CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — U.S. skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin is one run away from ending her Olympic medal drought. Shiffrin blazed through her first run in the women's slalom, her time of 47.13 seconds giving her a healthy lead over Germany's Lena Duerr. Shiffrin was strong out of the gate before momentarily stumbling a bit about halfway down when she clipped a gate. Shiffrin recovered and then pumped her fist when her time flashed after crossing the finish line. Shiffrin will take a lead of 0.82 seconds over Duerr heading into the second of two runs. Shiffrin is searching for her first Olympic medal since earning a gold and silver at the Pyeongchang Games in 2018.
TESERO, Italy (AP) — Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo has won a 10th gold medal in cross country skiing at the Milan Cortina Olympics, setting another Winter Games record. The 29‑year‑old, racing with Einar Hedegart, won the men’s team sprint, for his fifth gold at the 2026 Games. Klaebo first broke the Winter Olympics record in Sunday’s 4 x 7.5-kilometer relay. In the women’s competition, Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist continued Sweden’s winning run.
MILAN (AP) — Alysa Liu is left to carry the hopes of the United States into the women’s free skate at the Milan Cortina Olympics. The reigning world champion delivered a stellar short program that featured a triple lutz-triple loop. That was the hardest combination that any woman tried Tuesday night, and she sat two points back of Japan’s Ami Nakai and right behind Kaori Sakamoto on the leaderboard. Things didn’t go nearly as well for the rest of the American team in the individual event. Isabeau Levito was in eighth place, and U.S. champion Amber Glenn fell to 13th even after she landed a triple axel.
MADRID (AP) — Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni has denied racially insulting Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior during a Champions League match when he covered his mouth with his jersey. The 20-year-old Argentina forward says “I have never been racist with anyone.” Prestianni faces a potential 10-match ban if found guilty of racial abuse in UEFA’s disciplinary code. The European soccer governing body has appointed a special investigator to gather evidence. The match was halted for nearly 10 minutes on Tuesday after the referee initiated the anti-racism protocol. Benfica fans reacted to Vinícius celebrating his 50th-minute goal by dancing by the corner flag, throwing bottles and other objects toward the Madrid players. Prestianni then confronted Vinícius.
Alongside the historic growth of women’s sports, the women’s sports media ecosystem is likewise flourishing, and outlets like TOGETHXR, The GIST, Just Women’s Sports, The IX Sports, GOALS and Good Game with Sarah Spain are expanding their reach and reshaping the industry. The Olympics have shown that when women’s sports receive meaningful media attention, they attract an enthusiastic audience, experts say. And while mainstream sports media are also upping their game by increasing the scale and quality of women’s sports coverage, University of Michigan sport management professor Ketra Armstrong says the recent influx of women-led media outlets is uniquely “liberating” because women athletes are “owning their stories and not waiting for it to be filtered through any traditional lens.”
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tony Clark has resigned as head of the Major League Baseball Players Association, the union announced said, as a possible salary cap fight looms during a federal investigation of its finances. Clark was asked to resign by the eight-man executive subcommittee of the players’ association after an investigation by the union’s outside counsel discovered evidence that Clark had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, a union employee since 2023, a person familiar with the union’s deliberations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that was not announced.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The immediate future of Tiger Woods is in the boardroom instead of the golf course. Woods still won't rule out returning to the Masters. All he says is that playing the first major of the year isn't off the table. But he is coming off a year in which he didn't compete in a single tournament for the first time in his career. He had disk replacement surgery in October. Most of his time is occupied in the PGA Tour boardroom as head of the committee reshaping the schedule. Also on hold is being Ryder Cup captain.
NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA Players’ Association sent a counterproposal to the WNBA on Tuesday for a new collective bargaining agreement that included some concessions on revenue sharing and housing a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations. The union is now asking for an average of 27.5% of the gross revenue — revenue before expenses — over the course of the CBA. The would include only 25% in the first year of the new deal. In its previous offer the union had been asking for an average of more than 30%.
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic crash has renewed pressure to rethink ski bindings, one of the oldest pieces of equipment in the sport. FIS and U.S. Ski and Snowboard leaders say a “smart binding” system is still in early development. Experts say a new algorithm could sense loss of control and trigger a faster release, like the air bag system now required in speed events. Developers warn the timing is tricky, and funding is unclear.
MILAN (AP) — Olympic hockey knows all about big hits. That includes “Heated Rivalry,” a gay hockey romance TV series in which two players from opposing teams carry out a secret relationship. The steamy connection between the characters — Canadian Shane Hollander and Russian Ilya Rozanov — has attracted fans to both the show and the sport itself. The show’s impact was evident even before the Winter Olympics when co-stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie carried the Olympic flame. And it hasn’t stopped there. Athletes and fans from Canada and the U.S. are feeling the show’s impact.
Finals
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (1)Michigan 91 (7)Purdue 80
Final Iowa 57 (9)Nebraska 52
Final (12)Florida 76 South Carolina 62
Final Arizona State 72 (13)Texas Tech 67
Final (15)Michigan State 82 UCLA 59
Final North Carolina State 82 (16)North Carolina 58
Final Rhode Island 81 (18)Saint Louis 76
Final SMU 95 (21)Louisville 85
Final (22)Miami (OH) 86 UMass 77
Final Ohio State 86 (24)Wisconsin 69