Happy New Year 2025

Tag: Olympic

NFL star Tyreek Hill and Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles agree to race

A challenge between NFL star Tyreek Hill and Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles has materialized into a real race.

The two superstars announced this week that their months-long back-and-forth, which began after the 2024 Paris Olympics, will finally be put to the test when the two square off in a race to determine who really is the fastest.

American track star Noah Lyles celebrates winning a gold medal after winning the men’s 100-meter final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

“This has been an ongoing thing for quite some time now, and, I mean, everybody’s seen the back-and-forth on social media,” Hill told People, which first reported the news Thursday.

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“I’ve been very adamant to show people what real, true speed looks like.”

“Everybody says that they’re gonna be the world’s fastest, but when it comes down to it, you gotta be the winner every time, each and every time. And every time I show up to the biggest moments, I win.” Lyles told the outlet.

“That’s why I’m the world’s fastest,” he continued. “I did at the Olympics. I do it at world championships. I do it wherever it’s needed to be done. And if I gotta go down and, you know, beat up on Tyreek to prove that I’m the world’s fastest, then it’s gonna be done.”

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill reacts after a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida Sept. 8, 2024. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)

OLYMPICS STAR NOAH LYLES TAUNTS NFL WIDE RECEIVER TYREEK HILL AFTER WINNING SPRINT

The debate between the two athletes began in August when the Olympic sprinter won 100-meter gold. But he refused to wager his medal in a race against Hill after the Miami Dolphins receiver said he could easily beat him in a race.

The social media war shifted when Lyles taunted Hill after winning the 60-meter race at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix earlier this month.

After crossing the finish line, he turned his bib around to the camera to reveal a message, “Tyreek could never.”

Noah Lyles of the United States holds a sign that says “Tyreek could never” after winning the men’s 60 meters at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Feb. 2, 2025, in Boston. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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In their joint interview with People, the two athletes expressed mutual respect but didn’t hold back on the trash talk.

The date of the race and the length of it has yet to be determined.

Hill said Lyles is “scared” to face him in a 40-meter dash, but Lyles said a 100-meter race would be a “blowout” victory for him. The two will likely agree to some distance in the middle.

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February 15, 2025
Olympic boxer, who was caught in gender controversy, vows to fight boxing org’s lawsuit

Imane Khelif, the Olympic gold medalist who was in the middle of a gender controversy at the Paris Games during the summer, vowed to fight back against allegations from the International Boxing Association (IBA).

The IBA said earlier in the week it will file criminal complaints against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the U.S., France and Switzerland over its decision to allow Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting to compete in the Games despite disqualifications in its own tournament. World Boxing is the governing body for the Olympics.

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Imane Khelif of Team Algeria celebrates victory against Anna Luca Hamori of Team Hungary after the Women’s 66kg Quarter-final round match on day eight of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at North Paris Arena on Aug. 3, 2024 in Paris. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Both Khelif and Lin won gold medals at the Olympics.

“For eight years, I have fought for my dream – eyes years of sacrifice, discipline, and perseverance to stand on the Olympic stage and represent my country with pride,” the Algerian boxer said in a statement posted on Instagram. “I have earned my place, and I will continue to stand firm in the face of any challenge.

“For two years, I have taken the high road while my name and image have been used, unauthorized, to further personal and political agendas through the spreading of and dissemination of baseless lies and misinformation. But silence is no longer an option.

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CALLS ON NCAA, NFHS TO STRIP AWARDS, RECORDS ‘MISAPPROPRIATED’ BY TRANS ATHLETES

Algeria’s Imane Khelif reacts prior to the match against Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori in the women’s 66kg quarter-final boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the North Paris Arena on Aug. 3, 2024. (MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)

“The International Boxing Association (IBA), an organization that I am no longer associated with and which is no longer recognized by the International Olympic Committee, have again made baseless accusations that are false and offensive, using them to further their agenda. This is a matter that concerns not just me but the broader principles of fairness and due process in sport.”

The IBA cited President Donald Trump’s executive order on transgender athletes to justify the criminal complaints.

The IOC reiterated again that Khelif and Lin were not transgender.

Imane Khelif of Team Algeria readies to compete against Anna Luca Hamori of Team Hungary in the women’s 66kg quarter-final boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the North Paris Arena, in Villepinte, France, on Aug. 3, 2024. (Mehmet Murat Onel/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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“The two female athletes mentioned by IBA are not transgender athletes,” the organization said Monday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

February 13, 2025
US Olympic gold medalist Ryan Crouser grades his acting skills in upcoming Super Bowl commercial

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Shot putter Ryan Crouser parlayed his record-setting third gold medal into an acting gig.

The USA Olympian became the first person to win three golds in the shot put this past summer in Paris, and now he is set to appear in a Super Bowl commercial next Sunday.

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“For me as a track and field athlete, [I] never would’ve even thought that a Super Bowl commercial could be a possibility. It’s been great,” Crouser said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

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Gold medalist Ryan Crouser of Team USA looks on during the men’s shot put medal ceremony on day 9 of the Olympic Games Paris at Stade de France on August 4, 2024. (Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

“I mean, I don’t know how much of an acting career I would call it, because I’m kind of playing myself. But no, it was a really fun shoot, a lot of fun out flying out to L.A. Really just a dream come true, and I’m really excited about it.”

The Michelob Ultra commercial features Crouser, Randy Moss and Sabrina Ionescu playing pickleball. What makes the commercial great, though, is that Crouser wasn’t exactly doing a whole lot of acting while on the court.

“For me, being competitive, it made it pretty easy. The reason I’m good as a professional shot-putter is because I hate losing and [am] competitive by nature,” he said. “They had me lined up against a professional pickleball coach, player, and he was just bringing the heat on these serves. And I was trying to return them. It was a little bit of acting, but it was also pretty genuine.

Ryan Crouser of Team USA reacts during the men’s shot put final on day 8 of the Olympic Games Paris at Stade de France on August 3, 2024. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST SAYS DC PLANE CRASH HITS HOME AS AN ATHLETE: ‘THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ME’

“And I got a $60,000 camera in front of me, so they’re like, “Try to return it, but don’t hit the camera.”

Crouser has partnered with Michelob Ultra for some time now, which he calls a “genuine partnership.”

“They’ve been great. They do a lot to support Team USA, track and field. They’ve been so supportive of me through the Olympics. I don’t drink too much, especially in season, but when I’m out of season, it’s a beer that I tend to drink. What I’m doing 24 hours a day, I have to be accountable as a professional athlete. So a high-quality light beer is something that if I do drink, I can bounce back from the next day and have a quality training day. It’s a true genuine partnership, which always makes it so much easier,” Crouser said.

As for his camera skills, Crouser gave himself a pat on the back.

Ryan Crouser of Team USA competes in the men’s shot put final on day 8 of the Olympic Games Paris at Stade de France on August 3, 2024. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

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“I think I did pretty well,” he quipped.

“I’ve played pickleball. It’s a fun weekend activity. As a professional athlete, you have to find that balance between low risk but still fun activities. Nobody wants to be injured, like, skiing as a professional athlete, so pickleball’s a good happy medium. I can see why it’s so popular.”

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February 3, 2025
Olympic medalist Scott Hamilton recalls final meeting with champion Russian skaters days before plane crash

Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton held back tears on Friday as he remembered the victims from the figure skating community who died after an American Airlines flight traveling from development camp in Kansas to Washington, D.C., collided with an Army helicopter in midair late Wednesday night.

The four-time men’s singles world champion spoke fondly of the victims during an appearance on TODAY but called the reality of this week’s tragedy “overwhelming.”

Figure Skater Scott Hamilton of the United States competing in the figure skating competition in the XIV Olympic Winter Games circa 1984 in Sarajevo, Bosnia. ( Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

“For this to happen just days after those championships were over is just devastating, shocking – it just doesn’t make any sense. . . .We’re no stranger to tragedy but this was just beyond devastation.”

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Officials have said that 14 skaters, coaches and family members were aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 when it collided with a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport, near D.C., at around 9 p.m. local time.

Many of the victims have been identified, including Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, the renowned ice skating coaches who won a world championship title together in 1994.

World champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov of Russia execute a throw during the pairs short competition at the World Figure Skating competition in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on March 19, 1996. (Dave Buston/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

YOUNG FIGURE SKATING SISTERS FROM VIRGINIA AMONG VICTIMS KILLED IN DC PLANE CRASH

Hamilton became emotional when he spoke of the couple, who settled in America to become coaches following their successful career, which culminated in two Olympic appearances. He saw them just days before the crash while attending the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Kansas.

“I actually sat with them for a nice visit in Wichita,” Hamilton recalled Friday.”

“To think that they’re gone is, um, I can’t wrap my head around the last 36 hours. It’s just been devastating, and the loss is just beyond description. My heart is shattered.”

Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov of Russia perform during free skating in the pairs event of the NHK Trophy International Figure Skating Competition at Nagoya, Japan, on Dec. 9, 1995. AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File

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Shishkova and Naumov married in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 1995, and they moved to Connecticut. They had a son, Maxim, who competed in men’s singles in the U.S. He was in Kansas but did not travel back with his parents. The Russian pair were coaches for the Skating Club of Boston.

Sixty passengers and four crew members on the American Airlines plane and three soldiers aboard a training flight on the helicopter are presumed dead.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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January 31, 2025
Olympic gold medalist says DC plane crash hits home as an athlete: ‘That could have been me’

The plane crash near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night struck the sports world when it was revealed that members of the figure skating community were among those on the American Airlines flight.

Six members of the Skating Club of Boston were aboard Flight 5342, and U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement that “several members of our skating community” were on the plane.

The commercial jet collided with an Army helicopter, resulting in the presumed deaths of all 67 people on board the two aircraft combined.

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Rescuers set out after a passenger jet collided with an Army helicopter at Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday. (AP) (Associated Press)

After hearing that the flight carried athletes, potentially those with Olympic dreams, gold medal shot putter Ryan Crouser said the news hit closer to home.

“It’s really difficult to kind of process. As an athlete you spend a lot of time traveling and getting on planes,” Crouser said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. “It’s a really difficult time, I think, right now just as a country, and as an athlete as well, just thinking about, ‘Shoot, that could have been me.’”

Ryan Crouser of Team USA competes during the men’s shot put final on day 8 of the Olympic Games Paris at Stade de France on Aug. 3, 2024. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

SKATING BROADCASTERS TARA LIPINSKI, JOHNNY WEIR EMOTIONAL DISCUSSING ‘UNIMAGINABLE’ LOSS FROM PLANE CRASH

For the three-time gold medalist, it was another reminder to not take what he has for granted.

“My heart goes out to the families, and if nothing else, just to be thankful for every day. You have so many great opportunities ahead of you, but you don’t know when that can be taken away, and in a crazy accident like that, definitely a tough time, and my heart goes out to the families.”

First responders switched to recovery efforts on the Potomac River after it was believed that there were no survivors. There were 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the American Airlines flight and three soldiers aboard the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

FBI agents stand near debris on Thursday after American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River the previous night. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

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Two former Olympians, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were also believed to be among the victims of the crash, the Kremlin confirmed.

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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January 31, 2025
Skaters killed in plane crash were Olympic hopefuls, peers say: ‘Absolutely remarkable’

Emotions were running high at The Skating Club of Boston Thursday after six people with ties to the organization died in a plane crash near Reagan International Airport Wednesday night.

Among those who spoke were Olympic silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan, who couldn’t hold back tears while talking about the crash.

President Donald Trump said there were no survivors after an American Airlines jet collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter.

The plane was carrying 64 people, among them teenage skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, their mothers Jin Han and Christine Lane and their coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.

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Spencer Lane was a figure skater at The Skating Club of Boston. (Imagn)

Three members of The Skating Club of Boston — Misha Mitrofanov, Jimmy Ma and Alisa Efimova — also spoke of their peers, who they say were the next generation of hopeful U.S. Olympians.

“The potential that they showed on the ice and the capabilities they had at such a young age showed that they had promise for the future of this sport,” Mitrofanov, whose partner is Efimova, told reporters Thursday.

Mitrofanov and Efimova had just won the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, in the pairs discipline. That’s where the American Airlines flight was coming from. Han and Lane were returning from a developmental camp over the weekend.

OLYMPIC GREAT NANCY KERRIGAN FIGHTS THROUGH TEARS AS SHE TALKS ABOUT VICTIMS IN TRAGIC PLANE CRASH

“The camp basically brings them in for the championships so that they can watch, for example, Jimmy, or at least an ice skate at a championship level,” Mitrofanov said. “Afterwards, they are part of a fairly strict routine. … Lot of training, lots of drills and exercises that the U.S. Figure Skating wants to see.”

Han, 13, and Lane, 16, were chosen for the developmental camp because of the promise they showed, and Ma was blunt about just how promising these two skaters were.

“Absolutely phenomenal,” Ma said. “If I was their age back when I was their age, they would blow me out of the water. Even Jinna, at 13 years old, I couldn’t do anything. She was already 10 times better than me at such a young age.

Jimmy Ma skates during the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Intrust Bank Arena. (William Purnell.Imagn Images)

“They showed championship-level skating. It would take time for them to develop to maximize their full potential. But the amount they were able to achieve in such a short amount of time was absolutely remarkable.”

Efimova said the campers were spotted in the crowd in the red jackets they would wear, and as she worked along with Mitrofanov to win in pairs, she used their cheering as motivation.

“They all have these red jackets, so you can really, really identify this community during the competition, which helps me personally a lot to bring a lot of joy into skating,” Efimova said.

Ma also pointed out how great Shishkova and Naumov, winners at the 1994 world championships in pairs while competing in two Olympic Games, were as coaches.

“Their meticulousness in developing young skaters is almost unparalleled,” Ma explained. “You could tell by their son, Max, who I consider not just a friend, but a fierce competitor. I look at him every day, I’m like, ‘Damn, I got to do better.’ That was all them.”

Evgenia Shishkova (left), Vadim Naumov (center) and Spencer Lane (right) were victims of the collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter. (Instagram/annehgoldbergbaldwin)

The Skating Club of Boston wasn’t the only figure skating community that was hit by this. The Philadelphia Skating Club & Humane Society posted on social media that “beloved members” of its team were on the flight. Skating coach Alexandr Kirsanov and two of his youth skaters were also aboard the fight, according to Kirsanov’s wife, per ABC News.

“U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement. “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.”

As the figure skating world and others affected by the crash mourn the losses of loved ones, Mitrofanov said skaters will continue to train and compete with their “family” in mind.

Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov receive scores during the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Intrust Bank Arena. (William Purnell/Imagn Images)

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“Watching these kids skate and watching their fire and love for the sport, that’s what helped us to, honestly, continue training,” Mitrofanov said. “Watching these kids develop helps us want to push ourselves as well. It’s a two-way street that they look up to us, but we also look up to them.”

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 31, 2025
Olympic great Nancy Kerrigan fights through tears as she talks about victims in tragic plane crash

Nancy Kerrigan spoke at an emotional news conference on Thursday after six people with ties to the skating club where she competed died in an airline tragedy near Reagan International Airport near Washington, D.C.

Kerrigan is one of the decorated members of the Skating Club of Boston, along with Dick Button, Tenley Albright and Paul Wylie.

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Former Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan, right, is embraced while arriving at The Skating Club of Boston with fellow Olympic skater Tenley Albright, left, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Norwood, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

The Olympic silver medalist battled through tears as she spoke to reporters. Albright stood beside Kerrigan.

“Much like everyone here has been saying, I’m not sure how to process it,” she said, adding that her husband, who is her agent, kept getting calls to do interviews. “I didn’t feel like it was right to be home and do interviews for this. . . . We just wanted to be here and be a part of our community.”

The Skating Club of Boston identified Jinna Han and Spencer Lane as the two athletes who were killed in the crash. Their mothers and two coaches were also identified as victims.

“I’ve never seen anyone love skating as much as these two, and that’s why I think it hurts so much. . . . Anytime I’ve been able to be here and watch them grow, the kids here really work hard. Their parents work hard to be here, but I feel for the athletes, their skaters, their families, anyone who was on that plane, not just the skaters, because it’s just such a tragic event.

LIVE UPDATES: MILITARY HELICOPTER COLLIDES WITH AIRCRAFT NEAR REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT

Bodies lie on the ground next to emergency vehicles, near the site of the crash after American Eagle flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River, outside Washington, U.S., on January 30, 2025. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

“We’ve been through tragedies before as Americans as people, and we are strong, and I guess it’s how we respond to it, and my response is to be with the people who I care about because I needed support. So, that’s why I’m here.”

Kerrigan hoped the families would find the courage and the strength to take the next steps.

The Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe added that Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, and Jin Han, the mother of Jinna, and Molly Lane, the mother of Spencer, had been identified as the other victims. He announced it in a statement earlier in the day.

“Our sport and this Club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy,” Zeghibe said in a statement posted to social media. “Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together six of seven days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family. Of the skaters, coaches and parents on the plane, we believe six were from The Skating Club of Boston. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.

Emergency response units respond to the crash site of an American Airlines plane and Black Hawk helicopter on the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, on Thursday, January 30, 2025. The commercial flight from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter last night. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital.)

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“These athletes, coaches, parents were returning from U.S. Figure Skating’s National Development Camp, following last week’s U.S. Championships in Wichita. This camp is for young competitive skaters of tomorrow with the promise to be a champion of tomorrow. The club sent 18 athletes to compete at the U.S. Championships. It sent 12 athletes to the National Development Camp.”

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

January 30, 2025
Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding calls loss in airline collision ‘absolutely devastating’

Two-time U.S. Olympian Tonya Harding joined many others in the figure skating community to speak out after it was revealed that several members of U.S. Figure Skating were among the victims feared dead following an American Airlines collision with an Army helicopter late Wednesday night.

Harding, who had joined X just a day earlier, posted a message in response to the “devastating” news that 67 people on board American Airlines Flight 5342 and a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter were killed during a collision near Reagan Washington National Airport, near D.C., at around 9 p.m. local time.

Figure Skater Tonya Harding of the United States competes in a figure skating competition circa 1992. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) (Focus on Sport)

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“The events that took place last night in Washington, DC are absolutely devastating,” Harding’s post read.

“I’m being told that several professional figure skaters were aboard the flight as well. Sending my love and prayers to all the victims and their families.”

First responders recovered at least 28 bodies from the icy waters of the Potomac River on Thursday. Officials said there were 64 people on board the commercial flight, including four crew members. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter.

FIGURE SKATING COMMUNITY MOURNS VICTIMS OF DEADLY PLANE CRASH COLLISION: ‘AT A LOSS FOR WORDS’

A U.S. Park Police helicopter flies over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo)

“We don’t believe there are any survivors,” John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital said. “We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.”

U.S. Figure Skating released a statement confirming that “several members of our skating community” were aboard the flight. The organization said they were returning home from a development camp being held after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, which concluded on Sunday.

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FILE – U.S. figure skaters Tonya Harding (L) and Nancy Kerrigan avoid each other during a training session in Hamar, Norway, during the 1994 Winter Olympics. (Vincent Amalvy/AFP via Getty Images)

Harding’s post comes a day after she joined the popular social media platform, a move that was met by some controversy. Harding’s career was notably marred by her connection to the 1994 attack on her rival, Nancy Kerrigan, which was plotted by Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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January 30, 2025
Martina Navratilova endorses Olympic president hopeful who suggests ban on trans athletes from women’s sports

Former women’s tennis star Martina Navratilova expressed her desire to see former British Olympic champion Sebastian Coe become the next president of the International Olympics Committee (IOC).

The key issue that drives Navratilova’s endorsement is banning trans athletes from women’s competition — an issue the the former tennis star has been a prominent advocate of.

“IOC’s shift may alter DSD (Differences of Sexual Development) trans rules – here is hoping Seb Coe is the next president!” Navratilova wrote in a post on X while re-sharing an article that lays out Coe’s stances.

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The former Czech tennis player Martina Navratilova receives the golden racket during the Italian tennis internationals at the Foro Italico. Rome (Italy), May 21st, 2023. (Massimo Insabato/Archivio Massimo Insabato/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)

Coe published his manifesto for his vision as International Olympics Committee (IOC) president, as he campaigns for the position going into 2025, and it stressed the importance of protecting female athletes.

Unlike current IOC president Thomas Bach, Coe staunchly opposes trans inclusion in the women’s category, and said he would explore a complete ban on trans athletes in a previous interview with Sky News.

“We will have a very clear policy that will be un-ambiguous,” Coe said. “We’ve been very clear in World Athletics that transgender athletes will not be competing in the female category at the elite level.”

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Lord Sebastian Coe speaks during a Memorial Service for Kevan Gosper AO in the Olympic Room at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 17, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. Mr Gosper was an Olympian, former AOC President and IOC Vice President, who passed away on 19 July 2024 after a short illness. (Daniel Pockett/Getty Images for the AOC)

Coe declined to state whether he would advocate for mandatory sex-eligibility tests for Olympians.

Coe is the current head of World Athletics — the governing body for international track & field competition. In 2023, the governing body tightened its regulations on trans athletes to exclude transgender women who have gone through male puberty from competing in the female category. That regulation also lowered the maximum testosterone level for eligible female competitors.

Coe said that if his becomes IOC president, the new Olympic policy on trans inclusion will “probably” reflect the one he has established in World Athletics.

While criticizing the IOC’s current policies on the issue, Coe referenced an incident at the recent Paris Olympics. The recent summer games were overshadowed by controversy when Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan won gold medals in women’s boxing.

Both athletes had previously been disqualified from international competitions for failing gender-eligibility tests. However, the IOC and current President Thomas Bach supported the inclusion of both athletes, insisting they were qualified to compete as women under the current rules.

Coe previously said the situation involving Khelif and Lin made him feel “uncomfortable,” in a November interview with the BBC. Neither athlete has been confirmed to be transgender.

NCAA PREZ SUGGESTS ONUS ON FEMALE ATHLETES TO USE OTHER FACILITIES IF UNCOMFORTABLE SHARING WITH TRANS PLAYERS

Algeria’s Imane Khelif (in red) punches Italy’s Angela Carini in the women’s 66kg preliminaries round of 16 boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the North Paris Arena, in Villepinte on August 1, 2024. (MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The United Nations released study findings saying that nearly 900 biological females have fallen short of the podium because they have been beaten out by transgender athletes.

The study, titled “Violence against women and girls in sports,” said that more than 600 athletes did not medal in more than 400 competitions in 29 different sports, totaling over 890 medals, according to information obtained up to March 30.

“The replacement of the female sports category with a mixed-sex category has resulted in an increasing number of female athletes losing opportunities, including medals, when competing against males,” the report said.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

January 29, 2025
Olympic gymnast Suni Lee vows to never ski again after disastrous first experience

U.S. Olympian Suni Lee may want to stick to gymnastics.

The gold medalist tried her hand at skiing for the first time this week, as seen in her Instagram story, but wound up face-down on the snow.

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Suni Lee, of the United States, falls while competing during the women’s artistic gymnastics individual balance beam finals at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

During a trip to Montreal in Canada, Lee showed off her failed skiing attempt with photo and video of her laying down on her front in skis after falling down right in front of the slope entrance. She claims it will be the last time she tries to ski.

“First time skiing,” she wrote. “Omg never again.”

TEAM USA’S TOP 5 MOMENTS OF PARIS OLYMPICS

Sunisa Lee of Team United States looks on during a Gymnastics training session in the Bercy Arena ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 25, 2024 in Paris, France. (Elsa/Getty Images)

A video of her laying on the snow, which was taken by her friend Samira Ahmed and re-shared to Lee’s own story, showed the gymnast laughing as she squirmed on the snow. A caption on that video read, “This is why I stay off the slopes.”

While fans can certainly expect not to see Lee compete in the upcoming 2026 Milan Olympics, her struggles in skiing certainly isn’t for lack of athleticism or coordination.

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Sunisa Lee after failing on women’s balance beam on day 10 of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 5, 2024 in Paris, France. ( Markus Gilliar – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)

Lee is the 2020 Olympic all-around gold medalist and uneven bars bronze medalist and the 2024 Olympic all-around and uneven bars bronze medalist. She also helped contribute to the U.S.’s team gold medal in 2024 and silver in 2020.

She has also received many prominent sports honors and awards, including in 2021, when she was named Female Athlete of the Year by Sports Illustrated and Sportswoman of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation. She was even included in Time Magazine 100, which is the publication’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

January 25, 2025