SPORTS HEADLINES

US star Mikaela Shiffrin wins slalom to break 8-year Olympic drought

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 to win the women’s slalom by 1.50 seconds. The race isn’t officially over yet with dozens of lower-tier racers still to take the course. But Shiffrin is the leader after the fastest 30 skiers from the first run. World champion Camille Rast was in silver medal position and Anna Swenn Larsson in third.

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.

Alysa Liu surges into medal range as US teammates stumble in Olympic short program

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.

Benfica’s Prestianni denies racially insulting Real Madrid’s Vinícius in Champions League game

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.

At the Olympics and beyond, women’s sports media outlets are writing their own playbooks

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.”

Tony Clark resigns as MLB players’ union head as possible cap fight looms

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.

Tiger Woods isn’t ruling out a return to the Masters. Ryder Cup captaincy also uncertain

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.

Union offers WNBA new CBA proposal, slightly lowering revenue share numbers, AP source says

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%.

Former cricket captains urge Pakistan to ensure better medical care for Imran Khan in prison

ISLAMABAD (AP) — More than a dozen former international cricket captainshave urged Pakistan’s government to ensure better prison treatment and medical care for former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan. The captains, including India’s Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, cited concerns about his eyesight while in custody. Khan’s party and political allies also once again demanded Wednesday that he should be shifted to hospital from prison. In a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, 14 former captains called for Khan to be treated with “dignity and basic human consideration.” They expressed concern about a reported deterioration in vision in his right eye during detention.

Lindsey Vonn’s skis didn’t come off in her Olympic crash. A different binding system isn’t close

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.