Greenland biathlete pursues Olympic dream while anxious about ‘terrifying’ threats to her homeland
Greenland biathlete Ukaleq Slettemark is used to the stress of competing on the world stage as she tries to qualify for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. But she’s dealing with an extra level of anxiety as President Donald Trump continues to say he wants to take over her country. Speaking from the World Cup in Germany, Slettemark says the threats are terrifying. Her family is having trouble sleeping and people back home are scared. Trump reiterated his intention to take over Greenland on Wednesday, saying “anything less than that is unacceptable.” Slettemark said they are “first and foremost” athletes, and are not political commentators, but said the threats from the U.S. are making life difficult.
Diversity still a major issue at the Winter Olympics. The US is making some strides
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) — USA Bobsled and Skeleton is set to unveil its Olympic rosters, with most women competing likely being women of color. This could make the 2026 U.S. Olympic winter roster the most diverse ever. In 2018, 21 athletes of Black or Asian descent were part of the team, about 8% of the total. The 2026 team could surpass that. Some top American medal hopefuls include Black women like bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor and speedskater Erin Jackson. Despite challenges, representation is growing, with athletes like Mystique Ro and Kaysha Love leading the way.
John Harbaugh interviews in person for the Giants’ coaching vacancy, AP source says
John Harbaugh interviewed in person with the New York Giants for their head coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press. The person said Harbaugh spent most of Wednesday at the team facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Super Bowl-winning former Baltimore Ravens coach is believed to be the Giants’ top candidate. Harbaugh has also spoken to the Atlanta Falcons, who recently hired retired quarterback Matt Ryan as their president of football. Young QB Jaxson Dart, one of the biggest draws for New York, was reportedly involved in meetings with Harbaugh.
NFL playoff weekend sets a record with 12 fourth-quarter lead changes
The NFL has experienced an unprecedented playoff weekend with the first four games featuring a combined 12 lead changes in the fourth quarter. This surpasses the previous postseason record of 10 set in 2007. The weekend began with a thrilling game between Carolina and the Los Angeles Rams, ending with Matthew Stafford’s decisive touchdown pass. Buffalo and Jacksonville also traded leads before the Bills secured a win. Chicago pulled off a historic comeback against Green Bay, marking the Bears’ seventh win this season when trailing in the final minutes. Meanwhile, New England and Houston delivered strong defensive performances, advancing to the next round.
Left-hander Ranger Suárez and Boston Red Sox agree to $130 million, 5-year contract, AP source says
A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that left-hander Ranger Suárez and the Boston Red Sox have agreed to a $130 million, five-year contract. A 30-year-old who became an All-Star in 2024, Suárez spent his first eight major league seasons with Philadelphia. He was 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA last year, striking out 151 and walking 38 in 157 1/3 innings. He did not make his season debut until May 4 because of lower back stiffness. Suárez is 53-37 with a 3.38 ERA in 119 starts and 68 relief appearances.
Pro Picks: Broncos, Seahawks, Texans, Rams will advance to conference championship games
All-Pro Matthew Stafford rallied the Rams to a victory at Carolina last week to set up a divisional round matchup at Chicago on Sunday. Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers fell short in the Super Bowl against Kansas City in overtime two years ago. The Niners eliminated the defending champion Eagles to advance to face Seattle on Saturday night. Josh Allen and the Bills have been knocked out of the playoffs by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs four times in the past five years. Buffalo’s comeback win at Jacksonville sends the Bills to Denver on Saturday. Houston’s defense gives C.J. Stroud another opportunity when the Texans play in New England on Sunday.
Division I cabinet changes transfer portal windows for basketball and some other sports
OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — The transfer portal for men’s and women’s basketball will open the day after the championship game for both NCAA Tournaments for a period of 15 days. The NCAA Division I Cabinet approved changes Wednesday to the window for athletes to transfer in several sports including men’s wrestling, men’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s track and field under changes recommended by the oversight committees for each sport. The changes are effective immediately. The transfer period after a head coaching change starts five days after a new coach is hired or publicly announced. That window opens on the 31st day if the new head coach is not announced within 30 days of the last coach’s departure.
FIFA says it has received more than 500 million ticket requests for 2026 World Cup
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — FIFA says it has received over 500 million ticket requests for this year’s World Cup. Outside the host countries, the most requests come from Germany, England, and Brazil. FIFA is asking for up to $8,680 per ticket. After criticism, FIFA announced $60 tickets for every game, available through national federations. The most-requested match in the recent sales phase was Colombia vs. Portugal on June 27 in Miami Gardens, Florida. FIFA plans to notify applicants about their tickets no earlier than February 5, with random allocation for high-demand matches.
Braden Smith leads 2nd-half charge in No. 5 Purdue’s 79-72 comeback victory over Iowa
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Braden Smith scored all 16 of his points in the second half and tied the Big Ten record for assists in conference play, and No. 5 Purdue overcame a nine-point to beat Iowa 79-72 on Wednesday night. Trey Kaufman-Renn added 12 points, Fletcher Loyer had 11 and Oscar Cluff 10 to help the Boilermakers (16-1, 6-0 Big Ten) win their eighth straight game. They have won their first six conference games for only the fifth time since 1940. Smith finished the game with 478 assists in league games — the same number former Michigan State player Cassius Winston had. Bennett Stirtz had 19 points to lead Iowa (12-5, 2-4). Kael Combs added 16 points.
NCAA urges federal regulators to suspend prediction markets that look a lot like gambling
OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — The NCAA sent a letter asking federal regulators to suspend prediction markets for college sports. The prediction markets are trading sites that allow users to essentially bet on outcomes of games. NCAA President Charlie Baker sent the letter to the chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, urging him to suspend the markets “until a more robust system with appropriate safeguards is in place.” The platforms are legal because they’re classified as financial trading platforms, not gambling websites.
Read more on Yakima Herald-Republic
