Jutta Leerdam, the fiancée of social media personality and boxer Jake Paul, could earn up to $1 million from Nike.

On Feb. 9, Leerdam won a gold medal in the 1,000-meter speed skating event. She also set the Olympic record, finishing in 1:12.31. After winning, she unzipped her racing coat and showcased her Nike undergarments. Leerdam signed with Nike in Dec. 2025. 

Quod magazine estimated that she could earn up to 62,000 euros per post featuring Nike. Nike contracts generally include incentives to showcase brand wear both on and off the field. 

Leerdam is estimated to be making around $1 million from the Nike endorsement.

Leerdam has won two medals for the Netherlands. She also got a silver medal in the 500-meter women’s speed skating event. 

Paul posted a video of himself and his fiancée celebrating her medals. 

“Just the amount of hard work that goes into it,” Paul said, “Like 99.9 percent of people will never understand. And she pulled it off, under the most amount of pressure ever.”

Officials from the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) found violations in the suits of Olympic skiers Marcus Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang in 2025.

Their suits were found to have an extra centimeter of fabric in the crotch area. The FIS regulates that ski jumpers must wear tight-fitting suits that are no larger than four centimeters larger than their body measurements. Research has shown that adding just a centimeter of fabric to the crotch area can increase flight distance by nine feet. 

Lindvik and Forfang both represent Norway in the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Several Norwegian coaches have received 18-month suspensions from international skiing and snowboarding competitions, including the Olympics.

Lindvik and Forfang have been cleared for competition for Milan.  

There’s been a history of cheating in skiing since at least the 1970s. Austrian suit designers made suits that allowed less air to pass through. The FIS quickly passed regulations on this practice, but Austria and several other countries still tried to make these suit modifications. 

Suit measurement regulations were previously handled manually. American skier Ben Berend said this process was extremely awkward, saying a metal rod moved up throughout the athlete’s body, including the athlete’s crotch area.

In 2023, the FIS began allowing 3D scanners to perform measurements. However, to prevent cheating, they also started doing “visual crotch area inspections.” These inspections are done by neutral doctors or nurses. 

Jens Weissflog, a former German Olympic champion, called suit manipulation “doping, but with a different needle.” 

The FIS hired new equipment control coordinators and implemented other reforms in response to this scandal.

Lindvik competed in three events in the 2026 Winter Olympics. He helped Norway finish with a silver medal in the ski jumping mixed team event. Forfang has competed in two events so far, men’s normal hill individual ski jumping and men’s large hill individual ski jumping.

Team USA Stars have won the NBA All-Star Game after defeating Team World and Team USA Stripes.

The NBA debuted a new format for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. There were three All-Star teams – two USA teams and a World team.

The first game was between Team World and Team USA Stars. Anthony Edwards had 13 points and two rebounds for the USA Stars. Meanwhile, for Team World, Victor Wembanyama had 14 points and six rebounds. The game went to overtime with Team USA Stars winning 37-35.

Team USA Stars took on Team USA Stripes in the second game. Cade Cunningham had 11 points and four assists for the Stars. Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown scored 11 points and had three rebounds for the Stripes. The Stripes won this matchup 42-40.

Team Stripes won the third game against Team World, setting up a final between Team Stars and Team Stripes. Tyrese Maxey had nine points and two rebounds for the Stars. Donovan Mitchell had six points and one rebound for the Stripes. Although the previous three games were close, the final game ended in a blowout, 47-21. 

Edwards won the MVP for the All-Star Game. He scored 32 points in the three games he played. 

Kawhi Leonard got serious consideration for All-Star MVP despite playing for the losing Stripes. In Game 3, he scored 31 points in 12 minutes against Team World. He shot 11 of 13 from the field and six of seven from three-point range.  

The 2027 NBA All-Star Game will be on Feb. 21, 2027, at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. It’s unclear at this time if the NBA will keep this format for the 2027 NBA All-Star Game. The format received positive reviews for getting players to play harder than they usually do in the All-Star game. 

The Miami Dolphins made a shocking decision to release former Pro Bowl wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

The Dolphins announced the release of four veteran players on Feb. 16. This included Hill, Bradley Chubb, James Daniels and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. The Dolphins have looked to shake things up since firing their head coach, Mike McDaniel. 

The Dolphins traded for Hill during the 2022 offseason. Hill was traded for five picks, including the New England Patriots’ 2022 first-round pick. The Kansas City Chiefs drafted Trent McDuffie in 2022, who helped improve their defense. 

Hill helped get the Dolphins back to the playoffs in 2022. This was their first playoff appearance since 2016. In 2023, he led the league in receiving yards with 1,799. 

Hill declined in the 2024 season, only having 959 yards in 17 games. In the 2025 season, Hill played only four games due to a knee injury sustained in a game against the New York Jets.

The Dolphins struggled in the first half of the season with a 2-7 record. The Dolphins went 0-3 in the three games Hill played in without injury. The offense wasn’t bad in those games, though, scoring 27 against the Patriots and 21 against the Buffalo Bills. 

The Dolphins won five of their last eight games of the season. They were on a four-game win streak before quarterback Tua Tagovailoa got hurt.

Despite Hill having talent, his decline over the past couple of seasons has been hard to ignore. McDaniel was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers as the new offensive coordinator. Hill could choose to rejoin his old head coach, but it’s unclear if head coach Jim Harbaugh is interested in Hill. Hill’s original team, the Kansas City Chiefs, could also consider bringing him back. Patrick Mahomes is currently recovering from torn ligaments in his left knee. 

U.S. Olympic hockey star Kendall Coyne revealed her winning habits exclusively to uSports ahead of competing at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. “My everyday habits, it’s recognizing the habits that have made me successful, whether it’s eating, sleeping, training, just emptying the tank every single day to be the best that I can be and being willing to do that every single day,” she said. “As we know, the Olympics are not every four years; they’re every day, and the grind is every day, and just being willing to embrace that grind.”

Kansas State has fired its head coach, Jerome Tang.

This decision comes less than a week after Kansas State’s blowout loss to Cincinnati. After this loss, Tang told reporters that his players “do not deserve to wear their uniforms.”

Kansas State has referenced Tang’s comments as a reason for the firing. 

“This was a decision that was made in the best interest of our university and men’s basketball program,” Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor said. “Recent public comments and conduct, in addition to the program’s overall direction, have not aligned with K-State’s standards for supporting student-athletes and representing the university. We wish Coach Tang and his family all the best moving forward.”

Since this is a for-cause firing, Tang is allowed to dispute it. 

“I am deeply disappointed with the university’s decision and strongly disagree with the characterization of my termination,” Tang said. “I have always acted with integrity and faithfully fulfilled my responsibilities as head coach.”

Disputes over for-cause firings usually trigger legal challenges. Tang could sue Kansas State for wrongful termination. In this case, Kansas State must prove that Tang violated his contract or specific team or league policy. These disputes usually end in private settlements. Both sides usually look to avoid lengthy legal disputes. 

Despite this, Tang is thankful for his time at Kansas State. 

“I am grateful to the players, staff, and fans who make this program so special,” Tang said. “I remain proud of what we built together and confident that I have always acted in the best interests of the university and our student-athletes.”

Matthew Driscoll has been named the interim head coach for Kansas State. For Tang, he will likely get some interest during the offseason. His former school, Baylor, currently has a record of 13-12, which is currently No. 14 in the Big 12. 

U.S. Olympic hockey star Hillary Knight revealed the life lessons she learned on her way to the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. “A life lesson from my Olympic journey is just being able to work with people from different backgrounds and problem-solving on the fly and getting through different adversities,” she told uSports exclusively in November. “How to effectively communicate with one another. So, yeah, think anyone who’s been in our program is set up for success with those life skills, for sure.”

It was a Super Bowl to forget for New England Patriots left tackle Will Campbell, allowing 14 pressures last week against the Seattle Seahawks.

Those 14 pressures mark a season-worst in any game this year from an offensive lineman. Campbell revealed to the media that he had been playing with a torn ligament and was not 100%.

Campbell got injured in Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals, forcing him to be carted off the field and missing four games. The injury was an MCL sprain that never fully healed when he returned to action.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was sacked 21 times during the NFL playoffs, setting a new record and surpassing Joe Burrow, who was sacked 19 times in 2021. Both QBs went on to lose the Super Bowl.

After declining to speak to the media after the Super Bowl, Campbell spoke on Tuesday about the criticism he has received, saying, “When you don’t perform, obviously, I was [drafted] high, paid a lot. So people expect a certain thing, and I expect more of myself. So whenever I don’t perform, I don’t expect everyone to be like, ‘It’s OK, buddy.’ I mean, obviously, it sucks. But it doesn’t suck for anyone more than it sucks for me.”

The Patriots drafted Campbell with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, hoping for him to be the franchise left tackle and protect Maye. “I’m gonna fight and die to protect him with everything I got,” Campbell said after he was drafted.

The Patriots still have high hopes for Campbell to be their franchise left tackle, despite allowing 29 pressures in the postseason.

Pro Bowl tight end David Njoku will not be returning to the Cleveland Browns as the tight end enters free agency.

Njoku spent nine years with the Browns organization and was one of the longest-tenured players on the team. Njoku took to Instagram to say goodbye to Cleveland and the fanbase, writing, “The time for me to find a new home has come, and all I can think of is just the gratefulness in my heart. The City of Cleveland will forever be home.”

Njoku, 29, was the 29th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami. Njoku was drafted alongside superstar Myles Garrett, who was the first overall pick in 2017.

The tight end was rumored to be traded during this year’s trade deadline, but ended up staying put and finishing out the season with the Browns.

Njoku struggled to stay healthy this season, only playing in 12 games. In those games, Njoku totaled 293 receiving yards and four touchdowns while tallying 33 receptions. In his Browns career, Njoku tallied 4,062 receiving yards and 34 touchdowns, having a career year in 2023 with 882 yards and six touchdowns.

Njoku electing not to return to the Browns doesn’t come as a shock, as Browns rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. emerged as the team’s top target. Fannin had a team-high 72 catches for 731 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Njoku will have interest from many teams to be a red-zone threat for a team that is in need of a tight end.

The NBA has announced suspensions for the players involved in the Feb. 9 fight in the game between the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets.

Isaiah Stewart was suspended for seven games, Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate were suspended for four games and Jalen Duran was suspended for two games. 

The fight happened in the third quarter of the game. Duran drove to the basket and received a hard hit from Diabate. Duran expressed his anger to Diabate, who punched Duran. This sparked a fight that took a minute to fully stop.

Bridges attempted to defend his teammate and attempted to hit Duran. Stewart saw this and started to punch Bridges. 

Stewart received the longest suspension for several reasons. First, he wasn’t in the game at the time the fight broke out. NBA rules strictly prohibit players from stepping onto the court during a fight. The press release for the suspension said that Stewart’s history of violent behavior on the court also contributed to his lengthy suspension. This is Stewart’s fifth time being suspended. 

Lamelo Ball and Tre Mann were seen stepping on the court during the fight. Generally, this is supposed to lead to a one-game suspension. However, they left the playing area immediately upon request, so the league decided to be lenient with them. 

The players will serve the first game of their suspensions on Feb. 11. Since this suspension falls during the All-Star break, Stewart will be suspended until March 3. 

Although Duran will also be suspended through All-Star weekend, this suspension does not affect his eligibility for the All-Star game. Duran was named an All-Star for the first time in his career and will represent Team USA-A with his teammate Cade Cunningham. He will be eligible to return to regular-season play on Feb. 21.

WNBA star Rickea Jackson’s attorneys have filed a court notice informing Miami-Dade County that she is willing to testify in the case of alleged domestic violence by her ex-boyfriend, James Pearce Jr. 

Jackson and Pearce Jr. dated for three years until about April 2025. On Feb. 7, police reports say that Pearce Jr. followed Jackson with his car. He allegedly tried to open her car door at a red light and rammed his car into hers when she tried to enter the Doral Police Department. 

Officers attempted to arrest Pearce Jr. on-site, but he got into his vehicle and escaped. Pearce Jr.’s SUV ran into the knee of a police officer. Pearce Jr. was involved in an accident at an intersection, which allowed police to reach him. Pearce Jr. attempted to resist arrest further, but police were able to arrest him anyway. 

Along with the domestic violence charge, he’s also charged with stalking Jackson. He also received charges of felony aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, felony fleeing, and resisting an officer without violence to his person for his alleged attempts to evade arrest. The last charge is a misdemeanor. 

Jackson had transferred to Tennessee for the 2022-23 college basketball season. Pearce Jr. played football at Tennessee for three seasons before being drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.

Pearce Jr. maintains his innocence. His legal team said that the allegations do not tell the complete story. The Falcons issued a statement saying they were gathering more information before making any further comments. 

Pearce Jr. was released on $20,500 bond on Feb. 8. Pearce Jr. received a pretrial order to stay away from Jackson. At this point, no trial date has been set for Pearce Jr. 

Manchester United released a public statement after their co-owner Jim Ratcliffe said that the United Kingdom had been “colonized by immigrants.” 

“Manchester United prides itself on being an inclusive and welcoming club,” Manchester United officials said.

Ratcliffe himself has also walked back on his comments somewhat. 

“I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the U.K. and Europe and caused concern,” Ratcliffe said, “But it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth.”

Ratcliffe also defended his comments by saying that governments must manage migration with investments in industry, skill and jobs. Ratcliffe made these comments during an interview with Sky News.  

The Manchester United Muslim Supporters’ Club, a fan group that unites Manchester United fans who are practicing Muslims, was unhappy with Ratcliffe’s defense.  

“We have noted Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s apology for his ‘choice of language’,” the group said, “However, we do not believe this sufficiently addresses the seriousness of what was said.”

The Football Association (FA) could choose to punish Ratcliffe. The rulebook provides some precedent for punishing representatives of teams (employees, players, owners,etc) for private comments.

Rule E3.1 says, “A participant shall at all times act in the best interests of the game and shall not act in any manner which is improper or brings the game into disrepute or use any one, or a combination of, violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour.”

Rule E3.2 says that a violation of Rule E3.1 would be considered an “aggravated breach” if the comments included references to ethnic origin, color, race, nationality, religious beliefs, gender (including gender reassignment), sexual orientation or disability. 

There is no news of any formal investigations into Ratcliffe’s comments at this time.

Former NHL player P.K. Subban has defended hockey great and TV analyst Wayne Gretzky for his relationship with controversial President Donald Trump.

Gretzky was seen at Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, when he teased the possibility of naming Canada the “51st state” with Gretzky as governor. This caused tension between the two countries, and later, Trump backed off, saying Gretzky is a “free agent.”

Gretzky was also seen at a Washington Capitals game with FBI Director Kash Patel.

Subban came to the defense of “The Great One” when he was interviewed by the Toronto Sun, saying, “I’d like to know what they’ve contributed to the country and what they’ve contributed to the game of hockey,” he continued, “we’re in an opinion-based world; everyone has an opinion, and that’s great. But my job isn’t to listen to everyone’s opinion … Wayne’s paid his dues.”

“He’s been in the trenches. He went to Nagano. He’s put together Hockey Canada. He’s played for Hockey Canada. He’s represented the country. He’s represented the league. He’s done it all. I’m sorry for people who feel (he betrayed Canada). So I would say this, ‘You have zero credibility to comment on Wayne Gretzky and the decisions he makes,’” Subban told the Toronto Sun.

Subban attributes some of the Four Nations Tournament’s success to Trump’s comments about Canada, which sparked a fierce rivalry between the U.S. and Canada.

On Thursday, the NBA came down hard on the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers for prioritizing draft position over winning, according to the league.

The Jazz were handed a $500,000 fine for how the team handled their star players, Lauri Markkanen and newly acquired Jaren Jackson Jr., when the Jazz decided not to play both of them in the fourth quarter of two contests on Feb. 7 versus the Orlando Magic and on Feb. 9 versus the Miami Heat. Against the Magic, the Jazz entered the fourth quarter with a 7-point lead and lost 120-117. Against the Heat, they led by three heading into the fourth quarter and went on to win 115-111. This led to one of the NBA’s biggest fines ever.

The Pacers were fined $100,000 for violating the Player Participation Policy in a game against the Jazz on Feb. 3. The NBA investigated the situation and discovered that Pascal Siakam and two other Pacers starters were ruled out despite being medically able to play. The Pacers went on to lose the game 131-122.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke on the situation, saying, “Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition, and we will respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games.”

Tanking has been an issue across the league for quite some time, and the NBA continues to try to combat teams that intentionally lose games to improve their draft position.

There has been an increase in tanking this season because of how talented this upcoming draft class is with stars such as Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson.

The Philadelphia Phillies knew they were not going to enter the 2026 season with Nick Castellanos in the picture after a long offseason of trade rumors, officially releasing the outfielder on Thursday.

The Phillies will owe Castellanos the $20 million remaining on his contract, plus a prorated portion of $780,000, when he signs with his new team.

Castellanos, who will be 34 on Opening Day, was a key member of the Phillies team that made the World Series in 2022. However, Castellanos had the worst year of his career in 2025, hitting .240/.294/.400 with only 17 home runs. Castellanos also clashed with Phillies manager Rob Thomson on multiple occasions and recently admitted to bringing beer into the dugout after being pulled from a game.

The two-time All-Star has been a negative asset in the field as well, being almost unplayable in the outfield. Castellanos totaled -0.6 WAR in 2025 and only tallied 0.8 WAR in total during his time in Philadelphia.

The Phillies’ President of Baseball Operations, Dave Dombrowski, attempted to trade the outfielder in the offseason, but with his expensive contract and declining production, it was really difficult to find a suitor for Castellanos, especially since other teams knew he would become a free agent.

The Phillies brought in former Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia to replace Castellanos. Garcia provides the defensive upside that Castellanos does not, and is on a cheaper deal, signing a one-year, $10 million deal.

Once Castellanos clears waivers, he will be free to sign with any team that shows interest in him. Certainly, a team that needs a DH could take a flyer on Castellanos, including the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals.

On Friday, New England Patriots star wide receiver Stefon Diggs pleaded not guilty to felony strangulation and other criminal charges in an incident with his personal chef.

The arraignment was postponed until after the Super Bowl so Diggs could play in the championship game. Diggs is next scheduled for a pretrial hearing on April 1.

The chef told officers that she and Diggs had argued about money that Diggs allegedly owed her. The incident happened on December 2 when Diggs “slapped her across the face” and “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck,” causing her to be unable to breathe, according to court records.

A day before the hearing, Diggs made a last-minute change in attorneys, appointing Mitchell Schuster.

Schuster said he “categorically denies these allegations” and that the dispute over money is the motivating factor.

Schuster also added that he doesn’t think there will be a plea deal because he doesn’t “think he is liable or guilty in any way, shape or form.”

Investigators have said that the chef first reported the incident to the police on December 16, two weeks after the altercation.

The Patriots have come out saying they are fully supporting Diggs during this time.

After a controversial decision that left Team USA’s Madison Chock and Evan Bates just 1.43 points away from the gold medal in Ice Dancing at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, the pair is not shying away from voicing their opinions on France’s controversial win.

Chock spoke to CBS News about the judges, saying that it would “definitely be helpful if it’s more understandable for the viewers, to just see more transparent judging and understand… what’s really going on.”

“I think it’s also important for the skaters, that the judges be vetted and reviewed to make sure that they are also putting out their best performance,” she added, “because there’s a lot on the line for the skaters when they’re out there giving it their all, and we deserve to have the judges also giving us their all and for it to be a fair and even playing field.”

The American duo, who are married to each other, were the favorites heading into the event, even though they were 0.46 behind the French duo of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron after Monday’s rhythm dance competition. Chock and Bates posted a world-best score of 89.72 before France’s 90.18 topped it.

Chock and Bates earned a score of 134.67 after their free dance performance to the song “Paint It Black” from the show Westworld. Cizeron and Fournier Beaudry narrowly outscored them with a score of 135.64 after performing to the song “The Whale.”

The controversy comes as Cizeron appeared to make a mistake during a one-footed moving spin, a mistake the American pair didn’t make.

Ultimately, the French duo came out on top with a total score of 225.82, edging out the U.S., which scored 224.39. Canada took home the bronze medal with a score of 217.74.

President Donald Trump has pardoned ex-NFL players Nate Newton, Joe Klecko, Travis Henry, Jamal Lewis and the late Billy Cannon.

Alice Marie Johnson, known as the White House “pardon czar,” announced the pardons on Thursday. Johnson took to social media to thank Trump, saying, the president is showing a continued commitment to second chances.”

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shared the news with Newton, who won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys, Johnson announced.

Newton was a two-time All-Pro offensive lineman and made the Pro Bowl six times before he pleaded guilty to a federal drug trafficking charge in 2002. Authorities found $10,000 in his pickup truck along with 175 pounds of marijuana in an accompanying car that was driven by another man.

Klecko was a former defensive lineman for the New York Jets, being a two-time All-Pro, and is a member of the Hall of Fame class of 2023. He pleaded guilty to perjury in 1993 after he lied to a federal grand jury investigating insurance fraud.

Henry was a running back for the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos, making the Pro Bowl in 2002 with the Bills. Henry pleaded guilty in 2009 to conspiracy to traffic cocaine and was financing a drug ring that moved between Montana and Colorado.

Lewis is the most notable player to be pardoned, being named AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2003 while a member of the Baltimore Ravens. Lewis pleaded guilty to using a cellphone to try to set up a drug deal shortly after he was drafted as the fifth overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft.

Cannon was a two-time All-Pro, three-time AFL champion, and a former Heisman trophy winner when he was at LSU. Cannon admitted to counterfeiting in the mid-1980s after a series of bad investments left him broke. Cannon died in 2018.

The White House has yet to comment on why these players received pardons from Trump.

Kansas State men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang called out his players in a postgame press conference after a 91-62 loss to Cincinnati. 

“This was embarrassing,” Tang said. “These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform, and there will be very few of them in it next year. I’m embarrassed for the university, I’m embarrassed for our fans, and our student section. It’s just ridiculous.”

This may seem a bit harsh, but Kansas State’s play in the game left a lot to be desired. Cincinnati scored 53 points in the first half, while Kansas State scored just 31. Jizzle James led the way for Cincinnati with 24 points. Baba Miller had 16 points and 12 rebounds. Meanwhile, Kansas State was led by PJ Haggerty with 24 points. Taj Manning did get nine rebounds, but it wasn’t nearly enough for help. 

This loss pushed Kansas State’s record to 10-14. This includes being 1-10 in games against Big 12 opponents. Kansas State is currently ranked 10th in the Big 12.

The mood in the fan section has not been great. During the loss to Cincinnati, fans were seen wearing bags over their heads. 

“I’d wear a paper bag, too, if I was them,” Tang said. 

In the 2022-23 season, Kansas State made the NCAA Tournament and reached the Elite Eight. Markquis Nowell, Keyontae Johnson and Nae’Quin Tomlin went on to play in the NBA. This was Tang’s first season as a head coach. 

Kansas State has been unable to replicate this success. Losing Nowell, Johnson and Tomlin hurt the roster. 

Kansas State’s next game is on Feb. 14 when they take on the No. 3-ranked Houston team. Houston is led by freshman Chris Cenac, Kingston Flemings and Isiah Harwell. Cenac and Flemings are projected to be first-round picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. 

Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych will not be allowed to compete in the Winter Olympics after refusing to remove a helmet that honors fallen Ukrainian athletes. 

Heraskevych received a last-minute request from the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation to not wear the helmet. Despite the International Olympic Committee showing willingness to make concessions, Heraskevych refused to compete without the helmet. Heraskevych received notice of his ineligibility just 45 minutes before the competition started. 

On Feb. 22, 2022, Russia launched an invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Russia hoped for a quick invasion, but Ukraine was able to hold Russian forces until NATO supplies arrived. This sparked a nearly four-year stalemate in which neither side has gained any form of advantage. In 2022, Ukraine implemented a mandatory military draft for men aged 25 to 60. Many Olympic athletes were forced onto the battlefield. Heraskevych’s helmet honored around 20 athletes who had died in battle.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky defended Heraskevych on an X post. 

“Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors,” Zelensky said.

In skeleton, competitors race head-first and face-down in a small sled down an icy track. Athletes get a running start on their sled. They maneuver using subtle body movements.   

The first two matches (called heats in skeleton) happened on Feb. 12. Matt Weston of Team Great Britain won both heats. The men’s final two heats will happen on Feb. 13. After the final two heats, medals will be awarded based on the combined time of the four heats. 

Debuting in the 2026 Winter Olympics is a mixed skeleton event. This event will allow the top men and women skeleton athletes to compete against each other. Women still have their separate four-heat event for skeleton as well.