MILAN — Japan has a chance to sweep the women’s figure skating competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.

There was a lot of hype and hope that the United States trio of Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito would storm the podium, but after Tuesday’s short program, only Liu has a chance to medal.

The Japanese skaters, however, are all in striking distance.

Teenager Ami Nakai took first place (78.71 points). The 17-year-old started off with a clean triple Axel and only got better from there, putting up a strong performance to start the fourth of five groups. Her score was a season best and her joyful performance got the crowd on their feet.

Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto — the reigning Olympics bronze medalist — is second (77.23), and Mone Chiba finished fourth (74). Only Liu broke up their dominance with a third-place performance (76.59). Adeliia Petrosian of Russia (72.89) rounded out the top five.

They now await Thursday’s free skate to determine who takes home a medal. The top 20 of 29 skaters in the short program advanced. That includes Liu, Levito (eighth) and Glenn (13th), whose strong performance was marred by her bailing on a triple loop, which gave her zero points on that element.

‘Whether I beat them or not is not my goal,” Liu said to the Associated Press when asked about the Japanese skaters. “My goal is just to do my programs and share my story and I don’t need to be over or under anyone to do that.”

MILAN – The quarterfinals for the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s hockey tournament are set, and the last one of the day projects to be especially intriguing.

We’re into the final days of the tournament, with eight teams left standing. Four of them are playing for the second time in two days when the quarterfinals are staged on Feb. 18 at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.

The top four seeds are Canada, USA, Slovakia and Finland. Those teams earned byes into the quarterfinals.

The rest of the seeds are Switzerland (5), Germany (6), Sweden (7) and Czechia (8).

Here’s a breakdown on the men’s hockey quarterfinals for Wednesday, Feb. 18:

Canada vs Czechia

Time: 10: 40 a.m. ET

Canada was plus 17 in goal differential after the preliminary round. The Canadians are in a groove, led in scoring by Connor McDavid’s nine points in three games, and in leadership by captain Sidney Crosby.

‘We understand the circumstances, and what we need to do, and obviously what got us to this point, as far as our identity and things like that,’ Crosby said. ‘We’ve got to keep getting better. Stakes are a little higher now.’

Czechia emerged from a tightly played qualification game against Denmark to land in the quarterfinals opposite Canada, a team that won 5-0 in their early meeting.

‘Maybe let’s put the respect aside a little bit and try to take their game to them,’ David Pastrnak said. ‘Offensively, their power is incredible. Just have to be a little stronger on pucks, play more in the O-zone and be more confident. We have nothing to lose. So we’re going to go out there and leave it all out there. As a team we haven’t played our best yet, so hopefully we will save it for tomorrow.’

Prediction: Canada.

USA vs Sweden

Time: 3:10 p.m. ET

The Americans have the best overall depth at the tournament, and their goaltending should outshine Sweden’s. Sweden has yet to look in sync at the tournament, with slow starts, and indifferent performances against host Italy and, more remarkably, against Nordic rival Finland. Even in the qualification game against Latvia, they were outplayed in the second period, then shut things down in the third.

‘We’ve taken a step,’ Sweden coach Sam Hallam said. ‘I think this game gives us even some more learning about each other and some more chemistry. Maybe tomorrow is the first time we go in a bit as an underdog in a game. Our goal when we come into this Olympics is to go all the way, and we were prepared to play some really good teams on the way, so it’s interesting to play the U.S. in the quarterfinals.’

Prediction: USA

Slovakia vs Germany

Time: 6:10 a.m. ET

The Germans haven’t looked in peak form, but they did some things against France in the qualification game that seemed to boost their self-appraisal.

‘Solid, solid effort over 60 minutes,’ Moritz Seider said. ‘I thought we played really well. Another great start. Honestly, it kind of becomes a strength of ours along the tournament. If you look over 60 minutes, yeah, there were some dips, but I think very, very solid effort and a really good result. I think sometimes we got to be a little faster and we did that in the third. We moved the puck up a little bit more, weren’t afraid of running the puck and getting it back on the forecheck. Those are little things we got to continue.’

The Slovaks, with headliner Juraj Slafkovsky, will present a challenge, but Germany has Seider, Leon Draisaitl and Tim Stützle.

‘Couldn’t ask for a better opponent,’ Seider said. ‘I think we’re both expecting a great game and hopefully we can provide that. It’s right there for the taking for both teams. One team will end up short and hopefully it’s not us.’

Prediction: Germany

Finland vs Switzerland

Time: 12:10 p.m. ET

The Finns lost to Slovakia in the opener, then put on a dominating performance against Sweden and routed Italy in the last game of round robin play. Switzerland beat France, lost to Canada and took down Czechia in overtime in preliminary play, beating Italy in qualification play.

There’s solid-to-star power talent on both teams, but the Finns have the better goaltending.

Prediction: Finland

Where to watch Olympic men’s hockey

Watch Olympic hockey on Peacock

How the Olympics men’s hockey tournament works

The 12 teams are divided into three groups. They are:

Group A: Canada, Switzerland, Czechia, France
Group B: Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Italy
Group C: USA, Germany, Latvia, Denmark

Teams play one game each against the other three teams in their group. Countries get three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime win, one for an overtime/shootout loss and zero for a regulation loss.

After the preliminary round is complete, teams are seeded 1 through 12 under the following criteria:

Higher position in the group
Higher number of points
Better goal difference
Higher number of goals scored for
Better IIHF world ranking

The top four teams (group winners and best second-place team) get a bye to the quarterfinals. Teams 5-12 play in a qualification round, with the winners going to the quarterfinals.

Playoff qualification games are on Feb. 17, quarterfinals are Feb. 18 and semifinals are Feb. 20.

The bronze medal game is Feb. 21 and the gold medal game is Sunday, Feb. 22.

The 2025 NFL season is officially in the rear-view.

A season capped off by the Seattle Seahawks winning Super Bowl 60 over the New England Patriots saw many streaks come to an end. The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t win the AFC West for the first time in a decade. Baltimore missed the playoffs and parted ways with coach John Harbaugh after 18 years. The team that knocked them out of contention – Pittsburgh – has a new coach in 2026 for the first time since 2007 after Mike Tomlin stepped down.

On an individual level, one of the more remarkable streaks came to an end. For the first time in his 12-year career, wide receiver Mike Evans did not reach 1,000 receiving yards. An injury-marred season limited him to 368 yards in just eight games.

He’s not done yet, though.

Evans will return in 2026 for a 13th season, per multiple reports. He turns 33 years old in August and will be a free agent this offseason.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Evans No. 7 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. He’s spent the entirety of his 12-year career with the Buccaneers. Those 12 years featured two second-team All-Pro awards and six Pro Bowl honors.

Evans suffered hamstring and clavicle injuries as well as a concussion in 2025, which kept him out for nine out of 17 games. He’d tied Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice for the most 1,000-yard receiving seasons in a row with 11 entering the 2025 season, but the injuries meant he would not break that long-standing record.

Evans will test free agency for the first time in his career this offseason. Tampa Bay may end up bringing him back; the franchise has $23.9 million in cap space, per OverTheCap.

But the team has young talent at the position in Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, and Tez Johnson as well as veteran Chris Godwin and could decide to spend that money elsewhere.

Mike Evans career stats

Here’s how Evans ranks all-time in receiving statistics:

Receptions: 866 (31st)
Receiving yards: 13,052 (21st)
Receiving touchdowns: 108 (10th)
Scrimmage yards: 13,062 (51st)

However, the 37-year-old 3-point specialist isn’t feeding into that type of talk and says he hasn’t given any thought about it in his 17th season.

Curry told People Magazine that he’s ‘not really putting too much pressure on that.’

‘Thinking about the end robs you of the now,” Curry said. “I’m enjoying the journey of competing and all the work that goes into it. Hopefully that carries me a long way.”

He has shown zero signs of slowing down. Curry has averaged 27.2 points on 46.8/39.1/93.1 shooting splits in 39 games during the 2025-26 regular season.

However, he’s faced minor setbacks this season. Curry just recently missed the All-Star Game and the two previous games for the Warriors as he nurses soreness in his right knee.

The Warriors remain eighth in the Western Conference standings at 29-26. If the postseason began today, they would have a play-in game for the No. 7 playoff spot against the Phoenix Suns.

With the Warriors still hanging in contention and Curry as competitive as they come, there is no retirement in the near future.

‘I’ll declare itself, whenever the time comes to call it quits, which I don’t think is anytime soon,” Curry told People.

Curry was drafted by the Warriors with the seventh pick of the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft. He since has become a 12-time All-star, four-time NBA champion. two-time league MVP, a Finals MVP and an Olympic gold medalist.

He is arguably the greatest NBA 3-point shooter ever and was named to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

One thing’s for sure: He’s playing next season.

Curry signed a one-year, $62.59 million veteran contract extension with Golden State through the 2026-27 season.

He already has agreed to participate in the NBA 3-Point Contest during the 2027 NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix following a request from this year’s 3-point contest winner Damian Lillard.

Curry is the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-point shots made with 4,233.

Tiger Woods could be eyeing a return to competitive golf in time for The Masters in 2026.

Woods gave a mostly positive assessment during his latest injury update while speaking to reporters about a variety of topics on Tuesday, Feb. 17, ahead of this week’s Genesis Invitational, the annual PGA Tour event he hosts in Southern California. The 50-year-old golfer said he’s back to hitting full shots, discussed the potential of debuting on the PGA Champions Tour this season and did not shut down questions about teeing up at Augusta National in less than two months.

‘No,’ Woods said with a sly smile when asked if playing in The Masters in April is off the table, according to Golfweek.

Woods did not give a target date for his return. The five-time Masters champion hasn’t competed on the PGA Tour since the 2024 Open Championship.

Woods was last scheduled to play on the PGA Tour in the Genesis Invitational in February 2025, but withdrew from the field before the tournament started after his mother died. He then ruptured his Achilles in March while training and practicing at home. He underwent the seventh back surgery of his career last October.

“It’s just sore. It takes time. Willy Z went through it, and it took him a while to come back,” Woods said Tuesday, referring to 29-year-old PGA Tour golfer Will Zalatoris, who underwent his own back surgery last year and returned to action late last season. “I’m a little bit older than Willy Z. It’s probably going to take me a little bit longer. My body has been through a lot.”

Added Woods: “It’s just one of those things where it’s each and every day, I keep trying, I keep progressing, I keep working on it, trying to get stronger, trying to get more endurance in this body and trying to get it at a level at which I can play at the highest level again. The quality of life was better back then because it was just new. It was my first operation, so I’ve had many operations since then, so body has been through a little bit more.” 

Woods can prepare for The Masters this year by playing on the PGA Champions Tour, which permits players to use a cart. He could potentially make his debut on the over-50 circuit at one of three events in March – the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational in Boca Raton, Florida, the Cologuard Classic in Tucson, Arizona or the Hoag Classic in Newport Beach, California – if he wanted to play in a tournament before The 2026 Masters begin on April 9.

“It’s challenging, and now I entered a new decade, so that number is starting to sink in and has us thinking about the opportunity to be able to play in a cart,’ Woods said. ‘That’s something that, as I said, I won’t do out here on this (PGA) Tour because I don’t believe in it. But on the Champions Tour, there’s certainly that opportunity.” 

MILAN — The night started with promise and hope for the U.S. women’s figure skating team.

The trio of ‘Blade Angels’ — close friends Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito — had enchanted fans in the lead-up to the 2026 Winter Olympics with their camaraderie and determination to do things their own way.

They also represented the Americans’ best chance at ending a 20-year Olympic medal drought. But expectations shifted after the short program on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Liu was the first American to take the ice, the opening skater in the fifth and final group. The reigning world champion turned in an exceptional program, one good enough to earn her a season-best score (76.59) and put her in third place.

One skater later, Levito turned in a clean routine, putting her in eighth place (70.84) and marking her Olympic debut in front of her mother’s hometown crowd.

But competing second to last of the 29 skaters, Glenn had a painful performance, one that had started with a strong triple axel, but unraveled two elements later when she bailed on a triple loop, resulting in zero points on an invalidated element and landing her in 13th place (67.39).

‘I don’t know what happened, I had it,’ Glenn, who was clearly distraught by her outing, could be heard saying in the Kiss-and-Cry.

“She’s gone through so much, and she works so freaking hard,’ Liu said of Glenn. ‘Genuinely, such a hard worker, and she’s overcome a lot, and I just want her to be happy, that’s genuinely all I want.’

Now, Liu stands alone as USA’s best chance at a medal. If she pulls it off, she would become the first American woman since Sasha Cohen took silver in 2006. But she has to overcome Japan’s Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto, who are in first and second, respectively.

“It doesn’t change how I did,’ Liu said of her place in the standings. ‘I mean, I’d hope it doesn’t change how people view my performance, either.”

Alysa Liu’s short program

Alysa Liu is back on figure skating ice at the Winter Olympics, and she’s doing it her way, on the path to gold.

The 20-year-old delivered a beautiful short program from start to finish, highlighted by a pristine triple lutz + triple loop combination. By the time she was done with the program, her coaches were celebrating and she held her hands to her face, seemingly shocked by how well she did. The routine for Liu is an emotional one, set to the song ‘Promise’ by Laufey.

Liu scored a season-best 76.59, good enough for third place. It was a much cleaner showing than her short program in the team competition, when she scored a 74.90.

“It doesn’t change how I did,’ Liu said on being in third place. ‘I mean, I’d hope it doesn’t change how people view my performance, either.”

Amber Glenn’s short program

The 26-year-old opened her short program with an impressive triple axel that earned 10.06 points, about a third of a point higher than the only other triple axel executed on the night. (Japan’s Ami Nakai, who is in first place, landed one for 9.71 points).

But Glenn bailed on a triple loop two elements later, which invalidated it and resulted in a program score of 67.39, dropping her to 13th place. The three-time reigning U.S. champion knew it when she finished her routine at center ice and in the Kiss-and-Cry section awaiting her score. She grimaced. She put her left hand on her chest. She breathed heavily.

‘I don’t know what happened, I had it,’ she could be heard saying in the Kiss-and-Cry.

When her score was read out, she tried to keep it together, flashing a heart sign and double wave to the camera. But seconds later, she dropped her head in her hands and cried, her coach Damon Allen rubbing her back. She sat there the first few moments of Mone Chiba’s performance, distraught, before putting her skate guards on and walking off into the tunnel.

Isabeau Levito’s short program

In her mother’s hometown, Isabeau Levito made her Winter Olympics debut. The former U.S. champion finished her short program with a score of 70.84, putting her in eighth place entering the free skate. Levito’s performance included two songs: ‘Almost in Your Arms’ by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston and ‘zou bisou bisou’ by Bill Shepherd and Alan Tew.

Women’s short program figure skating results

Here are standings after the women’s short program.

Ami Nakai (Japan): 78.71 total segment score, 45.02 technical elements score, 33.69 program components score.
Kaori Sakamoto (Japan): 77.23 total segment score, 40.08 technical elements score, 37.15 program components score.
Alysa Liu (USA): 76.59 total segment score, 41.34 technical elements score, 35.25 program components score.
Mone Chiba (Japan): 67.39 total segment score, 34.19 technical elements score, 33.20 program components score.
Adeliia Petrosian (Neutral Athlete): 72.89 total segment score, 40.44 technical elements score, 32.45 program components score.
Anastasiia Gubanova (Georgia): 71.77 total segment score, 38.28 technical elements score, 33.49 program components score.
Loena Hendrickx (Belgium): 70.93 total segment score, 36.92 technical elements score, 34.01 program components score.
Isabeau Levito (USA): 70.84 total segment score, 36.77 technical elements score, 34.07 program components score.
Haein Lee (Korea): 70.07 total segment score, 37.61 technical elements score, 32.46 program components score.
Niina Petrokina (Estonia): 69.63 total segment score, 36.80 technical elements score, 32.83 program components score.
Nina Pinzarrone (Belgium): 68.97 total segment score, 36.86 technical elements score, 32.11 program components score.
Sofia Samodelkina (Kazakhstan): 68.47 total segment score, 36.42 technical elements score, 32.05 program components score.
Amber Glenn (USA): 67.39 total segment score, 34.19 technical elements score, 33.20 program components score.
Jia Shin (Korea): 65.66 total segment score, 35.79 technical elements score, 30.87 program components score.
Iida Karhunen (Finland): 65.06 total segment score, 36.22 technical elements score, 28.84 program components score.
Julia Sauter (Romania): 63.13 total segment score, 34.15 technical elements score, 28.98 program components score.
Olga Mikutina (Austria): 61.72 total segment score, 32.64 technical elements score, 29.08 program components score.
Lara Naki Gutmann (Italy): 61.56 total segment score, 29.50 technical elements score, 32.06 program components score.
Ekaterina Kurakova (Poland): 60.14 total segment score, 31.56 technical elements score, 28.58 program components score.
Ruiyang Zhang (China): 59.38 total segment score, 32.64 technical elements score, 26.74 program components score.
Kimmy Repond (Switzerland): 59.20 total segment score, 29.84 technical elements score, 29.36 program components score.
Mariia Seniuk (Israel): 58.61 total segment score, 32.15 technical elements score, 26.46 program components score.
Livia Kaiser (Switzerland): 55.69 total segment score, 30.62 technical elements score, 26.07 program components score.
Lorine Schild (France): 55.63 total segment score, 29.32 technical elements score, 26.31 program components score.
Madeline Schizas (Canada): 55.38 total segment score, 26.39 technical elements score, 28.99 program components score.
Viktoriia Safonova (Neutral Athlete): 54.57 total segment score, 29.15 technical elements score, 25.42 program components score.
Meda Variakojyte (Lithuania): 53.86 total segment score, 29.77 technical elements score, 24.09 program components score.
Alexandra Feigin (Bulgaria): 53.42 total segment score, 28.77 technical elements score, 24.65 program components score.
Kristen Spours (Great Britain): 45.54 total segment score, 21.55 technical elements score, 23.99 program components score.

Amber Glenn’s music

Glenn skated her short program to Madonna’s ‘Like A Prayer.’

“Absolutely incredible,’ Glenn said of getting ready to skate to Madonna at the Games. ‘And I’ve already had a moment that I’ve never experienced in figure skating at nationals with this program. So I’m hoping today I can just really enjoy it for myself and everyone at home can enjoy it, too.”

AIN at Olympics? It’s not a country

Officially, Russia is banned from the Olympics because Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. At the 2026 Winter Games in Milano Cortina, there will be no Russian flags, no Russian anthems and no Russian national colors incoporated in the competition. (The same holds true for Belarus, which has supported Russia in the war.)

But there will be athletes with Russian and Belarussian passports competing as ‘Individual Neutral Athletes,’ or AINs for short, if they meet specific conditions. That contingent will include 13 Russians and seven Belarussians, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Jan. 29. Read the full explainer about AIN. — Josh Peter

Japan’s Ami Nakai comes out hot

The women’s competition feels like it’s going to come down to the Americans and the Japanese, and Ami Nakai took the first big swing. The 17-year-old started off with a clean triple Axel and only got better from there, putting up a strong performance to start the fourth of five groups. She got a score of 78.71, a season-best to put her in the lead.

Snoop Dogg at figure skating

His Winter Olympics tour continues.

How is figure skating scored?

A figure skating routine is made up of two scores: Technical elements score and program components score. The technical elements score is exactly what it sounds like: It’s for the jumps, spins and step sequences in a performance. The program components score is made of up composition, presentation and skating skills.

Figure skating Olympics winners list

Here is who has medaled in women’s singles figure skating over the last four decades.

2022: ROC’s Anna Shcherbakova (gold), ROC’s Aleksandra Trusova (silver), Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto (bronze)
2018: ROC’s Alina Zagitova (gold), ROC’s Yevgeniya Medvedeva (silver), Canada’s Kaetlyn Osmond (bronze)
2014: Russia’s Adelina Sotnikova (gold), Korea’s Yu-Na Kim (silver), Italy’s Carolina Kostner (bronze)
2010: Korea’s Yu-Na Kim (gold), Japan’s Mao Asada (silver), Canada’s Joannie Rochette (bronze)
2006: Japan’s Shizuka Arakawa (gold), USA’s Sasha Cohen (silver), Russia’s Irina Slutskaya (bronze)
2002: USA’s Sarah Hughes (gold), Russia’s Irina Slutskaya (silver), USA’s Michelle Kwan (bronze)
1998: USA’s Tara Lipinski (gold), USA’s Michelle Kwan (silver), China’s Chen Lu (bronze)
1994: Ukraine’s Oksana Baiul (gold), USA’s Nancy Kerrigan (silver), China’s Chen Lu (bronze)
1992: USA’s Kristi Yamaguchi (gold), Japan’s Midori Ito (silver), USA’s Nancy Kerrigan (bronze)
1988: East Germany’s Katarina Witt (gold), Canada’s Elizabeth Manley (silver), USA’s Debi Thomas (bronze)
1984: East Germany’s Katarina Witt (gold), USA’s Rosalynn Sumners (silver), USSR’s Kira Ivanova (bronze)

Blade Angels of USA figure skating

It’s time for the ‘Blade Angels’ of the United States of America to take the figure skating ice.

Some of the most popular Team USA athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics − Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito − open their pursuit for individual gold with women’s short program on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Not only are they some of the best skaters in the world, but they have also captivated the nation for their pure appreciation and love for each other, which features plenty of fun and chaos sprinkled in.

So what exactly is the story of the ‘Blade Angels’? It’s a friendship that has been building for years, and is flourishing in the Olympic spotlight.

Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu on their friendship

USA TODAY Sports’ Jordan Mendoza spoke to Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu on the tight friendship they have formed. Here’s what they said.

What Liu said about Glenn: “She’s just such a big sister to me. The idea that we compete against each other, it’s so weird to me. I really just see her as one of my friends and truly one of my teammates. I don’t know, doing things with her is really fun.”

When Glenn said about Liu: “It’s been great to have someone that has such a positive outlook on skating and on her career around me. And then on the flip side, I have an extra pair of tights if she rips them and doesn’t have a backup, or I have the schedule ready because she doesn’t have it.”

Figure skating jump types

Toe jump: A skater drives the toe pick of their non-takeoff foot into the ice to launch themselves into the air and generate momentum into the jump.

Toe loop: A skater takes off backward and lands on the same back edge of their blade.
Lutz: A skater moving backward jumps off the back outside edge of their skate and uses the toe-pick of their other skate to catapult into the air in the opposite direction and lands on the back outside edge of the picking leg.
Flip: A skater launches off the back inside edge of one skate and lands on the back outside edge of the other skate.

Edge jump: A skater takes off not with their toe pick but off the edge of their skate.

Salchow: A skater launches off the back inside edge of one skate and lands on the back outside edge of their other skate.
Axel: The only forward-facing jump, a skater lands on the back outside edge of their non-takeoff foot while traveling backward. The axel is the hardest jump because of the extra half-revolution that comes with a forward takeoff and a backward landing.
Loop: The skater jumps off a back outside edge of their skate and lands on the same edge.

Facts about figure skating

Athleticism meets grace in figure skating, one of the most popular sports at the Winter Olympics. Whether skaters are performing gravity-defying jumps or experiencing a wide array of emotions in the designated ‘Kiss and Cry’ area, figure skating has captivated Olympic audiences across the world for more than a century. The 2026 Milano Cortina Games will be no different.

Here’s everything you need to know about figure skating and how it works at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

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Iowa State’s athletics director cited ‘unreconcilable differences’ between athletes, coaches, and parents for the gymnastics season’s cancellation.
The athletics director’s letter acknowledged recurring conflicts within the program, raising concerns about its long-term viability.
Previous statements from the university attributed the cancellation to safety concerns, injuries, and other health issues.

In a letter to Cyclone gymnasts and their families, Iowa State’s athletics director said the school canceled its gymnastics season due to ‘unreconcilable differences’ between athletes, coaches and parents.

The Feb. 17 letter, obtained by USA TODAY Sports Network, came from ISU athletics director Jamie Pollard and addressed to ‘Women’s Gymnastics Student-Athletes & Families.’ In it, Pollard discusses why Iowa State canceled its gymnastics season on Feb. 8 and acknowledges — but does not alleviate — fears about the program’s viability.

‘The decision to suspend the season resulted from a series of complex internal conflicts between individual teammates, coaching staff members, and parents,’ Pollard wrote. ‘These conflicts created unreconcilable differences that not only prevented our team from competing, but they also prevented team members from carrying on their daily activities, including practice. In the end, suspending the remainder of the season was the only viable alternative.’

Pollard’s letter was sent hours after USA TODAY Sports Network published a story describing gymnasts’ and alumni’s anxiety about the season’s cancellation.

Iowa State’s previous public statements about the cancellation, attributed to senior associate athletics director Shamaree Brown and athletics department spokesman Nick Joos, did not specify a reason for the cancellation beyond safety concerns.

“After a careful and thoughtful review of the program over the last week, it became apparent that we do not have enough student-athletes available to safely compete, and thus have made the painful decision to cancel the remainder of our gymnastics season,” Brown said in a statement released by the school Feb. 8.

On Feb. 9, Joos said in an email to USA TODAY Sports Network that the reason for the cancellation was a ‘combination of injuries and other health issues that have impeded the ability to train and compete for multiple athletes.’

In the Feb. 17 letter, on official Iowa State letterhead, Pollard describes an environment of recurring conflict within the gymnastics program over an unspecified time period.

‘We also realize many of you have a concern about what this means for the long term viability of gymnastics at Iowa State University. We share that same concern,’ Pollard wrote. ‘Unfortunately, conflicts within our gymnastics team are not new. Comparable challenges have occurred multiple times in our program’s history.

‘Providing all our student-athletes with a positive, healthy, and supportive experience is at the core of our athletic program’s mission. Unfortunately, gymnastics is the only one of our 18 sports that has exhibited this type of recurring conflict. The fact it has happened multiple times, over an extended period, raises serious questions.’

Pollard wrote that Iowa State is working to address concerns about eligibility, the transfer portal and access to training. He said that Cyclone gymnasts will continue to have access to the school’s athletics trainers, strength coaches, academic support, mental health and nutrition specialists.

‘We will continue to analyze and evaluate the root cause of these continual issues with the members of our support staff that work daily with our student athletes,’ Pollard wrote. ‘Our goal is to understand what is preventing our gymnastics program from providing the type of experience we expect for every Cyclone student-athlete and to determine how best to move forward.’

Since the season’s cancellation, Iowa State has closed its gymnastics facilities to athletes because of ‘concerns that were raised,’ according to Brown. Gymnasts are training at private gyms, but being forced to coordinate schedules to work around an NCAA rule that says no more than two of them can practice together at the same time.

Iowa State administrators have been vague when questioned about whether the gymnastics program is in danger of being cut.

On Feb. 16, asked by USA TODAY Sports Network if there have been discussions about eliminating gymnastics, Brown responded in an email, ‘Our priority has remained on supporting the gymnasts in the aftermath of this decision, and we have not shifted our focus away from ensuring they continue to receive the care and resources they need.’

Iowa State head coach Ashley Miles Greig and members of her coaching staff are not mentioned by name in Pollard’s letter. On Feb. 16, Brown told USA TODAY Sports Network that the gymnastics coaching staff remained employed.

MILAN – The USA men’s hockey team put themselves in a good position during preliminary play only to face the toughest possible opponent in the quarterfinals.

In order to keep going at the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Americans will have to go through Sweden on Feb. 18 at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. That matchup was set on Tuesday, when Sweden defeated Latvia 5-1.

‘They’re one of the powerhouses in the world, they’ve been playing really well this tournament,’ USA alternate captain Matthew Tkachuk said. ‘I think every single player plays in the NHL so we’re very familiar with a lot of those players, a lot of guys play with guys, play against them all the time. Just a very deep team top to bottom.’

USA coach Mike Sullivan said that ‘we’re very well aware of the personnel group that they have. And they’re a really good team.’

The other quarterfinals are Canada against Czechia, Slovakia against Germany, and Finland against Switzerland. The Swedes ended up having to play a qualification game on Tuesday after finishing as the seventh seed following round-robin group play.

The Swedes are loaded with NHL players, but haven’t looked in sync at the Olympics, coasting through a victory against Italy (which left the tournament winless in four games), getting outplayed by Finland and giving up a late goal in a victory over Slovakia that ended up costing Sweden in the standings.

The Americans come into the game well-rested after being off on Monday thanks to finishing preliminary play 3-0 and earning a bye into the quarterfinals.

USA vs Sweden history in Olympics men’s hockey

NHL players started going to the Olympics in 1998 (Nagano), and Sweden beat the USA 4-2 in the preliminary round at that event.

In 2002 (Salt Lake City), the two teams didn’t meet. In 2006 (Torino), Sweden defeated the USA 2-1 in preliminary round action.

In 2010 (Vancouver), the teams didn’t meet, nor did they meet in 2014 (Sochi). The NHL did not send its players to the Winter Olympics in 2018 and 2022.

Who are Sweden’s top stars?

Lucas Raymond had five points in the three preliminary games. Gabriel Landeskog is the team captain; he had one goal in group play. Elias Petterson came into the qualification game with a team-leading two goals. On the back end, the Swedes are led by Rasmus Dahlin, Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman.

Sweden has relied on Jacob Markstrom and Filip Gustavsson in net.

Ilia Malinin continued his media tour at the 2026 Winter Olympics Tuesday, Feb. 17 with a stop with NBC’s Mike Tirico.

In the interview, which aired during a break in NBC’s coverage of figure skating’s women’s short program, Malinin said it’s been an ‘up and down’ last few days for him since his disastrous performance in the men’s free skate Feb. 13 that saw him lose the chance to a second Olympic gold medal with Team USA.

He also disclosed that he’s received a handful of texts and calls from several decorated athletes, like Simone Biles and Tom Brady. Snoop Dogg also reached out.

‘It’s honestly been a lot of ups and downs, and of course, following the free skate, it was a little hard at first and trying to realize what happened and how devastating it really was. But looking back at it, I got so much love, so much support, and everyone was there for me, had so many different people reach out to me,’ Malinin said.

‘Tom Brady, Steph Curry, Biles, Snoop. I’m honestly just so honored for that and I feel like it just made my day, honestly.’

Both Biles and Brady have been spotted in Milan during the 2026 Winter Games, including in the figure skating arena. Biles, who has won 11 Olympic gymnastics medals during her illustrious career, stood and applauded Malinin with her husband, NFL safety Jonathan Owens as the first-time Olympian struggled through his free skate performance

Malinin also disclosed that after giving himself a day, he did look at the influx of support messages that he received on social media following his short program.

‘I gave myself one day just to kind of be in my own zone, be in my own space, but after that, I kind of just went online, see what people say, and a lot of positive messages, a lot of just love, a lot of just support…,’ Malinin said. ‘It just really hit me and it’s a reason why I love this sport so much because no matter what happens, it doesn’t define who you are as a person. And I think everyone realized that that night and I’m just super grateful to have the support from my team, my fans, my parents, who are also my coaches, and it’s just wonderful.’

The 21-year-old entered the free skate in first place in the men’s singles event, but a few falls and mistakes during his free skate program dropped him all the way down to eighth overall, a shocking result for the ‘Quad God.’

‘It’s definitely something that will help me not feel the worst from my Olympic experience, and really just shows how grateful I should be for even stepping on the ice for that team event,’ Malinin said on helping lead Team USA to gold in the team event. ‘It was something that I was not sure that I was going to do, but making the decision pretty close to the deadline. I am so grateful that me and all the other teammates we fought and put so much energy, all of it into that game, and it’s what gave us this gold medal, and I’m never going to forget that.’

USA TODAY Sports’ Cydney Henderson contributed to this story.

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