return, but his last two years were full of injuries and ineffectiveness.

Acuña is Ronald‘s younger brother and he’s a utility guy who does his best work on the bases and in the field. Last season, he authored a .567 OPS with the Mets, but also went 16 for 17 stealing bases and played four positions (second base, shortstop, third base, center field). The White Sox figure to play Acuña most of the time in center field this season.

White Sox GM Chris Getz has spoken highly of Acuña since the trade, as GMs are wont to do, but there is one small problem: Getz keeps calling Acuña a switch-hitter, which he most certainly is not. He’s a righty bat. Four times — four! — Getz has publicly called Acuña a switch-hitter:

If it happens once, fine. People misspeak. But four times — again, FOUR! — is a bit of a problem. Getz doesn’t know his player and also his staff has not bothered to correct him, which is another problem in and of itself. Things got to the point that Getz issued a statement Thursday regarding Acuña’s handedness as a hitter.

“So I probably have been getting carried away describing his versatility,” Getz told Sox Machine. “Why does it have to stop there? I called Luisangel and told him that even though he’s just right-handed, we still love him.”

On one hand, this is so stupid and silly that all you can do is laugh. On the other hand, the GM had to call a player and mend fences because he didn’t seem to know which side of the plate he hits from. It’s not a great look for Getz. It’s not the end of the world either — this will be forgotten in about a week — but a basic detail like this should not escape the GM.

Getz’s White Sox went 60-102 last season. That represents a 19-win improvement from their modern record 121-loss season in 2024. After trading Robert, the ChiSox used the savings to sign Seranthony Domínguez, Erick Fedde, and Austin Hays.

Hardik Pandya (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: India put up another commanding all-round performance, thrashing Namibia by 93 runs in their T20 World Cup encounter on Thursday to register their second consecutive victory of the tournament. Powered by aggressive half-centuries from Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya, the defending champions piled up a daunting 209/9 before bowling Namibia out for 116 in 18.2 overs.After the match, Pandya reflected on his form and preparation, saying, “Yeah, definitely, just enjoying the sport. Had a good couple of months to prepare and, you know, get the rhythm and, you know, get the body right. Thus far everything is going well.” Highlighting how much his batting means to him, he added, “Yes, I’ve always taken pride in my batting as an all-rounder. So whenever I get an opportunity, I make sure that both the skills are managed rightly… batting is always close to my heart. And when that comes, it’s a, you know, if you add the more sugar to the cake.”

Pandya also elaborated on the effort that goes into staying in peak physical condition. “Body has been fantastic. I’ve always mentioned it takes a lot of hard work, which I cherish. But, you know, playing for the country has always been a pride, always been my number priority,” he said. “A lot of work goes behind the scene where I’m kind of out and kind of go into army, army sort of a camp where I do morning, evening sessions… make sure I eat well, make sure I sleep well, make sure my habits are good.”Put in to bat, India began in explosive fashion, with Kishan in particularly commanding form. The left-hander went on the attack from the outset, hammering 61 off just 24 balls and reaching his half-century in only 20 deliveries as India surged past 100 within the first seven overs.Pandya then anchored the middle phase with authority, striking a polished 52 off 28 balls and adding a vital 81-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Shivam Dube (23 off 16), allowing India to keep the scoreboard ticking despite periodic setbacks.Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus stood out with the ball, employing smart variations to return career-best figures of 4/20. His spell helped stem the flow late in the innings as India lost five wickets for just four runs, but the target remained well beyond Namibia’s reach.Chasing 210, Namibia failed to match the required tempo, even though a few batters showed promise at the start. Varun Chakravarthy was exceptional with the ball, finishing with impressive figures of 3/7 from two overs.India had opened their campaign with a win over the USA, followed it up with this emphatic victory against Namibia, and will now turn their attention to a high-voltage clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday in Colombo.

A key figure at Barcelona has revealed details about Marcus Rashford’s loan deal

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Barcelona sporting director Deco has commended Marcus Rashford for flourishing despite the “enormous demands” of playing for Manchester United.

The Barca legend also disclosed that on-loan Rashford was on the verge of signing with another team last summer. Rashford, 28, moved to Catalonia after falling out of favour with Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.

He spent the latter half of the previous season on loan at Aston Villa before Barcelona came calling. It has now been revealed just how keen Villa were to retain the England international.

However, according to Deco, once the opportunity arose, Rashford only had one destination in mind. “Yes, definitely,” the Barcelona icon told Sport when questioned if he and the rest of the board are satisfied with Rashford’s development.

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“I think it wasn’t easy to come here. He has played at a very high level, with enormous demands at a club like Manchester United. Then he spent six months at Aston Villa, where he did a very good job.

“In fact, Aston Villa, they would have kept him if it had been possible. I know this because I’ve spoken to people there. But he only wanted to come to Barca, and that’s a very positive thing. We were able to secure a loan.

“The fact that he took a pay cut to make it happen is a clear demonstration that he really wanted to come, and we’re very happy about that. He’s a player who contributes a lot to the team.”

Deco, 48, is correct to highlight that the wage reduction was crucial in facilitating Rashford’s loan to Barcelona. The Spanish giants’ financial situation prevented them from matching his previous £300,000-a-week terms at United, but he accepted a decrease to £225,000 weekly to complete the switch.

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The Portuguese director is also accurate in suggesting that this gesture revealed just how determined Rashford was to join. This has been evident in his displays so far at the Camp Nou, where he has netted 10 goals and provided another 13 assists in 34 appearances.

Rashford is reportedly keen on making his loan a permanent deal at the end of the season. Head coach Hansi Flick has expressed enthusiasm about his loanee, who has a £26million buy option written into his deal.

But even that figure may prove too steep for Barca. This follows suggestions indicating the Catalans have enquired with United about whether they can pay a reduced amount to make Rashford’s move permanent.

That may not align with United’s plans, particularly considering recent reports suggesting interim manager Michael Carrick would like him back at Old Trafford should he land the job on a permanent basis.

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Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.

Team India registered a crushing 93-run victory in their T20 World Cup 2026 clash against Namibia on Thursday, February 12. It was their second win in as many games in the tournament.

Asked to bat first, the Men in Blue posted a total of 209/9 on the board. Ishan Kishan slammed a brilliant half-century first up, scoring 61 runs off just 24 balls at a strike rate of 254.17. At the backend, Hardik Pandya struck a terrific fifty as well, making 52 runs off 28 balls.

For Namibia, their skipper Gerhard Erasmus was the pick of the bowlers, returning figures of 4/20. Namibia started well in the chase, getting to 57 runs in the powerplay. However, they failed to sustain the momentum and were eventually bowled out for just 116 runs in 18.2 overs.

It was an all-round bowling performance from India. Hardik and Axar Patel bagged two wickets each while Varun Chakaravarthy claimed three. Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Shivam Dube chipped in with a wicket each as well.

On that note, let us take a look at five records made during India’s 93-run triumph against Namibia.

#5 4th captain to pick a four-wicket haul in a T20 World Cup

Gerhard Erasmus became only the fourth captain to pick up a five-wicket haul in a T20 World Cup 2026 match. He joined Daniel Vettori, Zeeshan Maqsood, and Rashid Khan on the list. Vettori returned figures of 4/20 against India in Johannesburg in 2007.

Zeeshan bagged 4/20 against Papua New Guinea in 2021. Rashid achieved the feat twice, both times in the 2024 edition. He bagged 4/23 against Bangladesh in Kingstown and 4/17 against New Zealand at the Providence Stadium.

#4 Fourth-fastest fifty for India in T20 World Cups

Opener Ishan Kishan smashed a 20-ball fifty during his blistering 61-run knock. His 20-ball half-century is the joint fourth-fastest for an Indian batter in T20 World Cup history.

The record for the fastest T20 World Cup fifty for a batter from the country is held by Yuvraj Singh, who had slammed a 12-ball half-century against England in the 2007 edition. KL Rahul (18 balls in 2021) and Rohit Sharma (19 balls in 2024) follow in second and third position. Ishan Kishan is tied with Yuvraj, who had also scored a 20-ball fifty in the 2007 edition against Australia.

#3 Second-most 200-plus totals in T20 World Cups

India posted a total in excess of 200 for the fourth time in T20 World Cups. They became the team with the second-most 200-plus totals in the history of the tournament, going past Sri Lanka and the West Indies, who have three 200-plus totals each.

South Africa is at the top of this list with six 200-plus totals in T20 World Cup history. The Men in Blue had previously crossed the mark in 2007, 2021, and 2024.

#2 Biggest win for India in T20 World Cup (in terms of runs)

India’s 93-run victory against Namibia was their biggest win in terms of runs in T20 World Cup history. Their previous biggest victory had come against England in 2012, when they beat them by 90 runs in Colombo.

Their other biggest wins in terms of include a 73-run victory against Australia in Mirpur in 2014, a 71-run win against Zimbabwe at Melbourne in 2022, and a 68-run victory against England at the Providence Stadium in 2024.

#1 Extending most consecutive wins in men’s T20 World Cup history

India extended their most consecutive wins streak in men’s T20 World Cup history. The win against Namibia was their tenth consecutive victory in the competition. In the previous game against the USA, they broke the record with their ninth consecutive victory, having won eight in a row in the 2024 edition.

No team has touched double figures in this aspect, barring the Men in Blue. South Africa and Australia have eight such wins each, while England have seven.