Sports Desk

Ulster lock Cormac Izuchukwu says “pride in the province” is what helps make Irish derbies special as the side prepare to take on Connacht this weekend.

Richie Murphy’s side travel to the Dexcom Stadium on Saturday (17:30 GMT) for what is their second of three games in a row against Irish rivals in the United Rugby Championship (URC).

The northern province are looking to bounce back following a narrow 24-20 loss against Leinster last time out.

The home side, meanwhile, come into the match off the back of a loss comprehensive reverse against Dragons.

“Connacht away, Leinster away and Munster at home, they are special,” Izuchukwu told BBC Sport NI.

“There is something about them, they are class and class to play in.

“For me it is having pride in the province, going down there and showing what we are about.”

Izuchukwu, who hasn’t played since early October because of a recurring foot injury followed by an illness last week, has just signed a new two-year contract to keep him at Ulster until the summer of 2028.

The 25-year-old second row added that he has “grown as a person and a player” since joining the Ulster academy in 2020.

“It has been on my mind for a while now, so really happy to get it done and to get back to playing rugby,” Izuchukwu continued.

“I came here back in 2020, I didn’t have many options, and they gave me a chance. I came here, have made friends and have grown as a person and a player.

“I have made great memories here and, for me, with how the club is growing I am so happy to be here.”

Arsenal are sitting top of the Premier League at Christmas, but it is BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton who leads the way when it comes to predictions.

“I’m number one at Christmas – again,” said Sutton, who as a player led the Premier League table at this point with Norwich in 1992 and Blackburn in 1994, and went on to win the title with Rovers.

“It’s a big deal for me to be top, as well as for Arsenal.

“AI is the go-to for virtually everyone in the world whenever they have to ask anything, so the fact that I am beating it – and let’s face it, I have stuffed it for half a season now – is pretty incredible. It says a lot about me, and I’m delighted.

“Rather than asking AI about everything, maybe people should come to me to tap into my intelligence instead?”

Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against AI, BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests.

For week 18 – the festive fixtures on Boxing Day and the weekend of 27 and 28 December – he takes on Jonny Stewart, bass singer with sea shanty folk supergroup The Wellermen, who is a Newcastle fan.

The Wellermen were the originators of the sea shanty trend on TikTok, with their versions of Misty Mountain, Nancy Mulligan and Hoist the Colours racking up billions of views.

Do you agree with their scores? You can make your own predictions below.

The most popular scoreline selected for each game is used in the scoreboards and tables at the bottom of this page.

A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.

Replacing Pope with Bethell is the latest stage of long-running speculation around England’s number-three position.

Pope’s highest score in six innings on this Ashes tour is 46, extending his run of eight Tests against Australia without a half-century.

In the 27-year-old’s past seven Tests since making a century against India at Headingley in July, he averages 24.38.

Overall, he averages 34.55 in 64 Tests. This is the first time he has been left out of a Test since the 2022 tour of West Indies.

The Surrey man has been under pressure since Bethell made his Test debut in New Zealand at the end of last year, when the left-hander made three half-centuries in as many matches.

However, Bethell has endured a stop-start year since that breakthrough tour of New Zealand.

He has played only three first-class matches in the past year, one of which was the fifth Test against India at The Oval, when he made scores of six and five.

The 22-year-old did make 71 for England Lions against Australia A in Brisbane earlier this month.

Speculation that Bethell may come in for the start of the Ashes series grew when Pope was replaced as vice-captain by Harry Brook when the England squad was announced in September.

Instead, Pope has become the first selection victim of the failed bid to regain the urn.

“He’s not going to be the only one who’s disappointed in the dressing room with how things have gone,” said Stokes. “Being 3-0 down, it’s a tough place to be on a trip like this.

“There’s going to be a lot of disappointment within the dressing room from everyone who’s in there.”

An allegedly intoxicated driver who hit and killed high school tennis star Braun Levi in Manhattan Beach was charged with murder Tuesday, authorities said.

Jenia Resha Belt, 33, of Los Angeles also faces charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving with a suspended license, said Pamela Johnson, a spokesperson for the L.A. County district attorney’s office.

Around 12:46 a.m. on May 4, Belt struck Braun, who was walking near Sepulveda Boulevard and 2nd Street, authorities said.

Belt, who was arrested at the scene, had a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit and was driving on a suspended license from a prior DUI arrest, according to court records. Four passengers inside the car fled the area after the collision.

Belt was released in June and then apprehended again months later.

Braun’s parents, who lost their home in the Palisades fire and relocated to the South Bay, filed a $200-million wrongful death lawsuit against Belt in November.

Their son was a standout at Loyola High School and had been slated to play tennis at the University of Virginia. The Levis started the Live Like Braun Foundation in his memory.

Belt is in custody on $2 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday, Johnson said.

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman and Jennifer Levi, Braun’s mother, plan to discuss the charges at a news conference Monday.

Times staff writer Clara Harter contributed to this report.

World number 86 Justin Hood beat sixth seed Danny Noppert in an Alexandra Palace classic as three more seeds exited the PDC World Championship on the final day of competition before the Christmas break.

Hood won a sudden-death leg of a high-quality match to progress to the last 32, having missed a dart at the bull to win in straight sets.

Noppert fought back to force a decider and, helped by some clutch ton-plus finishes throughout, created a victory chance for himself in a dramatic final set.

But Hood, the 32-year-old debutant, held his nerve in the final leg to land a 78 finish, setting up a third-round tie with fellow English left-hander Ryan Meikle.

Both players averaged more than 102 and hit more than 40% of their attempts at doubles.

Hood told Sky Sports: “It was a good game and I knew it would be because Danny is a class player.

“I don’t worry about the pressure, I just throw the darts and if it’s good enough, it’s good enough. Tonight it was.”

Seventeen of the 32 seeds have been knocked out in the opening two rounds of the tournament, with Noppert the highest-ranked player to fall so far.

Also beaten on Tuesday were two-time former champion Peter Wright, who lost in straight sets to German debutant Arno Merk, and Northern Ireland’s Daryl Gurney, who came out on the wrong side of a deciding set with England’s Callan Rydz.

Facing an overmatched opponent that allowed him to freely tinker with his lineups, UCLA coach Mick Cronin tried plenty of mixing and matching Tuesday afternoon.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway was that a three-guard lineup might be the way to go after the continued struggles of centers Xavier Booker and Steven Jamerson II.

“We’ve got to find a way to play our best players and win, whoever they are, because it’s not Little League,” Cronin said after his team’s 97-65 victory over UC Riverside at Pauley Pavilion. “You’ve either got to give us some rebounding and defense or somebody else has got to play.”

The leading candidates for a larger role based on what happened against the Highlanders appear to be reserves Trent Perry, Jamar Brown and Brandon Williams.

Perry was a playmaking force with his scoring and smart passes. Brown did a little bit of everything in an energetic fashion. Williams showed plenty of toughness as the second big man in small lineups also featuring Tyler Bilodeau, who was an offensive juggernaut against a team that provided little defensive resistance.

“The biggest thing I care about is winning,” said Bilodeau, who finished with a career-high 34 points while making 12 of 19 shots to go with six rebounds. “So whatever we need to do to get that done.”

Cronin joked afterward that Bilodeau shouldn’t have missed any shots because he needlessly took fadeaway jumpers.

“They don’t double [team],” Cronin said of the Highlanders, “so I said, ‘Buddy, you’ve got one night here where they’re just going to let you keep dribbling until you shoot, so go have fun. Keep going at the rim until you score.’ ”

Guard Skyy Clark added 14 points to help UCLA (10-3) post its third consecutive victory going into an extended winter break. Forward Osiris Grady finished with 20 points for the Highlanders (6-8), who shot 42.6% to the Bruins’ 50%.

The game’s biggest revelations came off the UCLA bench. Perry might have been the biggest, running the offense at a high level while finishing with 14 points, seven assists and zero turnovers in 24 minutes. Cronin went with some lineups in the second half featuring Perry alongside starting point guard Donovan Dent (seven points and three assists in 19 minutes).

“Three-guard lineup, we’ve been pushing in transition a lot more,” Perry said. “I mean, we’re just finding the groove before Big Ten” play.

Brown contributed across the board, tallying four points, seven rebounds and four steals in 24 minutes.

UCLA guard Skyy Clark drives against UC Riverside guard De’Undrae Perteete Jr. during the Bruins’ win on Tuesday.

(Jan Lim / UCLA Athletics)

“A tremendous portal find,” Cronin said of the transfer from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. “Great toughness. He’s a winning player.”

Williams’ biggest factor was his defense during a performance in which he had three points, one rebound and one steal in 18 minutes. The big question was whether he was providing more than the player whose spot he took.

Booker finished with six points and one rebound in 13 minutes, unfurling a second consecutive subpar showing after being limited to three minutes against Cal Poly because of matchups. Jamerson played only seven choppy minutes, once being yanked after an 11-second stint because of an inability to keep the Highlanders from reaching the rim with ease.

“Got to get better,” Cronin said of his centers. “I just talked to them about that.”

UC Riverside repeatedly made the mistake of leaving Bilodeau open in the first half and the forward made the Highlanders regret their decision by making five of nine shots on the way to 13 points. After having been UCLA’s primary center last year, Bilodeau said he was happy to go back to that role if that’s what his coach needed.

“Tyler would probably tell you he gets more open shots when he’s playing the five,” Cronin said, “because the other team’s five man is guarding him.”

Cronin said the issue that arises when going small is the need to be an elite offensive team — territory the Bruins might be approaching. Their offensive efficiency is ranked No. 27 nationally by the metrics of basketball analyst Ken Pomeroy, their best since they were No. 21 during the 2022-23 season that ended in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament after season-ending injuries to Jaylen Clark and Adem Bona.

If this is the best version of the Bruins, Cronin appeared ready to roll with it.

“All that matters is who you become, not in the last game or the game previous to that, so we’re on a search,” Cronin said. “Just like every team, it’s not who you are now, it’s who you are at the end and can you get enough wins along the way?”

Tennis legend Venus Williams wed Danish model and actor Andrea Preti over the weekend in Florida, the new bride announced in a shared post.

An Instagram post from Vogue Magazine’s Weddings section announced the nuptials, with the message garnering more than 30,000 likes as of Tuesday afternoon.

“We all love each other so much,” Williams, 45, said in the Vogue post. “It was just the happiest, most beautiful, sweetest day.”

The post was scant on details other than the event took place over five days in and around the couple’s home in Palm Beach Gardens.

An email for comment to representatives for Williams and Preti, 37, was not immediately returned.

The couple met at 2024 Milan Fashion Week and began texting shortly after, according to Vogue.

The couple eventually became engaged on Jan. 31 in Tuscany, according to Vogue. That detail was confirmed in July during what was a historic month for Williams.

The Compton native defeated 23-year-old Peyton Sterns 6-3, 6-4 in the first round action of the D.C. Open after a 16-month hiatus from singles matches.

In victory, Williams became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match, trailing only fellow legend Martina Navratilova, who was 47 when she won in 2004.

“Yes, my fiance is here, and he really encouraged me to keep playing,” Williams told the Tennis Channel’s Rennae Stubbs in a post-match interview. “There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill. … He encouraged me to get through this, and it’s wonderful [for him] to be here. He’s never seen me play.”

Preti has written, acted and directed in a handful of films, primarily in Italy.

The wedding was the second for the couple, who also held a ceremony in Italy in September.

Florida-born Koepka, who is married and has a young son, turned professional in 2012 and won nine PGA Tour events during his nine seasons on North America’s elite professional circuit.

The PGA Tour also wished Koepka and “his family continued success” in a statement, before adding they “continue to offer the best professional golfers the most competitive, challenging and lucrative environment in which to pursue greatness”.

A three-time US PGA champion, Koepka, has also twice triumphed at the US Open.

His defection from the PGA Tour, along with big names such as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, was seen as a major coup for LIV during a period when the sport appeared to be at civil war.

Koepka’s captaincy of the LIV Golf team, Smash, will now pass to Talor Gooch, with the side having an opening to fill for the start of the 2026 season in February.

Koepka becomes the first star player to leave LIV Golf, however, there has been speculation over his future for months and a possible return to the PGA Tour.

The Tour has suspended players who competed in LIV Golf events after categorising them as unauthorised. Non-members have been subject to a year ban following their previous LIV event.

Koepka will also be eligible to join the DP World Tour and have exemptions to compete in golf’s four major championships.

Earlier this week, Chilean Mito Pereira announced his retirement from golf aged 30 after three seasons with LIV.

MONDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

San Pedro 92, South East 40

SOUTHERN SECTION

Adelanto 65, Palmdale 41
Aliso Niguel 77, San Clemente 74
Baldwin Pak 49, Glenn 46
Bishop Amat 81, Chadwick 59
Blair 59, Grace 46
Calabasas 66, Santa Monica 61
Chaminade 67, Oxnard 38
Covina 49, Sultana 44
Dos Pueblos 67, Pasadena Poly 56
Duarte 79, El Monte 25
Edison 67, Northwood 55
Edgewood 68, Southlands Christian 40
Eisenhower 74, Montebello 49
El Modena 65, Rim of the World 45
Elsinore 72, Vista Murrieta 60
Gabrielino 69, Bell Gardens 56
Gardena Serra 63, Downey 48
Golden Valley 60, Moorpark 52
Irvine University 75, Tarbut V’ Torah 52
La Mirada 66, San Gabriel Academy 53
Lawndale 48, Riverside North 42
Oak Park 77, Newbury Park 58
Paramount 69, Saddleback 68
Pioneer 58, Valley View 45
Portola 79, California 69
Rancho Buena Vista 53, Linfield Christian 42
Ramona 80, Indio 42
Redlands East Valley 75, Norco 56
Redondo Union 78, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 68
San Berardino 82, Westminster 35
San Jacinto Leadership 49, United Christian Academy 46
San Marcos 62, Mission College Prep 54
San Marino 44, Rowland 29
Santa Maria St. Joseph 77, Bishop Montgomery 42
Santa Ynez 74, Foothill Tech 60
Shalhevet 49, Littlerock 28
South Hills 35, Northview 32
South Torrance 74, CAMS 24
Thousand Oaks 59, Alemany 54
Torrance 69, St. Genevieve 59
Victor Valley 77, Perris 74
Westminster La Quinta 54, Bolsa Grande 33

INTERSECTIONAL

Agoura 69, Stockdale 56
Aurora (CO) Cherokee Trail 60, West Torrance 49
Birmingham 55, Canyon Springs 35
Centennial (CO) Eaglecrest 53, Leuzinger 51
Chino 77, North Las Vegas (NV) CIVICA 45
Burbank 57, Marquez 46
Corona Centennial 71, Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman 59
Corona Santiago 66, lano (TX) Prestonwood Christian 32
Eastvale Roosevelt 81, Miami (FL) Mater Lakes Academy 71
Fresno San Joaquin Memorial 76, Mater Dei 53
Granada Hills 64, YULA 39
JSerra 60, Orlando (FL) Edgewater 57
Knight 65, Magna (UT) Cyprus 62
Lake Oswego (OR) Lakeridge 76, Chino Hills 75
Lehi (UT) Skyridge 72, West Ranch 32
Maranatha 61, Bullard 57
Marrieta (GA) Osborne 67, Buckley 62
Merced 52, Dominguez 32
Oaks Christian 72, Aurora (CO) Smoky Hill 46
Orlando Christian (FL) 61, LA Jordan 43
Pasadena 61, Gilbert (AZ) Perry 42
Peninsula 53, Carson 30
Provo (UT) Timpview 61, Santa Margarita 59
San Fernando Valley 72, Northridge Academy 68
Saugus 51, El Camino Real 49
St. Paul 68, Henderson (NV) Basic 65
Viewpoint 73, Granada Hills Kennedy 30
Village Christian 66, Tacoma (WA) Lincoln 59
Warren 58, Las Vegas (NV) Durango 56
Washington Prep 68, Las Vegas (NV) Meadows School 38

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Bernstein 52, Rancho Dominguez 28
Bravo 45, Port of Los Angeles 22
East College Prep 28, EAMCP 10
San Pedro 53, Gardena 31
South East 68, South Gate 10

SOUTHERN SECTION

Adelanto 45, Victor Valley 29
Alemany 56, Hart 34
Apple Valley 40, Lakeside 33
Beaumont 62, Riverside Notre Dame 27
Buena Park 69, Bloomington 12
Burbank 75, Muir 36
Burbank Burroughs 51, Santa Monica 27
Camarillo 56, Rio Mesa 37
Capistrano Valley 53, Garden Grove 42
Chaffey 53, Colton 31
Corona 65, Patriot 19
Costa Mesa 41, Westminster La Quinta 21
Edgewood 43, Southland Christian 31
Edison 61, Northwood 30
El Modena 63, Rim of the World 23
Hacienda Heights Wilson 59, Sunny Hills 55
Hesperia 55, Citrus Valley 15
Hillcrest 39, Western 31
La Habra 42, Tustin 36
Lakewood 30, Gahr 26
Lakewood St. Joseph 59, Santa Margarita 46
Lompoc 47, Foothill Tech 21
Los Altos 58, Temecula Valley 50
Ocean View 34, Saddleback 32
Pasadena Poly 73, San Gabriel Academy 20
Portola 60, Lawndale 37
Ramona 55, Vista del Lago 14
Rancho Christian 102, Chaparral 67
Rancho Verde 49, Colony 39
Rialto 95, Riverside Prep 25
Riverside Poly 81, Grand Terrace 25
Riverside King 57, Heritage 49
San Marino 49, Royal 41
Silverado 40, Fontana 34
Valley View 48, Elsinore 37
Walnut 35, Santa Ana Foothill 27
West Torrance 73, Marina 47
Whittier Christian 54, Savanna 46
Woodbridge 37, Loara 33

INTERSECTIONAL

Birmingham 72, Palo Verde 30
Cardinal Newman 54, Lynwood 49
Coeur d’Alene (ID) 60, Villa Park 44
Denver South (CO) 54, St. Monica 48
Dublin 63, Westchester 57
Etiwanda 64, Clayton Valley Charter 32
Gardena Serra 61, Carson 29
Gilbert (AZ) 64, Marlborough 24
Gunderson 63, Granada Islamic 18
Las Vegas (NV) 47, Narbonne 45
Laurel (MD) Pallotti 53, San Clemente 49
Mary Star of the Sea 51, LA Marshall 30
Montgomery 61, Dominguez 15
Newcastle (OK) 61, Mater Dei 35
North County San Marcos 57, Vista Murrieta 33
Quartz Hill 61, Justin Garza 53
Reno (NV) 52, South Torrance 46
Sage Hill 57, Francis Parker 55
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 67, Aurora (CO) Overland 44
Sierra Vista 49, Palisades 33
Spokane (WA) Gonzaga Prep 70, Xavier Prep 28
St. Anthony 68, Inderkum 40
Washington Prep 56, Arcadia 41

From a financial perspective, well-placed sources insist interested clubs are all willing to pay a very similar remuneration package to Semenyo, whose final decision will be made with an emphasis on his personal sporting ambitions.

He turns 26 on 7 January and there is a recognition he is entering the prime of his career.

“I know there is lots of noise around him,” said Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola. “[It is] not my concern, my concern is it doesn’t affect his performances. It is not doing, he is very committed to the team and I hope we can keep him here.

“[A] situation we cannot control, but Antoine right now is our player, going to continue playing for us. If you ask me, I don’t want to lose him, definitely don’t. But every time the market opens, you never know what is going to happen.”

With that in mind, it is understood Semenyo will prioritise a club he believes can provide him with what he views as the most suitable project to compete for major trophies on a long-term basis.

The location and impact on his family will also be a contributing factor to his decision and it is understood he does not want the saga to become a long drawn-out process.

It’s been one surprise after another lately from Lindsey Vonn. And the announcement that the 41-year-old slopes queen has qualified for the Milano Cortina Olympics in February isn’t the last of it.

It might have been her post on Instagram that stated unequivocally that this will be the end.

“I am honored to be able to represent my country one more time, in my 5th and final Olympics!” Vonn said.

Vonn’s remarkable and inspiring comeback from injuries and a seven-year hiatus from top-level competitive skiing has injected the U.S. team narrative with an irresistible story line. That her quest will culminate in the mountains of northern Italy just two months from now will make it must-watch television and social media video.

The last two weeks have thrust Vonn back onto the international stage as well as the podium, which she climbed in four of her first five races this season. That includes a spectacular win in the downhill in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Dec. 12.

That marked her first World Cup victory since 2018. And now it’s official that Vonn will compete in her fifth Olympics where she won gold in the downhill and bronze in the super-G at the 2010 Games in Vancouver and bronze in the downhill in the 2018 Games in PyeongChang.

Much of the astonishment circles back to her age. Vonn’s win in St. Moritz made her the oldest woman to win a World Cup race — by seven years. Federica Brignone of Italy set a record a year ago when she won 10 races at age 34.

She also is the first World Cup winner with titanium implants in her right knee. And she’ll become the first quadragenerian to lead the U.S. Alpine skiiing squad seven years after she had all but retired.

In a moving column on Feb. 10, 2019, at the World Championships, The Times’ Helene Elliott wrote what essentially was a sendoff for Vonn: “She went all out to the very end, because that’s the only way Lindsey Vonn knew how to ski. She was bruised and battered as she went to the start gate on Sunday for the final race of her career, sore all over and her right eye blackened by the impact of a crash she suffered during a super-giant slalom race earlier in the week at the World Championships. Her ligaments tore and her bones sometimes broke but her competitiveness was never dimmed, never dented, never compromised.”

Well, 2026 is around the bend and Vonn is back and intact, her competitiveness never compromised still. She has not officially qualified for the Olympics in the super-G, but she’s the fastest American and No. 3 in the world, so count on that as her next headline.

“Lindsey qualifying for the 2026 Olympic team is a testament to her resilience and dedication, and the remarkable results she’s delivered on the World Cup this season,” Sophie Goldschmidt, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “She’s proven once again that elite performance isn’t just about past success, it’s about rising to the moment, race after race.

“We’re thrilled to cheer her on at the Olympics.”

Five Chargers were named to the AFC’s Pro Bowl squad Tuesday, including the team’s “quarterbacks” on both sides of the ball.

Both quarterback Justin Herbert and safety Derwin James Jr. received the honor. They are joined by outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu, tackle Joe Alt and kicker Cameron Dicker.

Herbert, receiving Pro Bowl recognition for the second time, is the third player in NFL history to begin a career with six consecutive seasons with at least 3,000 yards passing and 20 touchdowns.

James, a five-time Pro Bowl pick, is the only defensive back in the NFL this season to collect at least 80 tackles (five for loss) with multiple sacks and interceptions.

Dicker is the most accurate kicker in NFL history and the team’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year club winner. He leads all AFC kickers with 36 made field goals and 141 points scored.

Tulipulotu, a former USC standout, is ranked third in the NFL with 13 sacks, and has a career-high 20 tackles for loss.

The only surprise in that group is Alt, who made the transition from right to left tackle after left tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a season-ending injury in training camp. Alt was a stalwart on the line for the first three weeks of the season before sustaining an ankle injury 10 snaps into the Week 4 game against the New York Giants. He returned in Week 8 to face Minnesota, but was carted off in Week 9 at Tennessee an injury to the same ankle, this time requiring season-ending surgery.

Nonetheless, he’s an outstanding tackle and earned his first Pro Bowl honor, which is determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches.

Four more Chargers were named Pro Bowl alternates: outside linebacker Khalil Mack, linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips for special teams, cornerback Donte Jackson and fullback/defensive lineman Scott Matlock.

Norwegian biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken, who had been hoping to compete at the Winter Olympics in February, has died aged 27.

Bakken returned to competition in 2024, having been kept out since 2022 with the heart condition myocarditis.

The president of the International Biathlon Union said his return to the sport had been “a source of immense joy”.

“Sivert’s comeback to biathlon after a period of great hardship was a source of immense joy for everyone in the biathlon family and an inspiring demonstration of his resilience and determination,” Olle Dahlin said.

“His passing at such a young age is impossible to comprehend but he will not be forgotten and he will forever remain in our hearts.”

Local media reported that Bakken was found dead in his hotel room in Lavaze, in the Italian Alps, where he had been attending a training camp.

Real Madrid and Brazil forward Endrick has agreed to join French side Lyon on loan until the end of the season.

The highly-rated 19-year-old signed for the Spanish giants in the summer of 2024 from Palmeiras after winning back-to-back Brazilian league titles.

However, after making 37 appearances in the 2024-25 campaign he has seen his opportunities limited at the Bernabeu this term under Xabi Alonso, featuring on just three occasions.

The teenager has scored three goals in 14 matches for Brazil but his last international cap came in March during a 4-1 World Cup qualifying defeat against Argentina in Buenos Aires.

Endrick will be hoping that his switch to Ligue 1 allows him to impress and force his way back into the Brazil squad in time for next summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, receiver Puka Nacua and edge rushers Jared Verse and Byron Young were voted to the Pro Bowl, the NFL announced.

Stafford, 37, has passed for a league leading 4,179 yards and 40 touchdowns, with five interceptions, for a Rams team that is 11-4 and currently seeded sixth for the NFC playoffs. The Rams play the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night in Atlanta in the second-to-last game of the regular season. Stafford also made the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2023.

Quarterbacks Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks and Dan Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys also made the NFC roster.

Nacua, a third-year pro, leads the NFL with 114 catches and ranks second with 1,592 yards receiving. He was also voted to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2023.

Young, also a third-year pro, has amassed 11 sacks, which ranks ninth in the NFL. This is his first Pro Bowl recognition.

Verse has 6 1/2 sacks and is regarded as one of the league’s most disruptive forces. He also made the Pro Bowl as a rookie last season, when he was also voted NFL defensive rookie of the year.

The Pro Bowl Games will be held Feb. 3 in San Francisco.

Arne Slot has faced challenge after challenge this season, from Liverpool‘s horrid run of nine defeats in 12 to Mohamed Salah’s explosive interview at Leeds.

How Slot deals without Alexander Isak is the next big question.

The Swede has hardly had a flying start to life at Anfield since making the £125m move from Newcastle in the summer, but the movement and finish for his goal against Tottenham on Saturday showed exactly why Liverpool signed him.

“You need to be at the top of the game to impact a game. And it took months before we could bring him up. We always knew it would take him time. And that’s why it’s so unlucky that he’s now injured,” said Slot.

“We all saw he was getting closer and closer to the player that he was last season at Newcastle.”

Slot said it is a “long injury” and Isak would be out for “a couple of months” and that is probably the best case scenario for Liverpool. It will, in all likelihood, be March by the time Isak can play football again.

It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will make a move for another attacker in January, with expensive solutions to short-term problems not part of the club model.

Hugo Ekitike is also thriving with eight league goals this season, with Slot saying the 23-year-old has “already adapted to the Premier League.”

Asked about the possibility of recalling Harvey Elliott – who hasn’t played since October – from Aston Villa, Slot said: “Harvey is an Aston Villa player and he is supposed to be going there for a year. If the question is about him then the best thing to ask is at Villa, who are doing quite well by the way.”

Isak has only made 10 starts for Liverpool since signing but with him now out of contention and Salah away on duty at the African Cup of Nations, Slot may be forced into a tactical restructure to deal with the Swede’s absence.

Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche has told his players to “enjoy themselves” but to “use common sense” over christmas. His comments follow Pep Guardiola’s admission that Manchester City’s players will be weighed when they return to training to check their fitness has not dropped over the festive period.

READ MORE: Dyche urges ‘common sense’ and won’t weigh players

Ainslie had a strained relationship with Manchester United co-owner Ratcliffe regarding plans for the 38th America’s Cup.

Ainslie told the BBC on Tuesday that splitting with Ineos after the “fallout” was “a difficult decision” but stemmed from “different opinions on how to move forwards with the team”.

Ainslie, who will retain significant shareholding in Athena Racing under the new investment and remain as team principal, said he had been “funding the team myself”.

He told Reuters: “It’s been pretty stressful. But I believed in the team, I believed in the partnership and I was willing to take that risk.”

Ainslie was Ineos Britannia’s team principal and skipper, having got the backing of Ratcliffe in 2018 in a bid to a deliver a first win for Britain since the America’s Cup started in 1851.

The most successful sailor in Olympic history, Ainslie won the America’s Cup in 2013 with Oracle Team USA.

On Monday it was announced that the America’s Cup would be held every two years after 2029 and there will be a 55m euros (£48m) cap on costs, after the five founding teams, including Athena, formed an alliance.

Describing the move as “groundbreaking”, Ainslie said he was confident the new structure would help attract further investment and interest from broadcasters.

“Traditionally America’s Cup has been a winner-takes-all environment,” he said.

“You win it, you effectively run the next event – you decide where it is, when it is, the size of the boat, the rules and regulations.

“It’s pretty quirky – that’s what created a lot of uncertainty. Now we’ve changed that.”

From Ryan Kartje: One of college football’s longest-lasting and most storied rivalries will be taking an indefinite break starting in 2026.

After months of negotiations and public posturing, USC and Notre Dame failed to reach an agreement to continue their rivalry series.

“USC and Notre Dame recognize how special our rivalry is to our fans, our teams, and college football, and our institutions will continue working towards bringing back The Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh,” the schools said in a joint statement Monday. “The rivalry between our two schools is one of the best in all of sport, and we look forward to meeting again in the future.”

Discussions between the rivals broke down in recent weeks, shortly after the College Football Playoff field was announced, a person familiar with negotiations not authorized to speak publicly told The Times.

In the wake of Notre Dame being left out of the 12-team field, Yahoo reported that College Football Playoff officials came to an agreement with the school in March 2024 that assured the Irish of a playoff berth if they were ranked among the top 12 at season’s end starting in 2026. That agreement, if applied this year, would have meant slotting Notre Dame in the field over Miami, which defeated the Irish to open the season.

The two schools nearly announced a continuation of the series around the time of their October matchup in South Bend, Ind. A person familiar with the negotiations told The Times that USC was ready then to compromise and stick with the rivalry’s usual cadence over the next two seasons, with Notre Dame coming to the Coliseum in 2026.

But at the time USC officials were not aware Notre Dame reached an agreement with CFP officials that guaranteed the Irish a playoff spot if they finish in the top 12 of the final rankings starting in 2026, the person said. To USC officials the agreement felt like “a material advantage” to the Irish, whose place as an independent and scheduling flexibility already afforded them a considerable edge in positioning for the playoff over other programs, like USC, that are tethered to a conference.

Continue reading here

Blame Notre Dame for backing out of rivalry

Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua

(Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

From columnist Bill Plaschke: The world of college football may be awash in uncertainty, but the last several weeks have proven one thing beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Nobody runs like Notre Dame.

When the Irish got jobbed by the College Football Playoff committee and insanely were left out of the CFP, they refused to play another game this season.

Notre Dame ran from the Pop Tarts Bowl.

Then came Monday’s announcement that Notre Dame no longer will regularly play USC, essentially ending a 100-year-old rivalry because the Irish didn’t want to change the dates of the game.

Notre Dame ran from the Trojans.

Call them the Fightin’ Chickens, a once-proud Irish program that demands acquiescence or it will take its ball and go home.

Continue reading here

Nico Iamaleava agrees to return to UCLA

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava looks to pass against Nebraska on Nov. 8.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

From Ben Bolch: Bob Chesney didn’t have to go far to secure his most important player.

He was already on campus.

Nico Iamaleava has agreed to return to UCLA for next season, giving the Bruins a top-level quarterback as part of their new coach’s bid for a quick turnaround from a 3-9 season under his predecessor and an interim coach.

Iamaleava announced his intentions on Instagram, posting a highlight video alongside a caption reading, “NO PLACE LIKE HOME. Back with my brothers. Same vision. Same goals. Same grind. Locked in. Time to work!”

The possible benefits go beyond improving Iamaleava’s NFL draft stock with a strong season. Another important plus could be the reputational boost associated with staying put after Iamaleava left Tennessee during spring practice in 2025 as part of an emotionally charged falling out with the Volunteers that sparked widespread criticism.

Continue reading here

ALSO: Bob Chesney is bringing his top two James Madison coordinators with him to UCLA

Chargers clinch playoff berth

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert warms up before a win over the Eagles on Dec. 8.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

From Sam Farmer: The Chargers got an early Christmas present Monday night courtesy of San Francisco, and they’re still hoping for more under the tree.

With the 49ers beating the Indianapolis Colts, 48-27, the Chargers secured a postseason wild-card berth. The AFC West title is still in play too, and even the top seed in the AFC.

The 11-4 Chargers are riding a four-game winning streak and have won seven of eight, including a 34-17 victory at Dallas on Sunday.

Continue reading here

Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman suspended

Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman walks off the field after a win over the Tennessee Titans on Nov. 2.

(Stew Milne / Associated Press)

From Sam Farmer: The Chargers will be without starting linebacker Denzel Perryman for the remainder of the regular season.

The NFL on Monday suspended Perryman without pay for two games for repeated violations of rules designed to protect player health and safety, including an incident during Sunday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys.

In the second quarter Perryman was penalized for unnecessary roughness after delivering a blow to the helmet of Ryan Flournoy while the Cowboys receiver was on the ground following a catch. The play violated a rule prohibiting the use of any part of the helmet or face mask to initiate forcible contact to an opponent’s head or neck area.

Continue reading here

Why the Rams fired their special teams coordinator

Rams special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn interacts with coach Sean McVay during a game against the Seattle Seahawks in November 2024. Blackburn was fired by the Rams following the team’s loss to the Seahawks on Thursday night.

(Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

From Gary Klein: Rams coach Sean McVay worked with Ben Kotwica for three NFL seasons in Washington when McVay was the team’s offensive coordinator and Kotwica was the special teams coordinator.

In the aftermath of McVay’s firing of special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn, Kotwica will oversee the unit, McVay said Monday during a videoconference with reporters.

“I know his capacity, I know the accountability, I know the core belief that he has,” McVay said of Kotwica, who has been a Rams assistant this season after working as the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator the previous two. “This late in the year, you’re not naive to, you’re going to keep a lot of the foundational things.

“But I think there’s some things that we want to have reflected in our style of play, and the way we go about our overall approach that I think will be improved.”

Continue reading here

NFL scores

NFL standings

Deandre Ayton set to return for Lakers

From Broderick Turner: As Lakers coach JJ Redick talked after practice Monday about the long list of players who would be listed as day-to-day for Tuesday night’s game at Phoenix, he at least knew that center Deandre Ayton will be back after missing two games because of left elbow soreness.

Redick said Luka Doncic (left leg contusion), Austin Reaves (mild left calf strain) and Rui Hachimura (right groin soreness) were day-to-day. Gabe Vincent (lower back tightness), however, is expected to be out longer.

A few hours later, Reaves was upgraded to questionable, while Doncic, Hachimura and Vincent were officially ruled out for the Suns game.

Redick said Doncic was injured when he was kneed by Clippers guard Bagdan Bogdanovic during Saturday night’s loss at Intuit Dome.

Continue reading here

NBA scores

NBA standings

LA28 track to meet revenue goals for 2028 Olympics

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: John Slusher shouldn’t admit this. When the former Nike executive signed on to oversee LA28’s commercial operations last year, he looked at the private organizing committee’s lofty financial goals with some concern. Sales were “incredibly slow.” There was momentum around the first Olympics in L.A. in more than 40 years, but not many results.

Yet.

Weeks after celebrating his one-year anniversary with the group responsible for organizing and delivering the 2028 Games, Slusher and his team delivered a $2-billion present.

After announcing 15 partnerships in 2025, LA28 met its goal of reaching $2 billion in corporate sponsorship by this year, which Slusher said puts the group well on track to meet or exceed its $2.52-billion goal for domestic partnerships that serves as the largest line item funding the 2028 Games.

Continue reading here

Kings struggle to stop Blue Jackets on power play in loss

From the Associated Press: Mason Marchment scored two power-play goals, Kirill Marchenko had one, and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Kings 3-1 on Monday night.

Jet Greaves made 23 saves and Damon Severson had two assists as Columbus snapped a four-game road losing streak.

Andrei Kuzmenko scored and Anton Forsberg made 27 saves as the Kings were held to fewer than three goals for the sixth straight game.

Columbus was without defenseman Zach Werenski, who is day to day with a lower body injury sustained blocking a shot against the Ducks on Saturday. Werenski leads the Blue Jackets in goals, assists and points, and his 14 goals are tied with Washington’s Jakob Chychrun for most in the NHL by a defenseman.

Continue reading here

Kings-Blue Jackets box score

With Leo Carlsson out, Ducks fall to Kraken

From the Associated Press: Jordan Eberle scored the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period and added an empty-netter in the final minute, and the Seattle Kraken beat the Ducks 3-1 on Monday night.

Frederick Gaudreau also scored and Kaapo Kakko had two assists for the Kraken. Philipp Grubauer stopped 39 shots.

Mikael Granlund scored for the Pacific Division-leading Ducks and Lukas Dostal had 18 saves.

Matty Beniers set up the go-ahead goal when he slid the puck past defender Radko Gudas and onto the stick of a wide-open Eberle, who snapped a shot from the left circle into the upper-right corner of the net for a 2-1 Kraken lead with 9:56 left.

Continue reading here

Ducks-Kraken box score

NHL scores

NHL standings

This day in sports history

Montreal’s Howie Morenz scores his 251st goal to become the NHL’s career goal-scoring leader. Morenz’s goal caps the Canadiens’ 3-0 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.

1951 — Norm Van Brocklin’s 73-yard touchdown pass to Tom Fears in the fourth quarter gives the Los Angeles Rams a 24-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns for the NFL title.

1962 — Tommy Brooker kicks a 25-yard field goal 17:54 into overtime, giving the Dallas Texans a 20-17 victory over Houston for the AFL title.

1972 — The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Oakland Raiders 13-7 on Franco Harris’ “Immaculate Reception,” in an AFC Divisional playoff game. On 4th-and-10 on their own 40-yard line with 22 seconds remaining and no time outs. Terry Bradshaw, under pressure, throws a pass over the middle to Oakland’s 35-yard line which is deflected by Oakland’s Jack Tatum. Running back Franco Harris catches the deflection at the Raiders’ 43-yard line and runs down the left sideline for a touchdown.

1978 — Bryan Trottier has five goals and three assists to lead the New York Islanders to a 9-4 victory over the Rangers. Trottier sets an NHL record with three goals and three assists in the second period.

1982 — Chaminade, an NAIA school, beats top-ranked Virginia and 7-foot-4 center Ralph Sampson, 77-72, for one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history. The game is played at Honolulu’s International Center in front of 3,383 fans.

1996 — Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions rushes for 175 yards in a 24-14 loss to San Francisco to finish with 1,553 yards for the season. It’s Sanders’ third straight season with at least 1,500 yards rushing, a first in the NFL.

2007 — The New England Patriots set an NFL record with their 15th win, the best start in league history, with a 28-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins 28-7.

2007 — Chris Johnson sets an NCAA bowl record with 408 all-purpose yards, and Ben Hartman kicks a 34-yard field goal as time expires to give East Carolina a 41-38 victory over No. 24 Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl.

2008 — The Boston Celtics set a franchise record with their 19th consecutive victory, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 110-91. The Celtics improve to 27-2 — the best start for a two-loss team in NBA history. The 19-game winning streak breaks the Celtics record set in 1981-82.

2012 — New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns in the Saints’ 34-31 overtime win at Dallas. Brees, with 4,781 passing yards, becomes the first player in NFL history to record at least 4,500 yards in three consecutive seasons.

2013 — Andrew Luck throws for 205 yards to break a single-season rookie record, and his touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne late in the fourth quarter puts Indianapolis in the playoffs with a 20-13 win over Kansas City. Luck, with 4,183 yards, surpasses Cam Newton’s year-old record of 4,051 yards passing by a rookie in the second quarter.

2022 — Washington Capitals center Alex Ovechkin scores two goals to move past Gordie Howe on most NHL career goals list in 4-1 win over visiting Winnipeg Jets.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Next summer’s World Cup will be the largest, most complex and most lucrative sporting event in history, with 48 teams playing 104 games in three countries. The tournament is expected to draw a global TV audience of nearly 5 billion and FIFA, the event’s organizer, is hoping for revenues of between $10 billion-$14 billion — which is why lower-bowl tickets for Iran-New Zealand at SoFi Stadium cost nearly $700.

All that seemed unlikely after the first tournament in 1930, when the idea of a soccer World Cup was nearly killed in the cradle, the victim from lack of planning, lack of money and lack of interest. That the competition survived, much less thrived, is nothing short of a miracle, says English writer and podcaster Jonathan Wilson, author of the deeply researched “The Power and Glory: The History of the World Cup.”

“1930, it’s incredibly amateurish in many ways,” Wilson said. “It’s got that sort of almost like a school sports day feel to it.”

Only 13 countries took part in the first tournament; it was supposed to be 16 but the Egyptian team missed its boat to Uruguay while Japan and Siam (now Thailand) couldn’t afford the travel costs and pulled out. England, meanwhile, not only refused to play, but the British press ignored the event, as did much of Europe.

That seemed like a wise decision at the time since the first two matches of the inaugural tournament were affected by snow, with one of the opening games drawing just 4,444 fans. The smallest crowd in World Cup history, estimated at about 300, showed up for another first-round game between Romania and Peru and the TV audience … well, there was none since TV had yet to be invented.

The officiating was beyond suspect — Romania’s manager, Constantin Radulescu, also worked two games as a linesman — and the U.S. trainer, Jack Coll, had to be stretchered off the field during his team’s semifinal — yes, the U.S. made the semifinals! — with Argentina when he lost consciousness after inhaling the fumes from a bottle of chloroform that shattered in his pocket.

In another game, the penalty spots were mistakenly marked 16 yards from goal instead of the regulation 12 — and nobody noticed.

“Some of the details don’t make sense,” Wilson said. “The whole thing is so sort of low grade compared to today.”

When Argentine captain Nolo Ferreira left the tournament and returned home to take his law exams his replacement, Guillermo Stábile, scored a tournament-high eight goals in four games — then never played for the national team again (although he did coach it, leading the La Albiceleste to six South American titles and the 1958 World Cup).

Given the farcical nature of the 1930 World Cup, the tournament probably should have ended right there. Instead, 1930 has become the foundation on which next year’s competition was built.

The origins of the tournament, however, actually make sense. Before 1930, FIFA recognized the winner of the Olympic competition as the world champion. But that event was for amateurs, a point on which the International Olympic Committee would not budge.

With professional soccer growing in popularity, FIFA decided to stage its own breakaway event and play it in Uruguay, the country that had won the last two Olympic titles.

Argentina’s goalkeeper can’t stop a shot by Uruguay during the 1930 World Cup final against Argentina in Montevideo, Uruguay.

(Associated Press)

That quickly proved to be a big mistake. The growing effects of the Great Depression left many countries unable to afford the long, slow steamship trip to South America. The first tournament was open to any country that wanted to play, yet two months before the first game no European teams had agreed to come.

“It was taken very seriously by Uruguay and Argentina,” Wilson said, but not by many others.

That changed shortly after Romania’s King Carol II, who ascended to the throne in a coup that deposed his son, personally selected his country’s World Cup roster and sent it on its way. France quickly agreed to go too, entering a makeshift team under pressure from FIFA president Jules Rimet, a Frenchman. Belgium also buckled under FIFA pressure and all three teams boarded the same ship for the trip to Uruguay, working out together on the 15-day voyage aboard the SS Conte Verde, an Italian ocean liner.

“Even the four European nations who go it’s not entirely clear how seriously they took it,” Wilson said. “The French and Romanians, they kept diaries. They seem to have regarded this as a laugh. We’ll try to win but it doesn’t really matter.”

Things didn’t really get loony until the tournament began. The Bolivian team, for example, played in berets, as did an Argentine midfielder, while the 15 referees who worked the games, some of whom had traveled and socialized with the players on the long boat ride from Europe, dressed formally in knickers, long-sleeve shirts, blazers and ties.

The well-dressed officials spent much of the tournament working with police to break up fights; play was so violent at least two players sustained broken legs and the U.S.-Argentina semifinal descended into a full-out brawl, with one American having four teeth knocked out and another hospitalized with injuries to his stomach.

The tournament finally finished with the hosts beating Argentina 4-2, after which the Argentines broke off diplomatic relations with their neighbor and an angry mob in Buenos Aires stoned the Uruguayan embassy.

Uraguay’s team before the 1930 World Cup final against Argentina.

(Keystone / Getty Images)

Argentina’s soccer team before preparing for the 1930 World Cup final.

(Associated Press)

“It ended,” Wilson said of the tournament, “with everybody sort of fighting each other.”

Few disagreed with the Argentine magazine El Gráfico, which seemed to predict there was little future for the fledgling event. “The World Cup is over,” it wrote. “The development of this competition brought not only an unpleasant atmosphere, but also an ungrateful one.”

Yet nearly a century later, the World Cup is still here. And that, too, was foretold in 1930 in the story of Romanian midfielder Alfred Eisenbeisser (who was also known as Fredi Fieraru because, why not?).

On the journey home from the first World Cup, Eisenbeisser contracted pneumonia and a priest was called to administer the last rites. The ship eventually docked in Genoa and he was taken to a sanatorium while the rest of the team continued on to Romania.

Assuming her son had perished in Italy, Eisenbeisser’s mother arranged a wake — only to have her son stroll into the ceremony very much alive, causing the woman to faint. Eisenbeisser would play 12 more years of professional soccer and compete in figure skating in the 1936 Winter Olympics, where he finished 13th in the pairs competition.

Turns out the reports of Eisenbeisser’s demise, like those of the World Cup, were greatly exaggerated.

⚽ You have read the latest installment of On Soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories. Listen to Baxter on this week’s episode of the “Corner of the Galaxy” podcast.