Sports

Chloe Kim falls short of Olympic three-peat, finishing 2nd to Choi Gaon in women’s halfpipe

LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Chloe Kim has fallen short in her bid to become the first Olympic snowboarder to win three consecutive gold medals. Kim finishing second to Choi Gaon of South Korea in the women’s halfpipe on Thursday. The 17-year-old Choi dethroned the two-time defending champion with a score of 90.25 on her final run. Kim had one more shot to get back on top but she fell on her last of three runs. The 25-year-old American took silver, while Japan’s Mitsuki Ono claimed bronze.

Canada shows why it’s the Olympic favorite by routing Czechia 5-0 in its tournament opener

MILAN (AP) — Macklin Celebrini scored Canada’s first goal in the return of the NHL to the Olympics and Jordan Binnington stopped all 26 shots he faced in a 5-0 defeat of Czechia that showed the tournament favorite is already a well-oiled machine. Connor McDavid had three assists. One of them came on a tic-tac-toe power-play goal by Nathan MacKinnon from McDavid and Sidney Crosby. Mark Stone, Bo Horvat and Nick Suzuki also scored for Canada. Switzerland beat France 4-0 in the early game. The U.S. opens the tournament later against Latvia.

Ukrainian athlete tests the Olympic rules on free speech — and gets disqualified

MILAN (AP) — Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych pushed at the limits of the International Olympic Committee’s rules on freedom of expression, and the global sports body pushed back. That created an emotional and historic moment of Winter Games lore. Heraskevych insisted on wearing a helmet in competition with the images of Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed during Russia’s nearly 4-year-old full-scale invasion of their country. By refusing to back down, he was disqualified from his Olympic event Thursday. He defied a last-minute plea by IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who was in tears — after their meeting at the sliding center in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Although disqualified from competing, Heraskevych was not expelled from the Olympics.

Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama always wants to win, and that applies to All-Star Game as well

Victor Wembanyama takes the NBA All-Star Game seriously, and he says he shows up to win. On Sunday, he plays for the international team in the league’s new U.S. vs. the World format. He says recent All-Star games have lacked real competition. He compares it to how he even plays board games at home. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson says players set the tone for how hard it gets. The weekend also misses star power. Stephen Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sit with injuries. That puts more focus on Wembanyama and his intensity.

Utah’s Jaren Jackson Jr. will have surgery on knee growth that was found during post-trade physical

Utah Jazz forward Jaren Jackson Jr. will undergo surgery after a post-trade physical revealed a growth in his left knee. The team announced his surgery on Thursday. Jackson consulted with several medical professionals after the localized pigmented villonodular synovitis growth was detected in an MRI. He will undergo surgery during the NBA All-Star break. It’s unclear how long Jackson will be out. A team spokesperson said they would provide an update on his return after the surgery. Utah acquired Jackson from Memphis as part of an eight-player deal. Jackson was a two-time All-Star in Memphis and the 2023 NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

NBA All-Star 2026: Times, details, how to watch the weekend’s events

NBA All-Star weekend is back in California for the second straight year. Among the on-court events are the celebrity game and Rising Stars competition on Friday, 3-point and slam-dunk contests on Saturday and a new game format on Sunday that features the USA vs. the World. The U.S. vs. the World concept was talked about for years before finally becoming a reality this season. The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association unveiled the long-awaited plan earlier this season, after trying yet again to figure out the latest way to spark renewed interest in the game. Here’s some of what to know for All-Star weekend.

Winter Olympics recap: Brignone completes dramatic comeback and Ukrainian athlete excluded

MILAN (AP) — It’s a day marked by a comeback and controversy at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Federica Brignone won a gold medal in the women’s super-G to complete one of skiing’s all-time great recoveries after badly breaking her leg a year ago. Vladyslav Heraskevych of Ukraine has been excluded from the Olympics after refusing to give up his plan to race in a helmet commemorating athletes who have been killed since Russia invaded his country. The International Olympic Committee says it breaks rules against making statements on the field of play. Later Thursday, Chloe Kim seeks a halfpipe three-peat for the United States.

Caught red-handed! NASCAR busts Gragson for sticking hand out window during Daytona 500 qualifying

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Noah Gragson was the first driver busted during Daytona 500 qualifying for violating the new rule that specifies drivers are banned for sticking their hands out the opening of the window during the qualifying run. Gragson’s time in the No. 4 Ford for Front Row Motorsports was thrown out Wednesday because he used his left hand in an attempt to deflect air and gain an advantage on the track. Gragson said he “completely forgot about that rule.” The 27-year-old did not advance to the second round of qualifying and lost his chance to race for the pole. The Daytona 500 is on Sunday.

Hall of Fame driver Tony Stewart and UFC boss Dana White are leading Ram back into NASCAR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Ram returns to NASCAR’s Truck Series with a marketing-heavy push that includes Tony Stewart driving at Daytona and UFC boss Dana White helping promote it. On Friday night, the season opens at Daytona International Speedway. Ram has not raced in NASCAR since 2012. Ram partners with Kaulig Racing and becomes NASCAR’s first new national-level manufacturer since 2007. Ram and Kaulig also create a YouTube reality show called “Race for the Seat.” Fifteen drivers compete for a ride. Timothy “Mini” Tyrrell wins and joins Ram’s lineup. New rules also give Ram a short-term qualifying safety net.

Rangers lose top prospect, infielder Sebastian Walcott, to UCL injury and surgery

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Top prospect Sebastian Walcott of the Texas Rangers is having elbow surgery, and the infielder is expected to miss most of the season. Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said Walcott has a UCL injury and was experiencing elbow discomfort. He could be back by the end of the season but it’s too early to tell. The 19-year-old Walcott is the No. 7 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. He hit .255 with 13 home runs, 59 RBIs and 32 stolen bases at Double-A Frisco last year.