sport

Uncapped Eoin Nelson, Sean Fitzpatrick and America-born Eli Brooks have also been named in Bree’s squad.

South Carolina-born point guard Brooks plays for Spanish side Basquet Manresa and qualifies for Ireland through his Belfast-born grandfather.

Centre Nelson was called up to the previous squad for the North Macedonia game but did not feature, while guard Fitzpatrick did not make it on to the court against Norway last summer after making an extended 20-man squad.

There is also a return for James Gormley, who missed the Luxembourg and North Macedonia games, but Taiwo Badmus, Sean Jenkins and Max Amadasun are out injured while John Carroll is unavailable due to personal commitments.

“Eoin and James, at 6ft 8ins and 7ft, both bring size to the equation and have been playing well with their respective clubs, as has Sean Fitzpatrick,” added Bree.

“It’s great to be able to bring in someone of the calibre of Eli Brooks too, who has been playing EuroCup basketball with his club Basquet Manresa and has experience playing in Germany and Italy too.”

The three group winners and the best-ranked second-placed team from three first round groups will advance to the second round of pre-qualifiers, where they will be joined by eight teams from the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers first round.

Captain Wayne Madsen dislocated his left shoulder in the fourth over of Italy’s debut match at the T20 World Cup.

The 42-year-old’s journey to leading Italy at their first World Cup has been one of the eye-catching stories in the build-up, having been a stalwart of county cricket with Derbyshire and a former South Africa hockey international.

But he was injured attempting a diving stop against Scotland in Kolkata and immediately left the field. The Scots posted 207-4 from their 20 overs.

He will be assessed again in 24 hours before any decision is made on his participation in the rest of the tournament.

“The physio managed to get it back in but he’ll have to go and get more scans to see how serious it is,” said Italy head coach John Davison.

“I think it’d be doubtful. I’m not going to say he’s out, but I think it’d be doubtful if you dislocate your shoulder.”

Italy play Nepal in Mumbai on Thursday before a game against England in Kolkata on 16 February.

Their final group match is against West Indies on 19 February, also in Kolkata.

Team GB skier Gus Kenworthy says he has received death threats after posting a graphic message about the United States’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement organisation – commonly known as ICE.

Kenworthy shared the image – in which ‘ICE’ was preceded by an expletive – on Instagram a week before he was due to compete at the Winter Olympics in Italy.

The 34-year-old was born in Chelmsford but grew up in America and won silver in the ski slopestyle at the Sochi 2014 Games, before switching allegiance to Team GB in 2019.

In a new post on Instagram, Kenworthy said there had been a lot of “encouraging” support but that he has also received death threats.

“The other day I posted a photo with my thoughts on ICE and that photo has since gone everywhere – and I’ve gotten a tonne of messages and most of them honestly have been supportive and encouraging,” Kenworthy said in a video., external

“But a lot of the messages have been awful, people telling me to kill myself, threatening me, wishing they’ll get to see me blow my knee or break my neck during my event, calling me slurs… it’s insane.”

Kenworthy will feature in the men’s snowboard halfpipe event, with qualifying beginning on 19 February in Livigno, Italy.

Protests have taken place across the US over the past few weeks after intensive care nurse Alex Pretti, 37, and fellow Minnesota resident Renee Good, 37, were both killed by ICE agents in the city in January.

The Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX.

This is the second time the Seahawks hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in four visits to the NFL’s championship game.

After joining the NFL as an expansion team in 1976, the Seahawks didn’t make it to the big game until Super Bowl XL following the 2005 season. Coached by Mike Holmgren and led by quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle went 13-3 during the regular season and defeated Washington and Carolina in the playoffs.

In the Super Bowl, the Seahawks gave up a 75-yard touchdown run to Pittsburgh Steelers running back Willie Parker to fall behind 14-3 early in the third quarter. Seattle closed the gap with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Hasselbeck to Jerramy Stevens, but Pittsburgh got a touchdown on a trick play — a 43-yard pass from Antwaan Randle El to fellow receiver Hines Ward — midway through the fourth quarter to help seal a 21-10 win.

The Seahawks’ next visit to the big game came following the 2013 season. They went 13-3 and defeated New Orleans and San Francisco in the playoffs before facing the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.

It was no contest. Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch had a touchdown run. Quarterback Russell Wilson had touchdown passes to Jermaine Kearse and Doug Baldwin. Malcolm Smith had a pick-six. Percy Harvin scored on a kickoff return. And coach Pete Carroll led Seattle to a 43-8 victory and its first Super Bowl championship.

The Seahawks came painfully close to becoming back-to-back champions. They went 12-4 during the 2014 season and defeated Carolina and Green Bay in the playoffs before facing the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX.

After a 14-14 halftime tie, the Seahawks took a 10-point lead in the third quarter, only for the Patriots to score two touchdowns in the fourth for a 28-24 advantage just before the two-minute warning. Wilson led the Seahawks 79 yards on the ensuing drive — but they needed 80 yards.

On first and goal from the Patriots’ one-yard line with 26 seconds remaining, Wilson’s pass for Ricardo Lockette was intercepted by Patriots rookie Malcolm Butler to seal the win for New England.

The Seahawks didn’t return to the Super Bowl until this year. Coach Mike Macdonald and quarterback Sam Darnold led Seattle to a 14-3 record and wins over San Francisco and the Rams in the playoffs.

Kicker Jason Myers was responsible for all of the scoring in the first three quarters, connecting on four field goals for a 12-0 Seattle lead. The Seahawks scored on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Sam Darnold to AJ Barner for a 19-0 lead early in the fourth quarter. Myers made Super Bowl history with his fifth field goal, and teammate Uchenna Nwosu scored on a 45-yard interception return.

SANTA CLARA — Sam Darnold did not really know what to say.

So as the Seattle Seahawks quarterback stood on stage at Levi’s Stadium after becoming a Super Bowl champion, he made a few comments thanking teammates and fans before ultimately boiling it down to this:

“Just a job well done,” he said.

The words were simple. Concise. And captured the essence of a player who traveled a road filled with disappointments and setbacks but always believed in himself.

On Sunday, Darnold was far from spectacular. But the former San Clemente High and USC star played error-free, tossed a touchdown pass and let running back Kenneth Walker III, kicker Jason Myers and a dominating defense do the rest in a 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.

It was the Seahawks second Super Bowl title, their first since 2014.

That Seahawks team featured the legendary “Legion of Boom” defense.

This year’s defense dubbed itself the “Dark Side.” All-Pros do not abound. Individual personalities lean more toward quietly confident rather than brash.

And on Sunday, it lit up the stadium by harassing Patriots quarterback Drake Maye into three turnovers and sacking him six times.

Linebacker Derick Hall forced a third-quarter fumble that turned the momentum. Safety Julian Love ended any real chance of a comeback with a fourth-quarter interception. And, after cornerback Devon Witherspoon hit Maye’s arm on a blitz, linebacker Uchenna Nwosu returned an interception for a touchdown.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye throws an interception as he is hit by Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon in the fourth quarter of Seattle’s 29-13 win in Super Bowl LX on Sunday.

(Adam Hunger / Associated Press)

“They lived up to the ‘Dark Side’ today,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said as he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy on the winner’s stage. “It’s going to go down in the history books.”

Myers made history by kicking a Super Bowl-record five field goals. Walker rushed for 135 yards and was voted the game’s most valuable player, the first running back to win the award since Terrell Davis in 1998.

But the story of the Seahawks’ season revolved around Darnold.

The third pick in the 2018 draft endured tough times with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers before he spent a season as the backup for the San Francisco 49ers. In 2024, he led the Minnesota Vikings to 14 victories but the team did not re-sign him.

The Seahawks welcomed him with open arms, and he became the first former USC quarterback to start a Super Bowl.

Is this what the Seahawks envisioned when they signed Darnold to a three-year deal with $55 million in guarantees?

Seahawks coach Mike MacDonald holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy on stage in front of Sam Darnold and Kenneth Walker III following a 29-13 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

“Yeah, absolutely,” general manager John Schneider said in a celebratory locker room filled with cigar smoke and champagne. “The person, the leader — he’s the ultimate competitor.”

On Sunday, Darnold was not nearly as sharp as he was in a pivotal Week 16 overtime victory over the Rams, and the NFC championship game against the Rams.

But early in the fourth quarter, he connected with tight end AJ Barner for a touchdown that gave the Seahawks a 19-0 lead. He completed 19 of 38 passes for 202 yards. He did not have a pass intercepted. He did not fumble.

“I feel like I could have been a lot better,” he said. “Feel like we could have scored more points, to be quite frank. But again, we got the job done.”

A job well done by Darnold all season, teammates said.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold throws a pass during the second half against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Sunday.

(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)

“That’s the heartbeat,” linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. “Truly the heartbeat of our team.”

Receiver Cooper Kupp marveled at Darnold’s “redemption story.”

“I don’t know if there’s a quarterback in NFL history that’s done what he’s done,” Kupp said after catching six passes for 61 yards.

Kupp and Jones can speak with authority about redemption.

Last March, the Rams released Kupp, the 2021 NFL offensive player of the year and most valuable player of Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. He signed with his home state Seahawks and instantly became a veteran leader.

Now he’s a two-time Super Bowl champion.

“Sounds pretty good,” Kupp said, grinning. “That’s unbelievable, man.

“The story that’s been written, my story, I don’t know if I could have written a better ending to this year. Some really tough times this year, and to be in this place, be able to go through this year with these guys, it’s one of the most fun years I’ve had.”

Jones started for the Rams in Super Bowl LVI as a rookie but rather than extending him after his third year, the team traded him to Tennessee before last season. The Titans later traded him to the Seahawks, who gave him a three-year extension last spring.

“It’s amazing, man,” Jones said of being a two-time champion. “Those California Super Bowls — I like those.”

After Darnold’s touchdown pass, it appeared the Seahawks were on their way to the first shutout in Super Bowl history. But Maye came back and fired a touchdown pass to Mack Hollins, pulling the Patriots to within 12 points.

Patriots fans perhaps envisioned a repeat of Super Bowl LI in 2017, when Tom Brady led the Patriots back from a 28-3 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons.

But the Seahawks made sure that was not going to happen.

Love picked off a Maye pass, and Myers kicked his final field goal to increase the lead to 22-7. Late in the fourth quarter, Witherspoon hit Maye, and Nwosu grabbed the ball in the air and returned it 45 yards for a 29-7 lead.

The Seahawks were on their way to finishing the season with their 10th consecutive victory.

Maye, runner-up to Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford for the NFL most valuable player award, completed 27 of 43 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions.

“They had applied some pressure where they got us a few times,” Maye said, “and we’ve got to be better with the football and make better decisions and I’ve got to make better throws when the game goes like that.”

When it was over, Darnold was holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy on stage.

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, left, and running back Kenneth Walker III celebrate on stage after a 29-13 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Sunday.

(Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

“I was like, ‘This thing’s a lot lighter than I thought it was,’” he said. “But it was great just to be able to hold that trophy and finally enjoy it.”

Darnold will enjoy something else: He will now forever be known as Super Bowl-champion Sam Darnold.

“It’s special, man,” he said. “I’m not going to lie — it’s a dream come true. It really is.

“Just going to continue to lean in to that, and soak it all in.”

James Milner is one away from equalling the record for most Premier League appearances after remaining on the bench in Brighton’s defeat by Crystal Palace on Sunday.

He will match the record on Wednesday if he features in the Seagulls’ match at Aston Villa, one of his former clubs.

To mark the pending achievement we’ve created this quiz. Can you name the top 13 players by Premier League appearances?

At the end of the 2021 season, Carlson capped off a resurgent year by leading Glamorgan to One-Day Cup victory, a first trophy for the club since 2004.

In 2026 – with Sam Northeast having rejoined Kent – he will be hoping to draw on those experiences as he takes the reins in first class matches for the club’s long-awaited return to division one of the County Championship

“We played some really good cricket last year, and our team is full of match winners,” said Carlson.

“We have a solid squad with some great players and human beings in there. It’s always a challenge being the underdog but it’s something I think we can use in our favour, there will be times when we will need to scrap but that’s fine.”

Staying in Division One as a newly promoted side is a tough task for any team, let alone one led by a new club captain.

However, Wallace believes Carlson and his team-mates will relish the challenge.

“We’ve got a new-ish captain in Kieran. It was quite obvious early on that he’s a bright lad,” said Glamorgan’s director of cricket.

“He understands the game. He’s he’s very much a people person, somebody who wants to build relationships. I think he’s certainly got the tactical nous and the tactical acumen to lead us well.

“We will have to prove a few doubters wrong. We’re not underestimating the challenge that we’ll have in front of us having not played Division One cricket for so long.”

With all of the challenges the top flight will bring to the County’s shores this summer, Glamorgan believe they have the right man to navigate them to safety.

Carlson has shown throughout his career that he is not afraid of resetting after faliure and asking questions of himself.

But what answers the Welshman comes up with this season may just end up defining Glamorgan’s year.

The Seattle Seahawks defence put on a clinic to lead their team to a 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60.

How does the saying go? Defence wins championships – and that’s exactly what happened at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.

Here are some of the best pictures from a memorable night as the Seahawks got their hands on the Lombardi trophy for the second time in franchise history.

MINNEAPOLIS — Kawhi Leonard had 41 points and eight rebounds and the Clippers beat the slumping Minnesota Timberwolves 115-96 on Sunday.

John Collins had 15 points on six-of-nine shooting, and Yanic Konan Niederhauser also scored 15 points. The Clippers took command with a 17-3 run closing out the third quarter.

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 23 points, and Julius Randle had 17. The Timberwolves have lost three of their last four, all to sub-.500 opponents. Minnesota made just eight of 33 three-point attempts and committed 20 turnovers while being held under 100 points for just the second time this season.

Ayo Dosunmu, making his Timberwolves debut after being acquired in a trade with Chicago, had 11 points and two steals.

The Timberwolves were coming off one of their most frustrating losses of the season, when they blew an 18-point third-quarter lead in a home loss to the lowly New Orleans Pelicans.

The first half was more of the same for Minnesota. Leonard scored 24 points and helped key an 18-2 run late in the second quarter that give the Clippers a 54-42 lead.

The Clippers played without their two key trade deadline acquisitions. Darius Garland, who arrived from Cleveland in the James Harden trade, remained sidelined with a sprained big toe on his right foot. The Clippers had already said wingman Bennedict Mathurin, picked up in a swap with the Pacers, wouldn’t join his new team until Tuesday in Houston.

Available for 29 days

Ugo Monye, John Barclay and Chris Ashton delve into all the big talking points from an action packed opening week of the Six Nations.

Week one had everything – dramatic losses, freak weather storms and unexpected results.

It proved to be a difficult day in Rome for John as his former side lost in a shock defeat against Italy – John reveals how “gutted” he was.

Ashy was channel hopping between Paris and London – as he witnessed French dominance against Ireland and England’s confident win over Wales.

We also get the latest news on Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who has been ruled out of the match against Scotland next weekend and is in danger of missing the entire Six Nations.

The big questions get asked too, from what does the future hold for Gregor Townsend, to how dominant can this French side become, and what’s next for Wales?

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The Seattle Seahawks lead the New England Patriots 9-0 at halftime of Super Bowl LX on a pair of field goals by kicker Jason Myers.

That’s a pretty low score — but it’s not close to being the lowest halftime score in Super Bowl history. That came in Super Bowl IX following the 1974 season.

In a struggle between two classic NFL defenses — Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain vs. Minnesota’s Purple People Eaters — the only first-half points midway through the second quarter. On second and 7 from his own 10-yard line, Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton lost the ball and had to fall on it in the Vikings’ end zone. He was touched by Steelers defensive end Dwight White, who was credited with the sack.

It was the first safety ever in a Super Bowl, giving Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead that stood at halftime. The Steelers went on to defeat the Vikings 16-6 for their first of four Super Bowl wins in a six-year stretch.

Following the 2018 season, the Patriots led the Rams 3-0 at the intermission of Super Bowl LIII, the second-lowest halftime score in Super Bowl history, on a 42-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski early in the second quarter.

Mumbai, India — For most of a warm and breezy Sunday afternoon in Mumbai, the Wankhede Stadium felt closer to Kathmandu than India’s southern metropolis as thousands of Nepalese fans sang, danced and dared to dream while their cricket team took on the mighty England in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

A sea of red and blue replica shirts heaved in every nook and corner of the iconic 33,000-capacity venue, with supporters turning the famed Indian stadium into their adopted home.

A banner, saying “Feel the Thrill” stretched across stands and captured the mood perfectly as chants, drums and Nepali tunes echoed throughout the ground.

From children arriving with flags painted on their faces to elderly supporters proudly wearing the traditional Dhaka topi – a traditional Nepalese hat – fans of all ages turned up for what felt like a cricketing festival drenched in Nepali culture.

‘We almost won’

On the pitch, Nepal’s players delivered one of their most memorable performances in recent years, with the match ending in heartbreak as the team’s spirited chase fell agonisingly short on the final ball.

With the odds stacked heavily against them, Nepal walked out to face two-time champions England fully aware of the vast gulf in experience and pedigree compared to their opponents.

They hoped, though, that their hunger, intensity and fearless approach to the game could keep them firmly in the contest.

Chasing a challenging target of 185, the Rhinos proved why they are one of the most promising teams in associate cricket, as Lokesh Bam’s late heroics, coupled with Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee’s onslaughts, pushed the contest to the last ball.

“We almost won but couldn’t go through because the players lack experience,” Nepal fan Subodh Dhakal, who travelled from Kathmandu, told Al Jazeera. “Experience will come with time, but the team played well.”

Dhakal, a doctor and passionate Nepal supporter, planned a quick two-day trip to attend the match with his wife, after watching the Nepal Premier League – the domestic league whose growth has been central to the nation’s progress in the sport.

Like Dhakal, Satyam Pokhrel also made his way to Mumbai from the Nepalese capital. Joined by a group of friends, Pokhrel revealed his plans to stay for the remaining three Nepal games, all of which are scheduled at the same venue.

“Nepal had a really good chance [to win], but were unlucky,” he said. “The match was very close; I’m proud of the team. They showed great energy and are capable of winning the upcoming games.”

Sunday’s heroics against England were not the first time Nepal troubled stronger opponents. Five months before the World Cup, they beat the West Indies 2-1 in a three-match series — their first bilateral series victory over a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) — while in 2024 they came within a run of upsetting South Africa at the T20 World Cup.

Nepal’s debut at the tournament, in 2014, led to a famous win over a highly-rated Afghanistan team.

‘Don’t count us out’

For many in the stands, being part of the atmosphere required journeys just as memorable as the match itself.

Bhuvan Rawal travelled from Tikapur in far-western Nepal, spending three days on the road to reach Mumbai by bus.

“I wasn’t bothered by the time or money taken to come here. Watching Nepal play at a World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me,” said the 26-year-old.

“I’ve come with around 200 to 300 supporters from Nepal. We were aware of the match schedule since last year and were excited to be at Wankhede Stadium… Mumbai is our second home now!”

Rawal, who played cricket in his younger years and works as a gym trainer, believes lowly-ranked teams such as Nepal aren’t just here to make up the numbers at the expanded 20-team T20 World Cup.

“We may be a small country, but Nepal is very beautiful and can play wonderful cricket. I understand there’s a difference between full ICC members and associate teams, but don’t count us out.

“No team is too small to challenge the giants,” he said.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Lauren Betts had 16 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and three blocks to help No. 2 UCLA hold off No. 8 Michigan for a 69-66 win on Sunday.

The Wolverines trailed by 11 points with less than two minutes left and ended the game with a chance to tie the score, Syla Swords shot an airball on a three-pointer with 2.2 seconds left.

UCLA (23-1, 13-0 Big Ten) took a two-game lead over Michigan (20-4, 11-2) in the conference with its 17th straight victory since losing to No. 4 Texas in November.

The Bruins outscored Michigan by 14 over the second and third quarters and finished with their NCAA-best ninth win over an AP Top 25 team.

The Wolverines’ school-record nine-game winning streak in Big Ten games was snapped by a big and experienced team that plays stifling defense and is led by a 6-foot-7 preseason All-America center who does it all.

UCLA players wear pink basketball shoes to support Breast Cancer Awareness on Sunday.

(Lon Horwedel / Associated Press)

Betts was eight of 17 from the field, grabbed rebounds at both ends of the court, set up teammates for shots after drawing double teams and used her size to block or alter shots.

Her surrounding cast is talented, too.

UCLA’s Kiki Rice scored 20, Gabriela Jaquez had 13 and Gianna Kneepkens scored 12.

Michigan’s Olivia Olson had 20 points, Mila Holloway had 15 and Te’Yala Delfosse added 10. Swords was limited to eight points, missing 10 of 13 shots.

The highly anticipated matchup drew a season-high 6,108 crowd to Crisler Center a few hours before the Super Bowl.

MILAN — Believe in the Quad God.

Ilia Malinin’s clutch free skate that scored 200.03 points gave the United States its second consecutive team figure skating gold medal Sunday at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games.

After Amber Glenn fought through a shaky free program that finished third and lost the United States its two-point lead, Malinin stepped up as only he could. He executed five quad jumps and won by nearly six points, even if he did not perform his signature quad axel. He even put his hand down after a jump, but the mistake only seemed to fuel him as he finished with a flourish, changing the back-half of his program to earn back extra points.

His U.S. teammates, cheering from the sideline box rose to their feet and pumped their fists after each of Malinin’s jumping passes. When he landed his back flip, skating flawlessly through one foot, the packed crowd at Milano Ice Skating Arena roared.

While Japan’s Shun Sato scored a season’s best to finish the competition, he could not match the technical prowess of Malinin, who is also the favorite to win individual gold this week.

In front of a raucous home crowd, Italy held off Georgia for the bronze medal behind a dazzling free skate from Matteo Rizzo, who dropped to his knees on the ice and cried after his performance had fans chanting “Italia!” before he even finished. He cried into the Italian flag in the kiss-and-cry after his season’s best 179.62 points.

With the first figure skating medal of the Milan-Cortina Games on the line, every skater fought for every fraction of a point. U.S. pairs skater Ellie Kam went deep into a one-legged squat to hold on to the first throw jump. The United States led by five points entering the final day, but still had no room for error as Japan finished first in qualifying in all of Sunday’s disciplines. With the dominance of Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara in pairs, Kam’s partner Danny O’Shea knew the strategy for the U.S. pair was to simply try to stay as close as possible.

Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea perform in pairs figure skating during the team competition at the Milan-Cortina Games on Sunday.

(Stephanie Scarbrough / Associated Press)

Kam fought for the landing on a throw loop so hard that she could feel her leg cramping.

“I was like, ‘I’m not going down,’” Kam said, “I got this. We got this.”

They looked at each other before their next element and said “calm.” Their message cut through the energized crowd that cheered louder and louder with each jump. At the end, Kam’s and O’Shea’s celebratory screams simply joined the crowd’s roar. As they saluted the crowd, O’Shea pointed toward Kam to acknowledge her effort.

The pair’s fourth-place finish in the free program was a one-point improvement from their qualifying spot, earning a slim, but vital cushion entering the men’s and women’s free skates.

Instead of sending world champion Alysa Liu back for the free skate after she performed the short program, the U.S. selected the three-time national champion Glenn. The 26-year-old was making her Olympic debut.

On the Olympic stage for the first time, Glenn has tried to embrace the opportunity while treating the competition as if it were any other one. But the larger stage has created additional stress for Glenn after she was asked in a news conference about President Trump’s approach to the LGBTQ+ community in recent years and how it’s affected her personally.

U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn competes during the team competition on Sunday at the Milan-Cortina Games.

(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

Glenn, who identifies as bisexual and pansexual, encouraged people in the queer community to “stay strong in these hard times” and recognized that it wasn’t the first time the community had to unite to “fight for our human rights.” Glenn then received threats on social media after the news conference and posted on Instagram that she would be taking a break from social platforms to focus on the competition.

But it wasn’t the social media hate that rattled Glenn, she insisted. She was simply tired, sore and disoriented from the unfamiliar Olympic team competition format.

All of Glenn’s other competitors did the short program portion of the competition on Friday. She came in with several good days of training at the venue, but did not get the same kind of opportunity to get used to the stage. Glenn fought through a shaky triple axel to open her program and stepped out of a triple flip that prevented her from completing a planned combination for her second jumping pass.

Waiting in the kiss-and-cry, Glenn bowed her head and stared at the ground. She struggled to muster even a fake smile.

“I’m grateful that the team is so supportive.” said Glenn, who finished behind Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto and Italy’s Lara Naki Gutmann. “But I do feel guilty that I could be the reason that we don’t win the gold, and I don’t know how I will ever apologize for that.”

Glenn clasped her hands in her lap waiting for Sato’s score after the Japanese skater performed a clean program that had his teammates in tears. But his technical score was about five points less than Malinin’s. Glenn was the first skater to hug Malinin in the United States’ team celebration, lifting him off the ground as he extended arms out wide.

With Alisson marooned upfield for a set-piece as Liverpool searched for a late equaliser, Rayan Cherki kicked the ball towards an empty net.

Haaland gave chase and was clearly going to outpace Dominik Szoboszlai.

The City striker had overtaken Szoboszlai 25 yards from goal and looked certain to win the race – but he was pulled back.

It was a clear foul which referee Craig Pawson identified, but he played an advantage.

As the ball rolled towards the goal with the same two players still jostling to reach it, Liverpool‘s Hungary international was about to slide in and clear it off the line.

Before Szoboszlai could do so, however, Haaland pulled him back, and that stopped the home player from keeping the ball out of the net.

The first pull on Haaland muddies the waters. After all, it seemed Haaland was definitely going to score.

But they are two distinct situations. You have to separate the first foul by Szoboszlai and the subsequent offence from Haaland.

Would Szoboszlai have prevented the goal had he not been fouled? There is a high chance.

On that basis it is impossible for the goal to stand.

Remember that Pawson played advantage. Had Szoboszlai been allowed to successfully keep the ball out, the play would have been brought back and he would have been sent off.

The end result would be the same as the outcome of the VAR intervention: no goal and Szoboszlai sent off for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

If you take out the first pull on Haaland, it is hard to see how anyone could have a problem with the goal being disallowed.

This is not the first time, or the last, that the VAR has correctly disallowed a goal and people really struggle to stomach it.

Yes, the goal could be important for Manchester City at the end of the season. But the goal conceded could also turn out to be vital for Liverpool.

Erling Haaland’s 93rd-minute penalty gives Manchester City a crucial comeback win over Liverpool, who end the game with 10 men as Dominik Szoboszlai is sent off in stoppage time at Anfield.

MATCH REPORT: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester City

Available to UK users only.

Erling Haaland’s penalty in second-half stoppage time kept Manchester City’s Premier League title challenge alive with a chaotic 2-1 win away at Liverpool.

Haaland’s spot kick sealed a comeback victory for Pep Guardiola’s team in an explosive football game at Anfield on Sunday and brought the gap on first-place Arsenal back to six points.

City’s title prospects looked in dire shape when Dominik Szoboszlai crashed a stunning long-range free kick in off the post in the 74th minute.

And even when Bernardo Silva equalised 10 minutes later, second-place City was still looking at ending the match eight points adrift of the leader.

But Haaland sent the away fans wild by firing into the bottom corner from the spot in the 93rd after Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson brought down Matheus Nunes in the box.

Then City substitute Rayan Cherki scored from the halfway line – only for VAR to overrule it and send off Szoboszlai for a foul on Haaland in the process of the ball crossing the line.

These two clubs have combined to win the last eight titles in English football’s Premier League. But both showed the flaws that have opened the door for Arsenal to potentially end their long wait to be crowned champions once again.

Haaland has scored just once from open play in his last 13 games, and an uncharacteristic lack of confidence from the Norwegian showed with the best chance of the first half inside the opening two minutes.

Silva’s clever pass split the Liverpool defence, but Haaland’s shot lacked conviction under pressure from Milos Kerkez, and Alisson Becker was able to save low to his left.

Haaland hooked another effort straight at Alisson among 10 first-half City attempts without a breakthrough.

Second-half slumps have been a consistent feature of City’s season, and the visitors again faded in the second period until a late flurry saved their title challenge.

Hugo Ekitike should have opened the scoring when he completely miscued his header just before the hour mark after a lightning-fast Liverpool break.

Marc Guehi was fortunate to escape with just a yellow card when he dragged down Mo Salah just outside the box.

But it was City who were left fuming at the award of the free kick that led to the opener when Ryan Gravenberch went down under minimal contact.

Szoboszlai scored the only goal with an outrageous free kick when Arsenal visited Anfield in August and produced another stunning strike that clipped the inside of the post before finding the net.

However, the Hungarian went from hero to villain when City levelled six minutes from time.

Szoboszlai played Silva onside as he slid in to volley home Haaland’s header for City’s first second-half goal in the Premier League this year.

Alisson then wiped out Matheus Nunes to concede a penalty and Haaland kept his cool from the spot to put City in front.

Pep Guardiola’s men still needed a stunning save from Gianluigi Donnarumma to tip behind Alexis Mac Allister’s deflected shot.

With Alisson remaining forward from the resulting corner, the Liverpool goal was open when Cherki took aim from the halfway line to roll the ball into an empty net.

However, Haaland and Szoboszlai’s grappling as the ball trickled towards the goal saw the strike ruled out, with a free kick awarded to City instead, and the Liverpool player given his marching orders.

Silva, who was named player of the match, told Sky Sports that it was a vital win for City.

“I feel the whole team knew before the game if we lost it then the title race was probably over. We felt like we needed to win,” he said.

“The hope is there, and we are going to fight until the end. We need to keep doing our job that we haven’t lately.”

Liverpool boss Arne Slot said he was disappointed not to come away with a result and claimed that several key decisions had gone against his side.

“You cannot compare this game with three or four months ago. We have improved so much – but we need to improve the results,” he told Sky.

“So many times this year we haven’t got what I think we deserve, and this is another time.”

Palace end dire run at Brighton

Earlier on Sunday, Crystal Palace ended a 12-game winless run in all competitions by beating rival Brighton 1-0.

Ismaila Sarr scored the only goal of the match at the Amex Stadium to move Palace nine points clear of the relegation zone and leapfrog Brighton into 13th place.

“It was an unbelievable atmosphere and what a way to start my Palace career, a win in a derby,” said Palace’s record signing Jorgen Strand Larsen, who joined from Wolves on deadline day. “It was really important to win, as there has been a run without wins before I joined.

“This is the most intense game I have ever played, so I’m tired now, but it is worth it.”

Sarr’s winner came after running through in the 61st minute and firing past goalkeeper Bart Verburggen. It was his second goal in as many games and his 10th of the season.

A look at The Times’ top 25 boys’ basketball rankings for the Southland after the regular season.

Rk. School (Rec.); Comment; ranking last week

1. SIERRA CANYON (22-1); vs. Crespi, Wednesday; 1

2. REDONDO UNION (25-3); vs. Etiwanda, Wednesday; 2

3. SANTA MARGARITA (26-3); vs. Damien, Wednesday; 3

4. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (19-6); vs. La Mirada, Wednesday; 4

5. ST. JOHN BOSCO (20-7); vs. La Mirada, Friday; 5

6. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (22-5); vs. Damien, Friday; 6

7. LA MIRADA (22-6); at SO Notre Dame, Wednesday; 7

8. CORONA DEL MAR (27-1); vs. Crespi, Friday; 9

9. DAMIEN (26-5); at Santa Margarita, Wednesday; 8

10. CORONA CENTENNIAL (25-5); vs. Etiwanda, Friday; 10

11. ETIWANDA (26-2); at Redondo Union, Wednesday; 11

12. CRESPI (19-11); at Sierra Canyon, Wednesday; 12

13. VILLAGE CHRISTIAN (22-6); vs. Newport Beach Pacifica Christian, Wednesday; 13

14. INGLEWOOD (25-5); vs. Tesoro, Wednesday; 14

15. CREAN LUTHERAN (21-7); vs. Santa Barbara, Wednesday; 15

16. JSERRA (19-12); vs. Pasadena, Wednesday; 16

17. LOS ALAMITOS (19-9); vs. Loyola, Wednesday; 17

18. BRENTWOOD (25-3); vs. Long Beach Poly, Wednesday 18

19. LOYOLA (15-15); at Los Alamitos, Wednesday; 19

20. ST. FRANCIS (21-8); vs. Rancho Christian, Wednesday; 20

21. ORANGE LUTHERAN (18-9); at Arcadia, Wednesday; 21

22. ELSINORE (28-0); vs. Sonora, Wednesday; 22

23. ROLLING HILLS PREP (21-6); vs. St. Monica, Wednesday; 23

24. NEWPORT BEACH PACIFICA CHRISTIAN (20-7); at Village Christian, Wednesday; NR

25. SAN GABRIEL ACADEMY (19-8); vs. Cypress, Wednesday; 25

Zach Eckersley scored four tries and Jake Wardle three as the Warriors, last year’s Super League runners-up, easily despatched the Hornets.

Wakefield showed no mercy in their victory either, with Max Jowitt, Matthew Storton and Josh Rourke sharing seven tries between them against the Lions.

Batley were overwhelmed by Catalans, conceding within the first 17 seconds before the visitors ran in a further nine tries.

Elsewhere, Oldham easily defeated Dewsbury Rams 46-0 and Keighley Cougars edged a low-scoring encounter against Midlands Hurricanes 18-14.

The draw for the fourth round will take place on Monday, 9 February, with live coverage on BBC Radio Manchester from 18:40 GMT.

Welcome to your daily review and preview of this year’s Milan-Cortina Olympics. My name is John Cherwa and I’m your tour director for the Games wondering when the United States will get off the schneid and win a medal. Educated guess alert: How about today? Can you say team figure skating?

Saturday was the first day that medals were awarded at the Milan-Cortina Games and not unexpectedly, the host country is doing the best, sweeping all three medal types with a gold in the women’s 3,000 speed skating (Francesca Lollobrigida—before you ask, yes, a grand-niece to Gina) and silver and bronze in the men’s downhill (Giovanni Franzoni and Dominik Paris).

The U.S. squeezed out a 21^st in speed skating with Annika Belshaw and 10^th in the downhill courtesy of Kyle Negomir.

There is no doubt there is a home country advantage for a variety of reasons: familiarity with the competition venues, easier qualification (the home country gets in every event) and enthusiastic crowds urging them on.

Let’s look. 2022 Beijing, China had 15 medals, only nine in South Korea; 2018 PyeongChang, 17 in 2018, eight in Sochi; 2014 Sochi, Russia had 29 that year to 13 four years earlier; 2010 Vancouver, closer with a 26-24 edge for Canada; 2006 Turin, no edge as Italy had 11 compared to 13 in Salt Lake City; 2002 Salt Lake City, the U.S. had 34 medals in Utah and only 13 in 1998 in Nagano.

Italy had 17 medals in Beijing, meaning it has only 15 more medals to top 2022.

Elsewhere on Saturday:

— The U.S. women’s hockey team beat Finland, 5-0, to go 2-0 in pool play.

— The U.S. mixed curling team, after starting 2-0, lost both matches on Saturday to Britain (6-4) and South Korea (6-5).

— Sweden went 1-2 in the women’s 10K skiathlon as Jessie Diggins topped the U.S. team finishing eighth after a crash on the first lap. The U.S. has never won a medal in cross-country skiing and Diggins was a pre-race medal contender.

— Norway won the women’s normal hill ski jumping competition, with Annika Belshaw being the tops at 21^st for the U.S.

— Japan won gold and silver in the men’s snowboard Big Air competition. Ollie Martin of the U.S. was bounced off the stand by the last competitor and finished fourth.

— Despite a mediocre second-place performance by the “Quad God” Ilia Malinin, the U.S. holds the lead with one day to go in the team figure skating. Madison Chalk and Evan Bates of the U.S. won Saturday’s ice dance competition.

NBC GoldZone gets demoted

We have taken the unusual step to demote NBC’s GoldZone (on Peacock) to the SilverZone after a dreadful gaffe on Saturday. In the U.S.-South Korea mixed team curling match, the U.S. rallied with three points in the final frame to tie South Korea sending it to an extra frame. It was down to the last stone to be sent by South Korea with the match on the line. GoldZone, at this moment, cuts to commercial seconds before the final throw. When it came back from the break it went to a canned package on Malinin before picking up figure skating coverage. South Korea won on the last stone and the U.S. and NBC (now) SilverZone lost. Another big gaffe and they could drop to the BronzeZone. Presumably, NBC won’t repeat and pull a Heidi (from 1968) during today’s Super Bowl game.

In case you were wondering

During the Games, we’ll try and answer some questions you might have but didn’t know who to ask. Now you have a spot. We’ll generate a lot of the questions but if you have one, please send to my boss, newsletter editor Houston Mitchell at his email. He prefers to be called Mr. Mitchell as he’s really tired of people saying “Houston, we have a problem.”

In honor of today’s big events:

— Why do they indicate winners when only about a fourth of the downhill field has gone down the course? Unlike sports in which the best people start last (like golf, figure skating etc.) the best skiers go first . So, if you are seeded higher than 15^th, your chances of winning are small and highly unusual. The seeding is decided by FIS points and a random bib draw of the top 15 skiers. There are two reasons, the course gets choppier every time a skier goes down the hill so the earlier you run the better chance of fresh and fair snow you have. And, the later in the day it is, the less firm the snow is because of the sun.

— What’s the difference between ice dancing and pairs in figure skating? In short, pairs is way more athletic. In ice dance there are generally no jumps or throws as there are in other disciplines. Skaters also have to stay within two lengths of each other, unlike pairs. Ice dancing is also the most scandal plagued discipline because of the subjectivity of scoring since there are few jumps, throws or lifts. There have also been rumors of deals made between countries. There have been fixing scandals in 1998, 2002 and 2014.

Best Thing to Watch on TV today

It’s going to sound a lot like Saturday, but the big story today is the likely first medal for the United States in the team competition in figure skating. It starts with the pairs at 10:30 a.m. PST and ends with the men’s singles, starring Ilia Malinin , at 2:55 p.m. Anything short of a gold will be a disappointment. If you are up early enough, the other big event is the women’s downhill with the return of Lindsey Vonn, who tore her ACL last week. It starts at 2:30 a.m. PST with Vonn being the 13^th woman down the hill. If you want to just hang all day, there are four medal events today in snowboard, starting around 4 a.m. PST and going until about 6 a.m. PST.

Sunday’s full Olympic TV and streaming schedule

Sunday’s live TV and streaming broadcasts for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics unless noted (subject to change). All events stream live on Peacock or NBCOlympics.com with a streaming or cable login. All times Pacific. 🏅 — medal event for live broadcasts.

MULTIPLE SPORTS
7:45 p.m. — “Primetime in Milan” (delay; after Super Bowl): Figure skating, skiing, luge, curling, cross-country skiing and more. | NBC

ALPINE SKIING
2:30 a.m. — 🏅Women’s downhill | USA
6:20 a.m. — Women’s downhill (re-air) | NBC

BIATHLON
5:05 a.m. — 🏅Mixed 4X6-kilometer relay | Peacock
5:45 a.m. — Mixed 4X6-kilometer relay (delay) | NBC

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING
3:30 a.m. — 🏅Men’s skiathlon | USA
8:50 a.m. — Men’s skiathlon (re-air) | USA

CURLING
Mixed doubles (round robin)
1 a.m. — Norway vs. Czechia | Peacock
1 a.m. — South Korea vs. Estonia | Peacock
1:55 a.m. — Mixed doubles highlights | USA
5:30 a.m. — U.S. vs. Estonia | USA
5:35 a.m. — Canada vs. Sweden | Peacock
5:35 a.m. — Britain vs. Switzerland | Peacock
5:30 a.m. — Italy vs. Czechia | Peacock
10 a.m. — U.S. vs. Sweden | Peacock
10 a.m. — Canada vs. South Korea | Peacock
10 a.m. — Italy vs. Britain | Peacock
10 a.m. — Switzerland vs. Norway | Peacock
2 p.m. — U.S. vs. Estonia (re-air) | CNBC
4 p.m. — U.S. vs. Sweden (delay) | CNBC
6 p.m. — Italy vs. Britain (delay) | CNBC

FIGURE SKATING
🏅Team competition
10:30 a.m. — Pairs, free skate | USA
11:45 a.m. — Women’s free skate | USA
12:55 p.m. — Men’s free skate | USA
10:30 p.m. — Team competition, final day (re-air) | USA

HOCKEY
7:40 a.m. — France vs. Sweden | Peacock
12:10 a.m. — Czechia vs. Finland | Peacock
2 p.m. — Czechia vs. Finland (delay) | USA
5:30 p.m. — France vs. Sweden (delay) | USA

LUGE
4:30 a.m. — Men’s doubles, training | Peacock
8 a.m. — Men’s singles, Run 3 | USA
9:45 a.m. — 🏅Men’s singles, final run | USA
7:30 p.m. — Men’s singles, runs 3-4 (re-air) | USA

SKI JUMPING
10 a.m. — Men’s normal hill, training | Peacock

SNOWBOARDING
Midnight — Men’s and women’s parallel giant slalom, qualifying | USA
4 a.m. — 🏅Men’s and women’s parallel giant slalom, finals | Peacock
4:30 a.m. — 🏅Men’s and women’s parallel giant slalom, finals (in progress) | NBC
4:30 a.m. — Men’s big air, final (re-air) | USA
7:30 a.m. — Men’s and women’s parallel giant slalom, finals (re-air) | USA
10:30 a.m. — Women’s big air, qualifying | Peacock
3:30 p.m. — Women’s big air, qualifying (delay) | USA

SPEEDSKATING
7 a.m. — 🏅Men’s 5,000 meters | NBC

In case you missed it …

Check out the following Milan-Cortina Olympics dispatches from from the L.A. Times team on the ground Italy:

Doctors explain how Lindsey Vonn can ski at Olympics with a ruptured ACL

‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin conserves energy in Olympic debut; U.S. still leads team skate

Hilary Knight and U.S. women’s hockey routs Finland, works to avoid norovirus

Italian police fire tear gas in clash with anti-ICE protesters near Olympics venue

Meet the ‘Quad God.’ Why Olympic star Ilia Malinin might revolutionize figure skating

NBC juggles emotions of Savannah Guthrie’s family tragedy, celebrating the Winter Olympics

Italians embrace unity — except with JD Vance — during Olympics opening ceremony

Review: Winter Olympics opening ceremony was a sleek Italian spectacle, as only they could deliver

Photos from the sweeping 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics opening ceremony

NBC’s Mike Tirico ready to pull off an Olympic-sized feat at Super Bowl

Inside the Milan Olympic village: real beds, free tech and other athlete perks

From cathedrals to Dolomites: Milan-Cortina Olympics pose a massive logistical test

How climate change is threatening the future of the Winter Olympics

Alysa Liu 2.0: How retirement, perspective helped the U.S. star reach new heights

The power of teamwork: Inside U.S. figure skating’s new Olympic golden age

Hilary Knight’s hockey achievements go beyond gold medals and championships

Everything you need to know about ski mountaineering, the newest Olympic sport

Ten U.S. athletes to watch at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics

Until next time…

That concludes today’s Sports Report Olympic Edition newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email newsletter editor Houston Mitchell at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here and select The Sports Report.