Motorsport

Motor racing-Russell concerned by Ferrari's fast starts and his slow ones

Feb 20 (Reuters) - Ferrari's fast practice ⁠starts in Formula One's pre-season testing in Bahrain have caught the attention of ⁠rivals and alarmed Mercedes' likely title contender George Russell.

Football

Soccer-Carrick sidesteps Ratcliffe immigration row, reinforces Man Utd's values

Feb 20 (Reuters) - Manchester United manager Michael ⁠Carrick avoided wading into the controversy surrounding club owner Jim Ratcliffe's immigration comments, instead emphasising ⁠the club's proud tradition of equality and global reach on Friday.

Other Sports

Olympics-Norway set new gold medal record at Winter Games with 17 after biathlon win

ANTERSELVA, ⁠Italy, Feb ⁠20 (Reuters) - Norway set ‌a new record for gold ​medals at ⁠a Winter ⁠Olympics on Saturday ⁠when ‌Johannes ⁠Dale-Skjevdal won the men's ​15km ‌biathlon mass start ⁠at ​the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon ⁠Arena on Friday. 

Cricket

Cricket-South Africa select five uncapped players for T20 tour to New Zealand

Feb 20 (Reuters) - South Africa ⁠have named a much-changed squad that includes five uncapped ⁠players for their five-match Twenty20 tour of New Zealand next ‌month, leaving behind most of the team that have qualified for the Super Eights at the ongoing World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Football

Soccer-City's Guardiola shrugs off tightening title race, saying 12 games is an eternity

Feb 20 (Reuters) - The title race ⁠is not on Pep Guardiola's mind, the Manchester City manager ⁠insisted before a crucial Premier League clash with Newcastle United, where ‌a win will move City within two points of leaders Arsenal.

Other Sports

Olympics-Biathlon-Dale-Skjevdal's perfect shooting gives Norway record gold tally

ANTERSELVA, Italy, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Johannes Dale-Skjevdal ⁠of Norway hit a perfect 20 for 20 on the shooting range for the first time in his career to storm ⁠to victory in the men's biathlon 15-km mass start on Friday and give Norway a record for most golds ‌at a Winter Games. 

Other Sports

Olympics-Italian students get closing ceremony tickets for Tina and Milo mascot design

MILAN, Feb 20 (Reuters) - ⁠A group of school students from southern Italy who came up ⁠with the original sketch that inspired the mascots for the Milano Cortina ‌Winter Olympics have been offered tickets for the closing ceremony as a reward.

Football

Soccer-Bayern boss Kompany blasts Mourinho over Vinicius racism row response

Feb 20 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich manager Vincent ⁠Kompany delivered a scathing critique of Jose Mourinho's handling of racism allegations involving Real Madrid's ⁠Vinicius Jr, calling the Benfica coach's comments a "huge mistake" in leadership.

Other Sports

Olympics-Freestyle-Germany's Maier edges Switzerland's Smith for ski cross gold

LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb 20 (Reuters) - ⁠Daniela Maier of Germany claimed the gold medal in women's ski cross at the ⁠Winter Olympics on Friday, sprinting across the finish line just ahead of Switzerland's ‌Fanny Smith in a rematch between skiers who shared bronze four years ago.

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.