German Alpine Club Skibergsteering Scandal Shakes Team Ahead of 2026 Olympics
An athlete has filed a criminal complaint against a sports director in a responsible position following the Olympic debut of skibergsteering.
The German Alpine Club (DAV) is once again under the spotlight for its handling of athletes.
Winter Olympics recap: US speedskater Jordan Stolz stunned in 1,500 meters
MILAN (AP) — U.S. speedskater Jordan Stolz's late push wasn't enough.
The American star settled for silver in the 1,500 meters, missing a chance to secure a third gold medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
China’s Ning Zhongyan won Thursday's race in an Olympic-record time of 1 minute, 41.98 seconds. The 21-year-old Stolz, who won gold medals in the 500 and 1,000 at these Games, crossed 0.77 seconds later.
As Stolz glided by, hands on his knees, Ning raised his country's flag aloft with both hands and started a victory lap.
Stolz, a Wisconsin native, will participate in the mass start on Saturday.
Dutch skater Kjeld Nuis, who won the 1,500 at the past two Olympics, took bronze.
Women's hockey final: US vs. Canada
They meet again.
The United States and Canada are playing in the gold medal match in women’s hockey. It’s the seventh time the two powerhouses have faced off for Olympic gold since women’s hockey debuted at the 1998 Nagano Games.
The Americans beat their rivals 5-0 in the preliminary round in Milan.
The U.S. team, the defending world champion, is trying to avenge a loss to Canada in the Olympic final in 2022.
Earlier Thursday, Alina Muller scored the bronze medal-winning goal in overtime in Switzerland’s 2-1 victory over Sweden. It came 12 years after Muller scored the clinching goal to deliver the Swiss their first Olympic medal in women’s hockey — a bronze at the 2014 Sochi Games.
US and Canada reach women’s curling semifinals
The United States and Canada advanced to the women’s curling semifinals.
The Americans, skipped by Tabitha Peterson, beat Switzerland 7-6 in a match that went to an extra end. The teams will square off again in Friday’s semifinals.
Peterson threw the decisive rock and her teammates swept it into position, just a hair closer to the button than the Swiss’ nearest stone.
Canada beat South Korea 10-7 and will play Sweden on Friday.
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
'I can't trust him': Stephen A. Smith, others weigh in on Darryn Peterson
Kansas' Darryn Peterson, a Canton native who attended Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy during his high school years before transferring to Huntington Prep in West Virginia, has been one of the best players in college basketball season — when he's been on the court.
Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, that hasn't happened nearly as much as the NCAA Tournament champion hopefuls might have envisioned.
Peterson's inconsistent availability has been head-scratching at times, as he has played in 15 of Kansas' 26 games this season due to a nagging hamstring injury. He also missed a game against top-ranked Arizona with flu-like symptoms. He most recently subbed himself out early in the second half of Kansas' 81-69 win over Oklahoma State on Feb. 18, and didn't sub back in after playing 18 minutes.
Peterson's participation in games has become a national story in recent weeks, and ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said on Thursday, Feb. 19, that he wouldn't take Peterson No. 1 overall due to the questions surrounding the talented guard.
"There is no team in (expletive) that should grab Darryn Peterson No. 1," he said on ESPN's "First Take." "You cannot do it. The first ability is availability. And my brother, Darryn Peterson, I hope you're watching because I'm talking directly to him, and whoever — his family members, his inner circle, whatever. What the (expletive) is going on? ... This is business. I can't trust him. You cannot be trusted."
The projected No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft is averaging 20 points per game this season on 48.5% shooting and a 43.1% mark from 3-point range. Kansas coach Bill Self said after the game Peterson left due to "cramping," adding he was disappointed because he thought Peterson was "good to go" pregame.
Former Duke star Jay Williams, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft to the Chicago Bulls, also questioned drafting Peterson at No. 1.
"If I were a general manager, I would be extremely concerned about Darryn Peterson," Williams said on ESPN's "Get Up" on Feb. 19. "I don't question his talent at all. His talent is the No. 1 pick in the draft. But I would take (BYU forward) AJ Dybantsa because I'm not sure about the availability of Darryn Peterson."
ESPN's Scott Van Pelt also questioned Peterson's intangibles on Feb. 18 after Peterson checked himself out of the Oklahoma State game.
“When the presumed No. 1 player sits out a home game against unbeaten, No. 1 Arizona with the flu after having all these questions and managing minutes throughout the season with other issues, it makes people wonder," Van Pelt said. "Not about his talent, but about those intangibles that can’t really be measured."
In a year with multiple high-end NBA draft prospects such as Dybantsa, Duke's Cameron Boozer, Houston's Kingston Flemings and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, an NBA organization may have second guesses when it comes to Peterson as a prospect given his recent availability.
At least, according to some NBA experts around the league.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pundits weigh in on Canton native Darryn Peterson’s draft prospects
The sale of a 'jewel' of Brisbane's heritage might not be easy, experts say
Brisbane's Victoria Barracks will go up for sale, but experts say it might not be an easy sell.
Expert reveals when Giovanni Leoni will return from injury
Liverpool Analysis: Giovanni Leoni ACL Recovery Timeline Explained
Liverpool’s long term planning has already been tested this season, and few situations underline that more clearly than Giovanni Leoni’s ACL injury. Speaking on the Stat Me Up podcast for Anfield Index, Simon Brundish provided detailed insight into what Leoni’s recovery realistically looks like after suffering a serious knee injury on his debut in September.
For supporters hoping for a swift return, the message was measured rather than optimistic. The data and physiology matter.
ACL Injury Severity and Immediate Outlook
Brundish made clear that this was not a routine setback. It was “quite a bad version of an ACL.” While modern rehabilitation programmes are advanced, timelines remain largely consistent across elite sport.
“In all likelihood your performance team will have him back in nine months is the standard,” he explained. From a September injury, that places a return to training around late spring or early summer.
However, being “back” does not mean fully restored.
Nine Months to Play, Another Year to Peak
One of the most revealing aspects of the discussion centred on neurological and physiological recovery. Brundish outlined a rule of thumb that applies beyond ACL injuries.
“It takes an equal amount of time of a player being out after the injury to recover back to the levels they were at before the injury occurred.”
In practical terms, if Leoni misses a full year, it may take another year before he is fully back to his pre injury physical ceiling. That does not mean he will not play, but sharpness, confidence and explosive robustness can lag behind clearance for selection.
Brundish added that players can return to competitive action sooner, but “it’s just a year before neurologically that they’re back up to the standard that they were at before.”
For a young centre back adjusting to Premier League demands, that distinction is crucial.
Physical Development and Age Factor
Leoni’s age adds another layer. Unlike a fully matured senior player, his body is still adapting.
“He is not the physical specimen, he’s not the matured physiological specimen,” Brundish noted when comparing younger players recovering from serious injury to established professionals.
Muscle growth, joint adaptation and overall robustness are still developing at that stage of a career. As a result, even after surgical repair and rehab milestones are met, the integration into full intensity football must be gradual.
“If you could get him through 2,000 minutes next season, I think you’ve got to look at that as a big win,” Brundish said. The expectation should be phased contribution, not immediate dominance.
Photo: IMAGO
Liverpool Squad Planning Implications
From a Liverpool perspective, Leoni’s ACL recovery timeline has strategic implications. A summer return to training is plausible, but expecting immediate reliability across multiple competitions would be unrealistic.
The performance team can manage load carefully within the current tactical framework, yet as discussed elsewhere in the podcast, match intensity is the primary conditioning stimulus. That presents a balancing act between building resilience and avoiding reinjury.
The broader lesson from the analysis is patience. ACL injuries remain among the most demanding setbacks in elite football. Rehabilitation science can accelerate return to play, but not fully compress biological healing.
Leoni’s debut may have been cut short, but the long term projection remains intact. The focus now is not on speed of return, but on quality of recovery and sustainable progression.
Liverpool’s medical and performance staff will aim to ensure that when Giovanni Leoni does re establish himself, it is not merely a comeback, but the foundation for a durable future.