Hughes scores in overtime as US beats Canada for first men's hockey gold at the Olympics since 1980
MILAN (AP) — No miracle needed. The United States is atop the hockey world for the first time in nearly a half-century. Jack Hughes scored the winning goal in overtime, and the U.S. defeated Canada 2-1 in the gold medal final at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Sunday, flipping the script on the international stage and claiming the country’s third men’s title at the Games and the first since the “Miracle on Ice” on 1980.
Jack Hughes lost teeth from a high-stick to the mouth before his Olympic gold-winning goal
MILAN (AP) — Jack Hughes lost some teeth before he won Olympic gold for the U.S. The forward who put the puck in the net in overtime to give the Americans a 2-1 victory over Canada in the men’s hockey final Sunday did so with a bloody mouth and less of a bite than he began the game with. That’s because Hughes was spittin’ chiclets after taking a stick to the mouth from Sam Bennett in the third period. The 24-year-old Hughes is a forward for the New Jersey Devils in the NHL. He scored past Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington early in overtime.
Jacob Bridgeman holds on at Riviera for first PGA Tour title
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jacob Bridgeman held on to win the Genesis Invitational at Riviera for his first PGA Tour title. It was a lot harder than he expected. Bridgeman started with a six-shot lead and expanded it to seven with 12 holes to play. But he didn't make a birdie over the last 15 holes in his closing round of 72. Rory McIlroy and Kurt Kitayama made late charges that made Bridgeman sweat it out. They finished one shot behind. Bridgeman is the first player to make his Riviera debut and leave with a trophy since Adam Scott in 2005.
Tyler Reddick wins at Atlanta to give Michael Jordan second straight NASCAR Cup victory
HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) — Tyler Reddick rebounded from a crash to become the first driver in 17 years to sweep the first two races of a NASCAR Cup Series season, winning in double overtime Sunday at Echo Park Speedway. A week after winning the Daytona 500, Reddick gave 23XI Racing and co-owner Michael Jordan another victory by outdueling Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain and Carson Hocevar. Bubba Wallace, who also drives for 23XI, led entering the final restart but was shuffled to eighth. Reddick raced to his 10th victory in NASCAR’s premier series despite front-end damage to his No. 45 Toyota sustained in a nine-car crash on the 224th lap. He's the sixth driver to open a Cup season with consecutive victories and the first since Matt Kenseth in 2009.
Twin Milan and Cortina Olympic cauldrons are extinguished, signaling the end of Winter Games
VERONA, Italy (AP) — The twin Olympic cauldrons in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo have been extinguished, signaling the end of the most spread-out Winter Games. International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry declared the 2026 Games over in remarks to the closing ceremony in Verona, telling the local organizers that they “delivered a new kind of winter games and you set a new, very high standard for the future.” A total of 116 medal events have been held in eight Olympic sports across 16 disciplines, including the debut of ski mountaineering this year, over the course of 17 days of competition.
Eileen Gu finds gold on the halfpipe to make it 6 medals in 6 Olympic events over her career
LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Eileen Gu defended her Olympic ski halfpipe title to make it six medals in six events over her Winter Games career. The 22-year-old Gu, American-born but competing for her mother’s homeland of China, is already the most decorated freeskier in the short history of the sport at the Olympics. Gu won the event on the strength of her second run, a clean, technically sound pass. She got even better in her final run and finished with a score of 94.75. Her teammate, Li Fanghui, took silver and Zoe Atkin of Britain was third. The event was rescheduled to Sunday following a big snowstorm Saturday.
LeBron James, Pat Riley both wonder what might have been if their Heat partnership had lasted longer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James and Pat Riley both sometimes wonder what might have been if their four-year partnership with the Miami Heat had lasted a whole lot longer. Both NBA icons speculated on that period in their careers after James' Lakers honored Riley with a statue outside their downtown arena recognizing his years as the Lakers' coach. Riley says he selfishly wished James had stayed in Miami for another six or eight years after his four-year tenure alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Riley and James helped the Heat win two titles and reach four NBA Finals.
Lakers unveil statue of Pat Riley, the coaching mastermind of their 1980s Showtime era
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have honored Pat Riley with a statue outside their downtown arena. He spent two decades with the organization, eventually becoming the coach who masterminded their Showtime championship era. The 8-foot likeness of the Hall of Fame coach wearing one of his famed Giorgio Armani suits will stand between statues of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. Riley proudly recognizes his NBA roots are in Los Angeles, where he remains a city icon after spending two decades with the Lakers as a player, a broadcaster and coach. He won six championship rings with the franchise.
4 players targeted with racist abuse online after Premier League games
Four Premier League players have been targeted with racist abuse online after their weekend games. Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana and Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri shared images of racist messages they were sent privately over Instagram following their teams’ 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Wolverhampton striker Tolu Arokodare showed racially aggravated messages he received on Instagram after a 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace on Sunday, during which he had a penalty saved. Sunderland winger Romaine Mundle had racist abuse online after a 3-1 loss to Fulham. The incidents came days after UEFA began an investigation into claims by Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior that he was racially abused on the field by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni during a Champions League game.
Soccer matches postponed amid violence after army kills Mexican cartel leader 'El Mencho'
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Violence linked to a major cartel leader’s death has forced Mexico to postpone four high-level soccer games. Authorities called off two top division matches in the men’s and women’s leagues, plus two second division games. The postponements come after the Mexican army killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho.” Officials say cartel members then burned vehicles and blocked roads across many states. Guadalajara is a 2026 World Cup host city. The federation has not postponed Mexico’s Wednesday friendly in Queretaro. The Mexican Open tennis tournament in Acapulco is expected to continue as usual.
