Sports

US star Mikaela Shiffrin becomes 3-time Olympic champion with emotional slalom win

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin’s eight-year Olympic medal drought is over. The American skiing standout has put in two dominant runs in gorgeous conditions amid the jagged peaks of the Dolomites to show why she is regarded by many as the greatest Alpine skier of all time. It was the third-largest margin of victory in a women’s Olympic slalom, the event she won as a fresh-faced teenager in Sochi in 2014 to underline her status as a skiing star. She delivered again in her favorite race 12 years later for her third Olympic gold and gain redemption after failing to win a medal in Beijing four years ago.

Seahawks sale process begins less than 2 weeks after winning Super Bowl, Paul Allen’s estate says

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks are going up for sale in accordance with the wishes of late team owner Paul Allen. Allen’s estate announced Wednesday that it has begun the process of selling the team, which is coming off its second Super Bowl victory in franchise history. The Seahawks have been in the Allen family since 1997, when Paul bought the team for $194 million from then-owner Ken Behring. Paul was critical in keeping the Seahawks in Seattle, which is where the team is expected to remain after the sale is finalized. The Seahawks have a lease at Lumen Field that runs through 2032 with three 10-year options.

Frustrated college basketball coaches aren’t holding back on publicly criticizing their teams

Frustrated coaches in men’s and women’s college basketball haven’t been holding back in publicly criticizing their teams in recent weeks. That notably includes Vic Schaefer of the fourth-ranked Texas women and now-fired Kansas State men’s coach Jerome Tang. Schaefer had said his team had “no heart” after a recent loss at No. 5 Vanderbilt. But he praised the team’s response in a win against Tennessee days later. It’s a delicate dance for coaches in finding the balance between tough-love motivation and a softer-touch inspiration. Florida State men’s coach Luke Loucks said coaches have to “find ways to squeeze the orange.”

In a golden masterclass, Norway’s Klaebo extends Winter Olympics medal record

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.

No. 2 baseball union official Bruce Meyer shaken by events that led to Clark’s resignation

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The baseball players’ union says it stays on course for tough labor talks after leader Tony Clark resigned. Deputy executive director Bruce Meyer says he feels shaken by the last few days. He says the union asked Clark to step down after an outside lawyer found evidence of an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, who works for the union. Clark did not comment. The union says a decision on on a successor could occur later Wednesday. Meyer says he continues to lead bargaining. He says MLB plans to push for a salary cap, and the union opposes it.

Sports helped shape Jesse Jackson’s career and inspired the ex-quarterback to fight for equal rights

The Rev. Jesse Jackson was an athlete from a young age, and throughout his life he immersed himself in the world of sports. He accepted a football scholarship at Illinois, then transferred to historically Black North Carolina A&T after a year. Jackson was a quarterback for the Aggies in the early 1960s and was inducted into A&T’s athletic Hall of Fame in 1984. His sports experiences fueled a deep passion for ensuring athletes were given equal opportunities and treatment, regardless of race, gender, sport or native country. Jackson was a champion of the NFL’s Rooney Rule that attempted to address the lack of minority head coaches. He was a fixture at sporting events, especially the NBA.

Mikaela Shiffrin came to the Olympics looking for peace in her skiing. She found gold along the way

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin’s fourth trip to the Olympics came with a golden ending. The skiing star won the slalom on the world’s biggest stage for the first time in 12 years with a triumphant performance in Cortina. The 30-year-old Shiffrin said she’s learned to block out the noise and pressure that comes with competing at the Games. She instead has tried focus on the joy of skiing that drew her to the sport in the first place. Shiffrin says she knows she would have invited more criticism if she had faltered, but added the challenge of finding her best was worth the risk.

Green Bay’s Doug Gottlieb gets 1-game suspension from Horizon League after criticizing officiating

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb received a one-game suspension from the Horizon League for comments he made criticizing the officiating after a 75-72 loss to Milwaukee last Sunday. Gottlieb had slammed the table at one point in his postgame news conference while complaining about what he perceived as inconsistency in the officiating. Video of his news conference garnered attention on social media. The suspension will take effect for Friday when Green Bay visits Oakland. Gottlieb issued a statement Wednesday apologizing for his comments.

Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz fight pitch-rigging case as spring training starts

NEW YORK (AP) — Prospects for a spring fraud trial for two Cleveland Guardians stars accused of colluding with sports bettors to rig bets are fading after they appeared in Brooklyn federal court as their teammates start their new season. Pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz entered not guilty pleas to a rewritten indictment as Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto said Wednesday that she’d likely adjourn a May 4 trial date until October. The pitchers were charged in November with accepting several thousand dollars in payoffs to help two gamblers from their native Dominican Republic win over $400,000. Clase, the Guardians’ former closer, and Ortiz, a starter, have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July.

Alysa Liu sits within 2 points of the lead heading into Olympic free skate Thursday night

MILAN (AP) — Alysa Liu chases an Olympic medal in women’s figure skating and tries to end a long U.S. drought. On Tuesday night, she skated a near-perfect short program and scored 76.59 points. She sits just behind Japan’s Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto going into the free skate on Thursday night. The U.S. has not won Olympic gold in the event since 2002. Liu says she does not focus on beating anyone. Instead, she focuses on skating her story. She has returned strong after a two-year retirement and a break from burnout, winning the first world title by an American last year since Kimmie Meissner in 2006.