‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin falls twice in Olympic disaster, allowing Mikhail Shaidorov to claim gold
MILAN (AP) — Ilia Malinin crashed out of the Olympic figure skating podium after a disastrous free skate and Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan takes a shocking gold medal. On Friday night in Milan Cortina, Malinin fell twice and dropped from first after the short program to eighth overall. AP reports the arena sat in stunned silence as Malinin fought back tears after one of his worst performances. Shaidorov posted a career-best 291.58 points and gave Kazakhstan its first Winter Games gold medal. Yuma Kagiyama won silver again and Japan’s Shun Sato took bronze. Malinin’s long unbeaten streak was ended.
Mikhail Shaidorov earns gold in men’s figure skating after collapse by ‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan pulled off a stunner in men’s figure skating at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Shaidorov soared to gold after the free skate, helped in part by a collapse from U.S. star and two-time world champion Ilia Malinin. The 21-year-old nicknamed the “Quad God” fell twice during his program, slipping all the way to eighth. Elsewhere in the Games, Yuto Totsuka held off five-time Olympian Scotty James of Australia for gold in the men’s snowboard halfpipe.
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A battered car forces William Byron into a backup for his Daytona 500 three-peat bid
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — William Byron chases an unprecedented third straight Daytona 500 win Sunday when he attempts to make NASCAR history. He’ll be trying to win NASCAR’s season opener for the third consecutive year in a backup car after he damaged his primary in a qualifying race. He starts near the back in 39th, but he says that does not scare him. Byron has won here with a backup before. He has also won by staying patient and avoiding trouble, not by leading lots of laps. The field also has big storylines. Kyle Busch starts on the pole while stuck in a long winless skid and Brad Keselowski races while recovering from a broken leg.
Bhatia and Hisatsune share Pebble Beach lead. Travis Kelce and amateurs head home
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Akshay Bhatia and Ryo Hisatsune share the lead at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after two days of low scoring. Bhatia is bogey-free and shot 64 at Spyglass Hill that included a chip-in for eagle. Hisatsune followed his 62 at Pebble Beach with a 67. Rickie Fowler and Sam Burns are one shot behind. They all were at Spyglass Hill and far away from the speculation at Pebble Beach over whether Taylor Swift would show up to watch fiancé Travis Kelce play at Pebble Beach. There was a big buzz and a big crowd. There was no Swift.
LeBron James returns for his record 21st All-Star Game, still in the NBA’s midseason spotlight at 41
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — For two solid decades, LeBron James was a main attraction at every NBA All-Star weekend. He was a 20-year-old starter in his All-Star debut back in 2005, and he became the youngest MVP of the game just one year later. Never begging off due to injury or exhaustion while his less-accomplished teammates enjoyed their breaks from the season’s grind, James dutifully appeared in every midseason showcase until 2025. Now 41, James will be back this weekend for the All-Star Game at Intuit Dome south of central Los Angeles, spending another Sunday in February under the spotlight while extending his records for the most All-Star selections and All-Star appearances.
Chris Paul, the ‘Point God,’ retires as All-Star weekend begins, ending a 21-season NBA run
Chris Paul has announced he is retiring from the NBA after a 21-season career that stacks up as Hall of Fame worthy. He shared the news Friday during All-Star weekend at the Clippers’ arena in Inglewood. Paul finished the year in a strange way. The Clippers sent him home in December. They traded him to Toronto earlier this month, even though he never planned to play there. Paul said he wants to “show up for others.” He leaves as a 12-time All-Star and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. He also ranks near the top in assists and steals.
A healthy Shohei Ohtani eyes the one major award he hasn’t won — a Cy Young Award
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is a five-time All-Star, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a two-time World Series winner and a World Baseball Classic champion, giving him a sparkling baseball resume that no current player can touch. The only major honor he hasn’t won is a Cy Young Award. Given his track record, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the two-way Japanese star add that trophy to his collection in 2026. Ohtani is expecting to be a full-time, two-way player for the first time since 2023. An elbow injury kept him off the mound for the 2024 season and he returned to pitching midway though last year, going 3-0 with a 4.43 ERA in the postseason to help the Dodgers capture their second straight World Series title.
Pitcher Zac Gallen agrees to 1-year deal to return to the Arizona Diamondbacks, AP source says
PHOENIX (AP) — Right-hander Zac Gallen has agreed to a $22.025 million, one-year contract to return to the Arizona Diamondbacks, a person with knowledge of the deal confirmed on Friday night. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal is pending a physical. The 2023 All-Star — who is a client of agent Scott Boras — was hunting for a multi-year contract, but after nothing acceptable materialized, he’s coming back to the desert where he’s spent the majority of his big league’s career.
BYU says star wide receiver charged with felony rape is no longer a student there
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Brigham Young University says standout wide receiver Parker Kingston is no longer a student there after he was arrested this week on a first-degree felony rape charge. The 21-year-old Kingston made his initial court appearance Friday in St. George. Prosecutors say a woman who was 20 years old at the time told officers that he assaulted her last February. Kingston told St. George Police that all sexual activity with the woman accusing him of rape was consensual. BYU said the administration and coaches were only made aware of the allegations against Kingston after his arrest. They declined to answer whether Kingston was kicked out or left the school voluntarily.
Mike Tyson sounds the alarm on US boxing, launching a Las Vegas amateur invitational
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mike Tyson said boxing in the United States is fading, and he wants to help revive it by building stronger amateur competition. On Friday, he pointed to shrinking grassroots boxing clubs and fewer places for young fighters to test themselves. He is helping launch the Mike Tyson Invitational in Las Vegas on March 12–14 to bring top amateurs together. Tyson also worries about boxing’s shaky Olympic status, even after the IOC included it in the 2028 Los Angeles Games. He praised the UFC model for tight control and entertainment standards. Tyson said exciting fights and full seats fuel greatness.