Bugaluu :: Sports

​https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mount-saint-mary-womens-basketball-214211129.html 

Team USA’s Hilary Knight and Ethan Bates carry the American flag into the closing ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics on Sunday at Verona Arena in Verona, Italy. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI

Feb. 22 (UPI) — Norwegian dominance, a U.S. hockey sweep and figure skating upsets ignited the 2026 Winter Olympics, which concluded Sunday in Verona, Italy.

Nearly 3,000 athletes from 92 delegations participated in the Winter Games. Norway claimed an Olympic-best 41 medals in the competition that started Feb. 4 and ended Sunday inside Verona Arena.

Thousands packed the venue to commemorate the 19-day event, Athletes, fans and officials from around the world joined TV viewers in enjoying live performances, with actors, singers, musicians and dancer donning vibrant colors and showcasing the culture of Italy and the Games.

The Norwegians, who also captured the most medals at the 2022 and 2018 Winter Olympics, earned 18 gold medals at Milan-Cortina — the most for any country in Winter Olympics history.

Cross-country skier Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, who became the first Winter Olympian to win six gold medals in a single Games, led the Norwegians.

Alysa Liu of the United States reacts after skating during the 2026 Winter Olympics women’s singles figure skating free skating final Thursday in Milan, Italy. Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI

Hilary Knight and Evan Bates share what it means to be Team USA flag bearers in the closing ceremony. #WinterOlympicspic.twitter.com/DGRaQl4BKA— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 22, 2026

Team USA speed skater Jordan Stolz won three medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics. File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI

Speed skater Jordan Stolz, who won three medals, was among six Americans to earn multiple medals. The Americans’ dozen gold medals were their most ever at a Winter Olympics. Team USA’s 33 total medals trailed only Norway and were the Americans’ most since 1952. Host Italy’s 30 medals ranked third at Milan-Cortina.

Ice dancers Madison Chock and Evans Bates, who was a flag bearer with U.S. hockey star Hilary Knight at Sunday’s closing ceremony, won two medals apiece. Figure skater Alysa Liu, bobsledder Kaillie Humphries and skiers Jaelin Kauf, Liz Lemley and Ben Ogden also claimed two medals each.

Team USA’s Elana Meyers Taylor celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women’s monobob at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Monday in Cortina, Italy. Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI

Liu provided one of the Americans’ most polarizing moments of the Olympics when she became the first U.S. woman to win gold in figure skating singles in 24 years.

“I feel so lucky that I get to do this,” Liu said on Sunday’s NBC broadcast. “I love being an athlete. It’s the coolest thing in the world.”

Team USA poses for a group photo after beating Canada in the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s hockey gold medal game Sunday in Milan, Italy. Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI

Fellow U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin, one of the biggest gold medal favorites entering the Games, also provided a polarizing performance when he stumbled multiple times and failed to win a medal in the men’s singles competition.

But Malinin didn’t go home empty handed, thanks to his participation in Team USA’s gold medal performance in the team event alongside Liu, Bates, Chock, Danny O’Shea and Ellie Kam.

Like Liu, the U.S. men’s hockey team ended a long drought at Milan-Cortina as Sunday’s overtime win over Canada resulted in their first gold medal in 46 years. The victory — paired with the Team USA women’s victory over Canada — gave the Americans their first hockey sweep in Olympics history.

Smiles all around after a historic performance by Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics!

#WinterOlympics Closing Ceremony on NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/P2JAsb5G3G— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 22, 2026

Snowstorms factored into other events at the 2026 Winter Olympics, causing schedule adjustments. Injuries also impacted Team USA. Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn watched her podium attempt end in pain and frustration after she broke her leg during the women’s downhill. The 41-year-old had been aiming to become the oldest Alpine Olympic medalist at Milan-Cortina.

Alternatively, fellow Alpine sensation Mikaela Shiffrin was pristine in the slalom, capturing her first medal — a gold one — since 2018.

Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor also ended a drought, winning the first gold medal of her decorated Olympic career. The five-time Olympian’s 16-year wait to top an Olympic podium ended when she edged Germany’s Laura Nolte by just four-hundredths of a second in the monobob.

Chloe Kim might not have completed her goal of becoming the first snowboarder to win three consecutive gold medals, but she came as close as one could get with a second-place finish in the halfpipe.

Cross-country skier Jessie Diggins provided one of the most inspiring performances of the Olympics, fighting through a painful ribs injury en route to a bronze medal in the 10-kilometer freestyle.

The four-time Olympic medalist, who plans to retire from the sport, writhed in pain at at that finish line, but went on to finish fifth in the 50-kilometer mass start, 4×7.5-kilometer relay and team sprint, held Sunday.

“It’s been an absolutely crazy day, but it’s so special to be able celebrate with your team,” Diggins said. “It was so special to do my last Olympic race.”

Knight, her teammate Laila Edwards and curler Cory Thiesse were among other U.S. athletes to achieve groundbreaking feats at Milan-Cortina.

Thiesse won the first curling medal for an American woman. Knight became the all-time leading American goal scorer in American hockey, with her 15th career score in Team USA’s gold medal game win over Canada. She also got engaged to speed skater Brittany Bowe at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Edwards became the first Black American to win gold in women’s hockey.

Sunday’s closing ceremony concluded with the Olympics flag handoff, as International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry and Italian officials ceremoniously transferring host duties to France for the 2030 edition of the Games.

The 2030 Winter Olympics will be held from Feb. 1 to 17 in the French Alps region.

​https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/norway-dominance-u-hockey-figure-214006214.html 

Liverpool finally aiming to end five-year wait for ‘high intensity’ star

Liverpool eye Edmond Tapsoba

Liverpool have their eyes on Edmond Tapsoba, according to Fussball Daten. They’re far from alone in that, though, as several clubs feel they could pry him away from Bayer Leverkusen this summer.

The Reds are among those who feel he has the ‘high intensity’ to thrive in the Premier League. Though, they’ve thought that for a very long time now.

​https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/liverpool-finally-aiming-end-five-214000399.html 

Andy Reid’s 1 sentence should thrill Chiefs fans on Travis Kelce’s future originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The future of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is going to be a major storyline until we find out one way or the other what the future Hall of Famer’s plans for 2026 are.

Will he return for a 14th season, or will he retire as one of the game’s greats?

We don’t have any idea at the time of writing, as Kelce is keeping things close to the vest, as he should.

But head coach Andy Reid might have just given Chiefs Kingdom hope that maybe, No. 87 is coming back.

“I’ve said this before, as long as there’s communication, I’m good,” Reid said. “That means people want to move forward, and that’s where I think Trav is. I’m not trying to put words in his mouth at all, and I try to give him some space. He’s been doing this a long time. He can sort all that out as he goes forward, but we’re proceeding with that, and there is communication.”

More:Saquon Barkley’s latest quote should inspire Eagles fans and scare rest of NFL

Will Kelce return in 2026?

Well, reading the tea leaves on Reid’s comments, he did seem upbeat about the possibility as he spoke about Kelce.

If Travis didn’t have any intention of returning, then Reid’s tone might be a little different, plus he would likely know by now, we think.

There’s still a lot to play out over the coming weeks as free agency comes into view, and we imagine that Kelce will tell the NFL world his plans as soon as possible so the Chiefs can move forward one way or the other.

But right now, there is a hint of confidence that we might not have seen the last of Kelce on a football field.

More NFL news:

Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield plays down tension with Kevin StefanskiIsaiah Likely’s 3-word quote offers glaring Ravens realityESPN analyst thinks Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa decision has already been madeChargers’ Super Bowl odds revealed: Disrespect for Justin Herbert?Bills have several Keon Coleman questions to answer this offseasonESPN reveals stunning cost to fix glaring Ravens issueRavens’ 2026 win total projection ideal for Lamar Jackson

​https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/andy-reids-1-sentence-thrill-213909038.html 

49ers trade proposal sends Mac Jones to Steelers for 7.5 sack pass rusher originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The San Francisco 49ers have an interesting opportunity this offseason. They have Brock Purdy as the starting quarterback and a very valuable Mac Jones as a backup.

Teams will likely have a lot of interest in Jones this offseason after his promising starts with the 49ers this past season. While the 49ers might want to keep him, the offers might be too good to pass up.

One such possible offer is a trade proposal from Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine. They propose the 49ers send Jones to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 24-year-old 7.5 sack pass rusher Nick Herbig, and a draft pick to significantly improve the pass rush unit.

49ers trade proposal sends Mac Jones to Steelers for Nick Herbig, draft pick

“49ers Receive: Edge Nick Herbig, 2026 sixth-round pick (No. 215). Steelers Receive: QB Mac Jones,” Ballentine proposed.

The 49ers being able to land Herbig, a 24-year-old pass rusher coming off a 7.5 sack season, would be a great use of Jones in a trade.

With Aaron Rodgers potentially not returning to the Steelers, they will be in dire need of a new quarterback. Will Howard is an intriguing option, but someone like Jones, who’s proven himself to be a solid starter, would be a great target for the Steelers.

Part of what makes this deal work so well is that both Jones and Herbig are in the final years of their current deals. Both are incredibly valuable, but they both don’t have paths to consistent starts.

More: Steelers, 49ers or Packers could pull off trade with Colts after latest QB rumors

Purdy is blocking Jones, while T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are blocking Herbig. With the quarterback position being more valuable, Ballentine has the Steelers giving up a Day 3 draft pick, along with Herbig, to make this work.

If the 49ers could find a way to pull off this trade, pairing Herbig with Nick Bosa for the 2026 season, it would be a deal that John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan should jump all over.

Losing a quality backup quarterback would sting, but with how Shanahan has helped develop Sam Darnold, Purdy, and Jones, a new quarterback who struggled in his first stops in the NFL could turn his career around with the 49ers. Zach Wilson is one option.

This proposal from Ballentine is not just a very fun one, but it’s one that makes sense for everyone involved. While it’s only an idea for a trade, such a deal is something the 49ers should try to find if they do move on from Jones this offseason.

More 49ers news:

49ers’ Christian McCaffrey’s brother hired by Chargers as running backs coachSan Francisco 49ers predicted to make easy $120 million decision amid tension4 reasons why 49ers will trade away Mac Jones this offseason49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk needs a change of scenery more than any player in NFL49ers named best fit for ex-Eagles, Steelers top-5 offensive guard in free agencyCould 49ers franchise tag their kicker Eddy Pineiro? ESPN reveals it’s not impossible49ers trade rumor is bad news for Steelers, Vikings, Dolphins and Jets

​https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/49ers-trade-proposal-sends-mac-213903946.html 

Tug of war expected over Ozan Kabak

In Hoffenheim’s 2-2 draw with FC Köln at the weekend, the Turkish international underlined his importance once again. Kabak found the net and delivered another composed display at the heart of the defence alongside Robin Hranáč, continuing what has been an impressive campaign so far.

While Hoffenheim have already secured the future of Vladimír Coufal with a recent contract extension, Kabak’s situation is now high on the club’s agenda. Talks over a new deal are expected to intensify in the coming weeks as the Sinsheim outfit look to avoid losing one of their key defensive pillars on a free transfer.

There is optimism internally that Kabak will commit his future to the club. He is comfortable in his current surroundings and is said to be grateful for Hoffenheim’s support during his recovery from a torn cruciate ligament, and his celebration against Köln – symbolically slapping the club crest – was widely interpreted as a sign of his connection to the side.

However, the situation is unlikely to be straightforward. According to Kicker, clubs from England, Italy and Spain are closely monitoring developments. Given his age and experience at both domestic and international level, a free transfer would represent a highly attractive market opportunity.

Kabak is also in the process of obtaining German citizenship, a move that could further enhance his appeal to potential suitors across Europe by offering greater squad registration flexibility.

For now, Hoffenheim remain hopeful – but with growing external interest and time ticking on his contract, a genuine tug of war may be about to unfold.

​https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/tug-war-expected-over-ozan-213700508.html 

Browns star Carson Schwesinger hopes ‘nothing changes’ under new DC Mike Rutenberg originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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After a 2025 season that saw the Cleveland Browns defense reach historic heights, the departure of Jim Schwartz sent a ripple of anxiety through the Dawg Pound. But if you’re looking for a panic button, don’t ask Carson Schwesinger.

The reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year is counting on new DC Mike Rutenberg to keep the unit running as usual. Speaking on NFL Network’s The Insiders, Schwesinger echoed the “don’t fix what isn’t broken” sentiment originally voiced by new head coach Todd Monken at his introductory press conference.

“One of the big things for us is we wanted to keep a lot of the scheme the same,” Schwesinger told Tom Pelissero and Judy Battista. “So in terms of that, I don’t expect there to be a lot of changes.”

More: ‘Best player available’: Who Dane Brugler says Browns can’t pass up at No. 6 in the Draft

It’s easy to see why Schwesinger is rooting for continuity. In his debut campaign, the UCLA product exploded for 156 tackles and 11 tackles for loss, blossoming into the perfect secondary punch to Myles Garrett’s Defensive Player of the Year dominance. 

“For me, I’m just ready to go in there and kind of just build off what we did last year and really keep the defense rolling,” Schwesinger added.

While Rutenberg arrives from Atlanta with his own ideas, his mission is clear: keep the league’s most aggressive front-four attacking while letting stars like Schwesinger play free. For a Browns team entering a new era under Monken, having their young cornerstone on board with the vision is a major win this offseason.

More Browns News:

Is JOK’s career over? Latest update on Browns LB Jeremiah Owusu-KoramoahPackers Cleveland invasion: Bill Barnwell’s fix for the Browns O-lineForget A.J. Brown: The 1 trade that fixes Browns WR crisisFrom QB chaos to defensive studs: Re-grading the Browns wild 2025 NFL Draft classThe AJ Brown trap: Why Jeremy Fowler’s Browns trade proposal is a huge mistake

​https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/browns-star-carson-schwesinger-hopes-213608194.html 

Elieen Gu likely experienced every possible emotion during the 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano-Cortina. The American-born skier, who represents China internationally, will leave the village with two silver medals and a gold medal. She earned the most coveted medal on Sunday at the halfpipe.

MORE: Eileen Gu reshapes Olympic history with definitive performance at 2026 Milan-Cortina

After such a terrific performance as the only skier to enter the halfpipe, slopestyle and big air, Gu received terrible news. She explained to reporters that she learned about her grandma’s passing after securing the gold medal.

“The reason I was late is that I just found out that my grandma passed away,” an emotional Gu said. “She was a really big part of my life growing up and someone I looked up to immensely. She was a fighter and I think that a lot of people just cruise through life, but I think she was a steamship. This woman commanded life, and she grabbed it by the reins, and she made it into what she wanted it to be.”

“She inspired me so much,” Gu added. “The last time I saw her before I came to the Olympics, she was very sick, so I knew that this was a possibility. I didn’t probably say that I was going to win, but I did promise her that I was going to be brave. She’s been brave.”

Gu was under heavy scrutiny during the games after she opted to represent China. She responded to multiple questions about her selection, geopolitics and more.

MORE: Former NBA star bashes 2026 Winter Olympics ‘traitor’ Eileen Gu

Eileen Gu responded to JD Vance’s criticism

U.S. Vice President JD Vance sent a clear message to Eileen Gu and other athletes born in America who don’t represent the country internationally. He questioned people for using the privileges the country offers and then offering their talents to a different nation.

Gu had a short but strong response to the politician.

“I’m flattered. Thanks, JD! That’s sweet,” she said.

Gu will leave Italy with a stronger legacy. She is only 22 and has a bright future ahead. Time will tell if she will change her mind about representing China at some point.

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The post Eileen Gu shares heartbreaking personal news after Olympic gold defense appeared first on The Big Lead.

​https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/eileen-gu-shares-heartbreaking-personal-213538922.html