Other Sports

Olympics-Price of glory: rising costs putting Alpine skiing out of reach for some young talents

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The thrill Alpine skiers delivered during ⁠the Milano Cortina Olympics may soon become more difficult to achieve for aspiring youngsters as new generations of athletes struggle with the soaring costs of a sport that is becoming increasingly elite.

Other Sports

Olympics-Freestyle-World champion Melville Ives crashes out of halfpipe qualifiers

LIVIGNO, ⁠Italy, Feb 20 (Reuters) - New Zealand's Fin Melville Ives crashed badly from a mid-air ⁠flip on Friday and had to be stretchered away from the Winter Olympics ‌men's freestyle skiing halfpipe qualifiers, ruling out one of the top medal hopefuls.

Motorsport

Motor racing-Honda battery issue adds to Aston Martin's testing woes

Feb 20 (Reuters) - Aston Martin's woes deepened ⁠on Friday after a Honda power unit issue sidelined the team on the ⁠final day of Formula One's pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Other Sports

Olympics-Nordic combined-Norway dominate, women absent, in sport's possible last hurrah

PREDAZZO, Italy, ⁠Feb 20 (Reuters) - Nordic combined closed on a bittersweet note at the Winter Games, with these Olympics ⁠possibly the sport's last and women glaringly missing from competition. 

Other Sports

As lights go out on Milano Cortina, IOC bets on LA28 to reboot Olympic business model

MILAN, Feb 20 (Reuters) - As the lights go out on the Winter Games ⁠this weekend, the Olympic movement is already pivoting towards Los Angeles 2028 — a privately financed showpiece the IOC is betting will reboot a commercial model that has underwritten the Games for four decades but is now ⁠straining in a more sophisticated marketing climate.

Rugby

Rugby-France reshuffle second row for Six Nations clash with Italy

PARIS, Feb 20 (Reuters) - France coach ⁠Fabien Galthie on Friday made changes to his second row for ⁠Sunday's Six Nations match against Italy in Lille, with Emmanuel Meafou ‌and Thibaud Flament coming into the starting XV.

Football

Soccer-MLS in the spotlight in World Cup year as Messi's Miami begin title defence

Feb 20 (Reuters) - Major League Soccer kicks ⁠off its most pivotal season yet, with marquee names, record transfers and World Cup preparation converging as North American football ⁠steps into the international spotlight ahead of this summer's tournament.

Hockey

Olympics-Ice hockey-Women's game rides Milan momentum to bright future, US get revenge on Canada

MILAN, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The ⁠future of women's hockey is bright as another chapter ends in the Winter Games' ⁠greatest rivalry after the United States beat Canada in overtime on Thursday, capping a ‌tournament of rising talent and veteran heroes.

Athletics

UK Athletics pleads guilty over 2017 death of Paralympic athlete

LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - ⁠UK Athletics on Friday pleaded guilty to corporate ⁠manslaughter over the death of Abdullah Hayayei, who ‌was killed in 2017 while the Paralympic athlete was training in London.

Other Sports

Paralympics-Ukrainian team to boycott opening ceremony due to Russian participation

MILAN, Italy, Feb 20 (Reuters) - ⁠Ukrainian competitors will boycott the Milano Cortina Paralympics opening ceremony on March 6 in Verona, their committee said on Friday, due to the ⁠authorisation of some Russian and Belarusian athletes with their national flags.

Other Sports

Olympics-Crosscountry-Women take on 50km classic race in a first for the Winter Games

TESERO, Italy, ⁠Feb 20 (Reuters) - Female cross-country skiers are preparing to make Olympic history by racing a 50km classic ⁠race on Sunday, marking the first time they have tackled that distance at a Winter ‌Games in an event being met with mixed emotions.

Other Sports

Ukrainian Paralympic team to boycott opening ceremony

MILAN, Italy, ⁠Feb 20 (Reuters) - The ⁠Ukrainian team will boycott ‌the Milano Cortina Paralympics opening ceremony on March 6 in ​Verona, its committee ⁠said on ⁠Friday, after the International Paralympic ⁠Committee ‌allocated 10 combined slots to ⁠Russian and Belarusian athletes.

Cycling

Motorcycling-Aprilia's Martin cleared for MotoGP return at Buriram pre-season test

Feb 20 (Reuters) - ⁠Former MotoGP champion Jorge Martin ⁠will make his on-track return ‌in the final pre-season test at Buriram after receiving clearance from the FIM ​Grand Prix World Championship ⁠medical unit, ⁠his Aprilia team announced on Friday.

Badminton

Chong Wei says Zii Jia's injury not serious, understands his situation

PETALING JAYA: The Badminton Association of Malaysia performance committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei has given assurance that professional men's singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia's recent injury that saw him withdrawing from next week's German Open is not serious.

Rugby

Rugby-Evergreen Slipper packs down for 200th Super Rugby match

MELBOURNE, Feb 20 (Reuters) - More than 16 ⁠years after first packing down for Ewen McKenzie's Queensland Reds, prop James Slipper will run out with the ACT Brumbies for ⁠his 200th Super Rugby match on Sunday, ticking off another milestone in a career of incredible longevity.

Football

Soccer-Turkey detains 32 suspects in widening betting probe, prosecutor's office says

ISTANBUL, Feb 20 (Reuters) - ⁠Turkish authorities detained 32 suspects, including ⁠executives of football clubs, on Friday as ‌part of a widening investigation into alleged match-fixing and illegal betting in the country's professional leagues, the prosecutor's ​office in Istanbul said.

Badminton

Sze Fei-Izzuddin agree to Thomas Cup, Asian Games, says Rexy

PETALING JAYA: Former world No. 1 men's doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani have agreed to help strengthen the national squad for the Thomas Cup Finals in Horsens, Denmark from April 24-May 3.

Badminton

Zii Jia, Jin Wei have one week to decide on BAM's Thomas-Uber Cup offer

PETALING JAYA: Professional shuttlers Lee Zii Jia and Goh Jin Wei have been given one week to decide whether they want to represent Malaysia at the upcoming Thomas and Uber Cup Finals.

Cricket

Cricket-Trott unsure of future but England coaching role appeals

Feb 20 (Reuters) - Jonathan Trott ⁠enjoyed a victory in his last game in charge of ⁠Afghanistan on Thursday and while he does not know ‌what the future holds he said he would jump at the chance to coach England if the opportunity arose.

Badminton

Chong Wei meets Zii Jia, Jin Wei at BAM over Thomas-Uber Cup talk

PETALING JAYA: Professional men's singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia sprang a surprise when he showed up at the Academy Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara on Friday (Feb 20).