Matt Slater

On final shot, U.S. women’s curling scores biggest Olympic win in 24 years, by an inch Tabitha Peterson's near-perfect last shot saved the U.S. women's team and lifted them to the medal rounds for the first time since 2002.

The curling comes at you so fast in Cortina, I didn’t even have time to share this one about USA’s big win over Switzerland before they started playing Switzerland again.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/705...

Ukraine’s Winter Olympians led out by Russian at opening ceremony Anastasia Kucherova, who has lived in Milan for 14 years, asked if she could carry the "Ucraina" sign.

A story about an unvetted Russian who infiltrated Milan Cortina’s opening ceremony and…..did something nice.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/705...

Skiing legends in Cortina

Ski Sunday fans, a quiz! Can you name all of these chaps? Bonus points for the selfie-hunters in the middle.

Russia, Belarus athletes will compete in Paralympics under national flags Russia's time as a Paralympic pariah is ending, as the International Paralympic Committee announced the move Tuesday.

Fantastic news, the war is over…wait, what?!?!

www.nytimes.com/athletic/705...

An afternoon in the beautiful madness of biathlon, the Winter Olympics’ sleeper hit The sleeper hit at these Games, biathlon requires balance, patience and stamina. And that's just the fans.

Biathlon, you are bonkers…but I love you.

As Norwegian super-fan (& my new friend) Pal put it: “The athletes are good. But what are they doing? They’re competing for 20 minutes. We’re doing this for 20 hours, day after day. We’re the real Olympians!”

www.nytimes.com/athletic/704...

One day later, Canada and Sweden’s Olympic curling beef is still simmering A day after their on-ice dispute at the Olympics was the talk of the curling world, Canada and Sweden weren't entirely ready to move on.

A report from curling’s frontline, where everyone agrees it’s time to move on….but not before Canada accuses Sweden of a “premeditated” wind-up & breaking lots of rules, too. And Sweden says Canada has been at it for years.

Apart from that, all is calm.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/704...

One day later, Canada and Sweden’s Olympic curling beef is still simmering A day after their on-ice dispute at the Olympics was the talk of the curling world, Canada and Sweden weren't entirely ready to move on.

A report from curling’s frontline, where everyone agrees it’s time to move on….but not before Canada accuses Sweden of a “premeditated” wind-up & breaking lots of rules, too. And Sweden says Canada has been at it for years.

Apart from that, all is calm.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/704...

Robbie Earle leading bid for AFC Wimbledon minority stake The 61-year-old has appeared for NBC as a commentator and played 350 games for Wimbledon FC, captaining the team for five years.

AFC Wimbledon have been looking for investment for a bit. In theory, it should be easy - new ground, in London, room to grow, good story. But investors tend to want control, while AFC want to stay “fan-owned”. Will they trust a group led by a club hero?

www.nytimes.com/athletic/704...

Olympic store sells out of controversial T-shirt promoting Adolf Hitler’s 1936 Games An IOC spokesperson said they "acknowledge the historical issues of 'Nazi propaganda'" related to the Berlin competition.

Sorry, kids, that T-shirt I promised you from the Olympics has sold out. Will try to buy the Sochi 2014 cocktail set instead.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/704...

All Olympic curling stones come from this Scottish island. Here’s how they’re made Every stone thrown at the Olympic curling tournaments comes from the same place — the remote island of Ailsa Craig, off the Scottish coast.

There’s a lot of cool kit, made using the latest tech, at the Olympics. And some of the world’s top brands are trying hard to make you want it.

And then there’s curling. But its key piece of kit, the stone, has the best story of all….60 million years in the making.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/696...

At site of Ukrainian skeleton athlete’s Olympic ban, IOC’s arguments ring hollow The IOC had its reasons for barring Vladsylav Heraskevych from the Olympics. On Thursday at the Cortina Sliding Centre, they felt hollow.

In a clash of ideals, nobody won. Apart from Russia. The worst possible result.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/704...

All Olympic curling stones come from this Scottish island. Here’s how they’re made Every stone thrown at the Olympic curling tournaments comes from the same place — the remote island of Ailsa Craig, off the Scottish coast.

There’s a lot of cool kit, made using the latest tech, at the Olympics. And some of the world’s top brands are trying hard to make you want it.

And then there’s curling. But its key piece of kit, the stone, has the best story of all….60 million years in the making.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/696...

Why Man Utd co-owner Avram Glazer’s billion-dollar interest in Indian cricket franchises makes sense Avram Glazer has a reported interest in two IPL franchises, this is why the Manchester United co-owner is involved

For those wondering why Avram Glazer wants to buy an Indian cricket team that only plays two months a year & rents its stadium, there are 1.47bn reasons. No sport is as popular anywhere as cricket is in India, the world’s most populous nation & 5th largest economy.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...

Ukrainian Olympic athlete on collision course with IOC over helmet honoring war victims Questions have arisen about other athletes who have made similar tributes to family members or friends.

Vladyslav Heraskevych was fastest in Wednesday’s final practice session before the men’s skeleton starts tomorrow. He was second fastest on Tuesday & fifth best on Monday. So he’s in great form. It would be a shame, then (and a bad look for the IOC) if he can’t race.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...

Danny Casper, new U.S. men’s curling Olympic skip, is ready for the challenge In November, Casper's team upended John Shuster's 20-year run as the face of U.S. men's curling. Now Casper enters the Olympic spotlight.

The US men’s curling team led by Danny Casper is about to start its Olympic campaign against China. Casper likes a challenge. He must. He’s still dealing with the effects of Guillain-Barré syndrome & his day job is selling Alfa Romeos in Minnesota.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/696...

If, like millions around the world, you’ve been watching curling for the first time in four years, you’ll have spent a lot of time looking at the stones. But do you know how they’re made or, even better, where they come from? Well, wonder no longer.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/vid...

With one small but powerful idea (& a brilliant PR strategy) Vladyslav Heraskevych has grabbed the Olympic family’s attention & asked it a difficult question: you say athletes come first, but what about these athletes? This is new IOC president Kirsty Coventry’s first big test.

Come on, Scotland!!!!

Curling stone hat

Green Bay has its cheeseheads, Cortina’s got graniteheads.

Ukrainian skeleton competitor Vladyslav Heraskevych said a helmet he has used in training at the Milano Cortina Games with images of compatriots killed during the war in Ukraine cannot be used in Olympic competition after being told by the IOC that it violates a rule on political statements.

We are five years on from Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds' takeover of Wrexham, then a fifth tier side — now one promotion from the Premier League.

They both spoke to @rsooty73.bsky.social to reflect on their time so far — and the future ⬇️

🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/702...

Women’s Super League Football, the organisation which oversees the top two tiers of women’s football in England, is monitoring developments with X’s artificial intelligence tool Grok due to concerns regarding its creation of sexualised images.

More from @charpur.bsky.social

bit.ly/4ai5rn6

YouTube TV announced the creation of a sports-focused monthly subscription plan that would carry most available live sports at a $20-per-month discount to its existing one-size-fits-all plan.

The sports-specific plan will cost about $65 per month for existing YouTube TV subscribers.

Bad Bunny's halftime show at Super Bowl LX rose to the occasion.

So, where exactly does his performance rank among the greats?

@saadyousuf126.bsky.social has it in the top 10, narrowly above Kendrick Lamar's show last year 👀

Eileen Gu secured silver in the women's freeski slopestyle final in her breathtaking first run in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

An outlier on Forbes’ 2025 list of the world’s highest-paid female athletes, Gu earns $23m a year — but just $100k of it from her sport.

A day after President Donald Trump called Olympian Hunter Hess “a real loser” over the freestyle skier’s comments about representing the United States, Chloe Kim had this to say in these Winter Olympics that are becoming ever more politically charged.

JUST IN: Lindsay Vonn sustained a “complex tibia fracture" when she crashed in Sunday’s women’s downhill at the Winter Olympics.

"Despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets," she wrote on Instagram.

U.S., in dramatic finish, beats Italy to reach Olympic mixed doubles curling final Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin scored five in the final three ends to win, 9-8, and knock off the defending Olympic champs.

USA’s fire & ice combo down the hometown favourites in a ding-dong mixed doubles curling semi. But while “boy Korey” & “girl Cory” have a shot at gold tomorrow, GB’s Dodds & Mouat must bounce back from a heavy defeat to Sweden. They play Italy for bronze.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...

Lindsay Vonn was the 13th racer in the start list and she was 13 seconds into her run…today was a bad day for triskaidekaphobics. Here’s a video from a subdued/worried women’s downhill course, which is a shame on lots of levels, not least for Breezy Johnson, who was brilliant.

The vice president of Lionel Messi’s boyhood team Newell’s Old Boys says the club are working on plans to bring the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner back to the side in 2027.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/702...