Dulcy Caylor posted the highest all-around score for the U.S. during qualifying at the world gymnastics championships.
The U.S. women had a difficult qualifying round, with several gymnasts making errors and missing event finals.
Russian gymnasts, competing as neutral athletes, returned to international competition and looked formidable.

Keep an eye on Dulcy Caylor, gymnastics fans.

Caylor showed her win at the world team selection camp was no fluke, posting the United States’ highest all-around score during qualifying at the world gymnastics championships in Jakarta, Indonesia. She also qualified for the balance beam and floor exercise finals.

Caylor was the only U.S. woman to make more than one event final. Paris alternate Leanne Wong also will compete in the all-around final while fellow alternate Josc Roberson made the vault final. Skye Blakely, who missed the Paris Olympics with an injury, qualified for the uneven bars final.

The women’s all-around is Oct. 23 and the event finals are Oct. 24-25.

The world championships the year after a Summer Olympics do not include a team competition, so only individual events are being contested. Still, it’s often the first look at up-and-comers who could be in the mix for the next Games — in this case, the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Here’s what we learned from qualifying at the world championships:

How U.S. women fared at gymnastics world championships

It was a rough go for the U.S. women in qualifying.

Wong, the all-around silver medalist at the 2021 worlds, balked on her first vault, keeping her out of the final. Blakely went over time on balance beam, and the 0.10 deduction dropped her to ninth, the first reserve position for the final. (Only eight gymnasts qualify for an event final.)

Wong and Roberson struggled on floor, and neither made the final.

“There were some very good pieces, but then there was rough,’ Chellsie Memmel, the technical lead for the U.S. women, told Olympics.com. ‘I didn’t feel like there was an attack of their events and their skills overall. There were still good things, but I have work to do.”

The bright spot was Caylor, who is competing at her first major international event.

Caylor came off uneven bars early in her routine, an error that could easily have sent a newcomer sideways. But she regrouped and finished strong, posting the third-highest score of the all-around qualifiers on balance beam and fourth-best on floor exercise.

Caylor also had the second-highest score on vault of the all-around qualifiers.

The Russians are back

The Russians — sorry, individual neutral athletes — looked formidable in their first major international competition since their country’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Angelina Melnikova, the all-around gold medalist at the 2021 world championships, led all gymnasts in qualifying despite coming off the balance beam. Her all-around score of 54.566 was almost a half-point ahead of Japan’s Aiko Sugihara.

Melnikova also qualified for the vault and uneven bars finals.

Liudmila Roshchina was seventh in all-around qualifying while Anna Kalmykova made the vault final. Leila Vasileva will compete in the uneven bars final.

Paris Olympians shine in qualifying

Many of the medalists from the Paris Olympics are not at worlds, either because they’re taking a break from competition or they’re injured. But Paris uneven bars champion Kaylia Nemour is here and she’s looking golden again.

The Algerian posted the highest score on bars in qualifying, a 15.533 that was almost a point ahead of Yang Fanyuwei of China. Nemour also qualified for the all-around and balance beam finals.

Also, Romania’s Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who was caught up in the floor exercise medal mess in Paris, had the highest qualifying score on floor.

American Jordan Chiles initially finished fifth in the floor exercise final in Paris, her score of 13.666 putting her behind Maneca-Voinea and her Romanian teammate Ana Barbosu. (Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea had identical scores of 13.7, but Barbosu’s higher execution score gave her the tiebreak.) Chiles’ coach Cecile Landi appealed, arguing Chiles had not been given full credit for a tour jete, a leap.

A review panel agreed, and the 0.100 that was added to Chiles’ score put the American on the podium ahead of the Romanians.

The Romanians appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, finally settling on the timing of Chiles’ inquiry as their reason. CAS ruled in their favor, finding Chiles’ inquiry had been filed four seconds after the 60-second deadline. But that decision appears to have several flaws, and Chiles has appealed to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

Steve Spurrier on Lane Kiffin: ‘I firmly think he is a very good coach.’
Steve Spurrier says Florida needs ‘a proven coach,’ mentions Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz.
Gators fans crave winning, but they also love scoring and quarterback play.

All Florida Gators fans want is the second coming of Steve Spurrier. Is that too much to ask?

Actually, it’s asking a lot.

Spurrier is one of one. He goaded the competition, and he backed it up. He changed the game. He inspired a generation of coaches. An offensive mastermind, he developed quarterbacks as well as anyone, but the Head Ball Coach knew more than ball. He understood this is an entertainment business. Sportswriters gravitated to him. He shrewdly helped nickname Florida’s stadium The Swamp.  

In an industry full of stiffs, Spurrier’s anything but that.

Which, explains Florida’s fascination with Lane Kiffin. Consider the traits I laid out about Spurrier. Now, consider Kiffin. Understand why Kiffin is the coveted prize? He’s the closest coach to Spurrier Florida could ever hope to find.

What’s Spurrier think of Kiffin? I figured I’d ask.

“I firmly think he is a very good coach,” Spurrier, 80, told me this week. “There’s no question about that. I like him. I like Eli Drinkwitz (of Missouri). I like a lot of guys out there that are proven winners.”

Steve Spurrier on Florida coaching search: ‘Hire a proven coach’

Spurrier’s not so convinced of my idea Gators fans crave the second coming of Spurrier. He thinks it’s more they just want another winner, in any shape or form.

“I think we’re going to try to hire a proven coach who’s got a winning record in the SEC or another major conference,” Spurrier said. “I think that’s the type of coach we’re looking for.”

Florida’s enjoyed two premier coaches in its history. Both established themselves as winners before they coached the Gators. Spurrier went 20-13-1 in three seasons at Duke. If that doesn’t sound good, you’ve forgotten the Blue Devils’ history before he coached them.

Duke’s last ACC championship came as a co-title with Virginia in 1989, Spurrier’s final season before he left to coach his alma mater, where he won the Heisman Trophy.

Later came Urban Meyer, Jeremy Foley’s slam dunk hire. Meyer first won at Bowling Green, and then he won big at Utah.

There’s no Meyer in this search, but Kiffin’s the slam dunk choice, if only he’d leave what he’s built at Mississippi.

Why Lane Kiffin a slam dunk candidate for Florida, but who else?

It’s not just that Kiffin’s coaching style, his gameday fashion — notice the visor? — his pedigree of quarterback development, and his history of quips makes him the spiritual heir to Spurrier.

He’s proven. He’s 27-6 the past 2½ seasons at Ole Miss, continuing the success story of his tenure. He previously won two Conference USA titles in three seasons coaching Florida Atlantic.

Never mind Kiffin’s coaching missteps early in his career. That’s ancient history.

What if Kiffin says no? Interestingly, Drinkwitz owns an identical 27-6 record to Kiffin the past 2½ seasons, although his list of signature victories is shorter. He, too, coaches a playoff contender.

Or, to satisfy Florida’s craving for points, look to Tampa. Alex Golesh’s South Florida Bulls average nearly 42 points and operate an entertaining spread system Golesh learned from Josh Heupel.

While Golesh coordinated Tennessee’s offense in 2022, the Vols led the nation in scoring. Florida probably would hesitate before hiring another Group of Five winner after Billy Napier went bust, but that’s no way to think. Hire the best candidate, period. Curt Cignetti coached James Madison before Indiana hired him. Now, he coaches the nation’s No. 2-ranked team. There’s more than one way to skin this cat.

One potential candidate to avoid? James Franklin.

The fired Penn State coach wants to coach again, and he fits somewhere, but not at Florida. He’s a program builder, but he’s no savant of offense or deft developer of quarterbacks. He’s the anti-Spurrier. I’m imagining Kirby Smart’s reaction to Florida hiring Franklin, and I just see Kirby wagging that tongue.

As for Spurrier, he says the challenge for coaches is tougher nowadays, with NIL and transfer free agency bringing more parity to the SEC than he encountered in his day. He noted Vanderbilt’s recent victory against LSU.

“Those guys are really good up there at Vandy,” Spurrier said.

Yeah, but coach Clark Lea doesn’t wear a visor, and he’s not quick with a quip — to the extent that matters to Florida. Spurrier, for his part, isn’t hung up on that.

“We were certainly winners, when you look at our record” throughout Spurrier’s tenure, the HBC said. “I think that’s what they want.”

I think that’s right, but I think they also want swagger and scoring and quarterback pizzazz and maybe a one-liner or two — and it sure wouldn’t hurt to look good in a visor.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

At the age of 40, LeBron James is set to begin his record-setting 23rd NBA season, but he’s doing so banged up.

James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, is also entering the final season of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers after he opted into his $52.6 million player option in late June.

The Lakers are tipping off their season Tuesday, Oct. 21 in Los Angeles against the Golden State Warriors on the NBA’s opening night. The game will tip off at 10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on NBC.

Here’s everything you need to know about LeBron James’ injury heading into Tuesday night’s opener against Warriors:

Is LeBron James playing tonight?

No, the Lakers have said that James will miss the first few weeks of the regular season. The team made the announcement Thursday, Oct. 9 that James was dealing with a sciatica issue on his right side and that he would be reevaluated three-to-four weeks from then. The Lakers had previously said that James was dealing with nerve irritation in his glute.

James did not play in a single preseason game this year and did not practice fully with the team. He was a constant presence around the team at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California but was limited in his basketball activities. He was spotted jogging around the court recently, putting up shots and layups, though he was doing so casually, not wearing any socks.

Lakers coach JJ Reddick had said Thursday, Oct. 8 that James was “on his own timeline” in his progression from the injury.

This will mark the first time in James’ career that he misses a season opener for any reason.

What is sciatica?

Sciatica is a pain caused by some level of irritation, pinching, or compression of the sciatic nerve, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

The sciatic nerve is located in the lower back and runs down the back of each leg. It begins from the lower part of the spinal cord and extends through the buttocks, back of the thigh and down to the foot.

As a result, the area of pain can range anywhere along the back of the leg.

What does this sciatica injury mean for LeBron James?

James has been one of the more dependable and available players, despite his age.

Still, James will turn 41 in late December and will likely need to manage his usage and body as the season progresses. Known for being a player who is exacting and meticulous about his body and his health, James will likely ensure he is fully healthy before making his return to the court.

Once he is cleared, however, James may still need some time to acclimate to game speed, as he has missed the bulk of training camp with the nerve issue.

If James is cleared three weeks from the day of the Lakers’ original announcement, James would potentially be available to return for Los Angeles’ sixth game of the season, against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, Oct. 31.

If the timeline is pushed to four weeks, James could potentially miss the first nine games of the season, with a Saturday, Nov. 8 contest against the Atlanta Hawks being a potential return.

James has maintained that he wants to compete for NBA championships, so the nerve issue should not be a significant concern, provided the rest and recovery heals the injury. Given the length of the NBA regular season and playoffs, some missed time is to be expected for a player James’ age.

TORONTO — Dan Wilson was between the white lines the last two times the Seattle Mariners came this close to the World Series, a catcher on the teams that lost to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. He swung a bat and handled a pitching staff and ostensibly had a chance to affect the outcome.

Yet nothing he did on the field in that situation torched the Mariners’ World Series dreams like his maneuvers as their manager in Game 7 of this ALCS.

Sure, George Springer won this ALCS with a stunning, three-run go-ahead home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, giving the Blue Jays a 4-3 victory that sent them to the World Series to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Yet it was Wilson who received an excellent start from George Kirby, who got home runs from Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh to take a 3-1 lead, who had one of the best closers in the game, Andres Muñoz, fully rested and geared up for a multi-inning appearance.

And somehow, he blew it all.

Wilson yanked Kirby after four innings, got a solid two innings from starter-turned-reliever Bryan Woo, and then, when Woo allowed the first two runners in the seventh to reach base, made one of the most questionable pitching changes in recent major league history.

Jogging through the bullpen gate, the season hanging by a thread, the tying runs in scoring position, wasn’t Muñoz. It was Eduard Bazardo, a well-regarded set-up man – yet a guy who’d pitched two innings the night before.

He’d also appeared in eight of the Mariners’ 11 postseason games heading into Game 7.

‘He’s pitched a lot,’ Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman said of Bazardo. ‘I think he pitched in just about every game this postseason for them. He’s had an unbelievable postseason.

Yet on this night, he hung a sinker right in the middle of the plate to the wrong guy. Springer lashed it for a go-ahead three-run homer, the 23rd of his storied postseason career.

Season over. World Series, snatched away. And a winter’s worth of second-guessing for the manager who just completed his first full season.

‘It’s very mixed. Disappointed, obviously. Frustrated,’ Wilson said of the atmosphere in the Seattle clubhouse.

It could have worked out even worse. Due to the three-batter minimum, Bazardo was guaranteed to face Springer, Nathan Lukes and, if a man reached, ALCS MVP Vladimir Guerrero. In short, a pitcher not on full rest asked to take down the heart of the lineup with a World Series trip on the line.

Heck, had he gone to Muñoz, it’s possible Springer and Guerrero and Co. wouldn’t have seen another plate appearance the rest of the night. Blue Jays manager John Schneider says in discussing the situation with bench coach Don Mattingly and hitting coach DeMarlo Hale, he was expecting Wilson to intentionally walk Springer and bring in lefty Gabe Speier.

‘I actually thought he was gonna bring in Speier, walk George and make me pinch-hit for Lukey,’ says Schneider.

‘I loved that he left the bat in his hands.’

And a winter’s worth of regret begins right now for Seattle.

‘I love every guy in this room but ultimately, it’s not what we wanted,’ Raleigh said after Game 7. ‘I hate to use the word failure, but it’s a failure. What we expected was to get to the World Series and win the World Series.’

Four top-10 teams were defeated in Week 8, significantly altering the College Football Playoff forecast.
Texas Tech and Mississippi dropped out of the projected 12-team field after their losses.
Oklahoma and Brigham Young are now forecasted to make the playoff.

Evaluating the College Football Playoff picture is a bit like trying to navigate quicksand. The harder you try to make sense of it, the worse it gets. Such were the results of Week 8 when we saw four teams in the top 10 fall and major changes to which contenders are forecasted to make the 12-team field.

Three of the aforementioned quartet that lost were in the playoff last week. All of them saw their positions diminished with Texas Tech and Mississippi dropping out and Miami losing its first-round bye that seemed like with the Hurricanes appearing to be the class of the ACC.

Moving in this week are Oklahoma and Brigham Young. The Sooners face a rough five-game finish against teams ranked in the top 20 of the US LBM Coaches Poll. But with three of those games at home and losses piling up among contenders, it’s possible 9-3 might be enough given they already have a non-conference win against Michigan.

The Cougars, meanwhile, are projected to win the Big 12 after their defeat of rival Utah. They’re not flashy but they’ve found a winning formula with freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier making plays on the ground and through the air to support a stingy defense.

The weekend ahead again features difficult changes for many of the CFP teams. So check back next week when things should again change.

Notes: Legacy Pac-12 teams will fill the Pac-12 spots. Some conferences may not fulfill their bowl allotment. Asterisks

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is a four-time Olympic gold medalist and the world-record holder in the women’s 400-meter hurdles.
She recently switched to the open 400-meter race, winning a world championship and setting a new American record.
McLaughlin-Levrone is now considering pursuing the 400-meter world record and may compete in both the 400 and 400 hurdles in the future.
She is the new face of Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses, which feature AI-powered tools.

There isn’t much Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone hasn’t achieved. The track and field star is one of the most accomplished active athletes across all sports.

McLaughlin-Levrone is the women’s 400-meter hurdles world-record holder and a four-time Olympic gold medalist. She’s the first woman in history to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the 400-meter hurdles.

McLaughlin-Levrone removed the hurdles this year and decided to run the open 400. The event changed yielded similar results. McLaughlin-Levrone broke a 19-year-old American record en route to winning the world championship gold medal in the 400 with a championship record time of 47.78 seconds.

McLaughlin-Levrone met with USA TODAY Sports on behalf of Oakley Meta. She’s the new face of Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses that feature AI-powered performance tools.

“Whether it’s blocking out the sun or style points. I think these glasses, for me, kind of encompass all of it,” McLaughlin-Levrone said. “Including the ability with even training and performance have that innovative edge.”

Here are the highlights from the interview:

Editor’s note: McLaughlin-Levrone’s answers were slightly edited for clarity.

What made you switch from the 400 hurdles to the open 400 for this season?

McLaughlin-Levrone: “I really think there was just a challenge there to push. Two years ago when I pursued it in 2023, I just wasn’t able to make it to the World Championships due to injury. Circling back this year, I felt this tug on my heart to really pursue it again. The year was up and downs of just trying to figure out this event. Though it’s the same distance, it’s so different from the hurdles. So just wanting to push myself through that challenge, and I’m grateful for how it turned out.”

You’re the world-record holder in the 400 hurdles and the American-record holder in the open 400. The women’s 400 world record is 47.60. Is that what you’re eyeing next?

McLaughlin-Levrone: “I think it’s fair to say that that’s definitely something that’s on my radar. I think coming so close at Worlds.

‘I think we knew that sub-48 was there. I think I was a little surprised to see 47.78. You feel so close yet so far away from that world record. But it’s exciting. I think it’s an exciting time for sports. It’s an exciting time for that event. It definitely is a challenge that I hopefully can push myself in for more races to come.”

Have you thought about competing in both the 400 hurdles and 400 at the world championships or 2028 Olympics?

McLaughlin-Levrone: “There’s been a lot of talk about this double. I can’t rule anything out. I think one of the beauties of just the versatility is that there’s options, and so I think over the next few years, we’ll definitely have to weigh kind of what makes sense for us and what that looks like. I don’t think we’re settled on anything quite yet, so everything’s on the table.”

A track and field woman hasn’t won AP Female Athlete of the Year or Best Female Athlete at the ESPY Awards in over 20 years. Your resume is as good as anyone’s. Do you feel you deserve the award?

McLaughlin-Levrone: “I think it’s tough when there’s so much different criteria that goes into all of these different things and how these awards are kind of scored. I was nominated for an ESPY this year. It was really nice to be able to go to be amongst all the amazing athletes.

“I don’t know what all the criteria is. I’m just going to keep working hard. My husband looked at me and was like, ‘You’re a winner in my eyes.’ And I joked. I was like, ‘Maybe I needed one more world record to set it over the top.’ I think track and field is not at the forefront of American sports because of just our profile is a bit smaller. That’s where my hope for the L.A. (Olympics) is to really boost all of our profiles in that sense.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.