Olympic champion Alysa Liu has withdrawn from the upcoming World Figure Skating Championships in Prague following her historic success at the Milan Cortina Games.
The 20-year-old recently became the first American woman to win Olympic gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002.
Sarah Everhardt has been called up to replace Liu on the United States team after first alternate Bradie Tennell declined the invitation.
A golden return to the ice
Liu’s withdrawal comes at the end of a remarkable comeback season for the skater.
Having retired after the Beijing 2022 Games, she returned to the sport to win the world title in Boston last year.
The American star cemented her legacy in Italy last month by claiming two gold medals, helping the US defend its Olympic team title alongside her individual triumph.
Liu would have competed alongside team-mates Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito when the event begins on 24 March at the O2 Arena.
Post-Olympic exodus
It is not uncommon for Olympic medallists to skip the World Championships immediately following the Winter Games.
Many elite skaters choose to begin their off-season early to recover from the physical and mental exertion of the Olympic cycle.
Liu is not the only high-profile name to pull out of the competition in the Czech Republic.
Japanese Olympic pairs champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara have also confirmed their withdrawal.
Loena Hendrickx of Belgium, who finished 14th in Milan following an injury-plagued season, will also be absent from the women’s event.
England flanker Tom Curry has been ruled out of the Six Nations clash against Italy after suffering a significant injury during the pre-match warm-up.
The back-row forward required support from two medics to help him down the tunnel at the Stadio Olimpico.
Curry appeared to sustain a leg issue while preparing to start on the openside flank in Rome.
Underhill promoted to start
Sam Underhill has been moved from the bench into the starting XV as a direct replacement.
Chandler Cunningham-South joins the matchday squad to fill the vacancy among the substitutes.
Head coach Steve Borthwick has maintained his strategy of keeping six forwards on the bench for the encounter.
Late disruption
The withdrawal serves as a major blow to England following successive defeats against Scotland and Ireland.
Borthwick had already made an unprecedented nine personnel changes to his starting side, with Underhill’s late inclusion marking a tenth alteration.
Despite the disruption, England hold a formidable record having never lost to Italy in 32 previous meetings.
Tadej Pogacar has secured a record-breaking fourth victory at Strade Bianche after launching a stunning solo attack with 78km remaining in Tuscany.
The world champion produced a dominant performance to open his 2026 season, distancing his rivals on the Monte Sante Marie gravel sector.
It marks a third consecutive win at the Italian classic for the Slovenian, who moves clear of Fabian Cancellara’s previous record of three titles.
A history-making solo break
Pogacar, sporting a new bleach-blonde hairstyle, repeated his tactics from 2024 by attacking from distance.
French teenager Paul Seixas was the only rider capable of initially following the surge, briefly clawing his way back to the 27-year-old’s wheel.
However, the UAE Team Emirates leader accelerated again to drop the 19-year-old and ride clear for a comfortable victory.
Unlike last year’s bloodied battle following a crash, this was a serene procession for the cycling superstar.
He had time to bow theatrically to the crowd in Siena’s Piazza del Campo before punching the air in delight.
‘Young bullets’ impress
Seixas held on to finish second, one minute behind the winner, dropping Pogacar’s teammate Isaac del Toro on the steep Via Santa Caterina climb.
Del Toro, the runner-up at last year’s Giro d’Italia, finished nine seconds further back to complete the podium.
It was a tactical masterclass from UAE Team Emirates-XRG, who placed three riders in the top six.
“Chapeau to the teammates today, everybody did an incredible job,” said Pogacar.
“Also the young bullets, Jan [Christen] and Isaac, what a job for them. It was an honour to ride with such a team today and to deliver the win, so I’m super happy.”
On the moment he broke away, Pogacar added: “I saw that [Seixas] was chasing really hard on the steepest part of the climb on Sainte Marie, but I said to myself I would go all out to the top and then see if he can bridge.
“Either he will come to my wheel or he will explode. In the end I saw it’s enough.”
Pidcock’s mechanical frustration
Tom Pidcock, the 2023 winner, endured a difficult day plagued by mechanical issues.
The British rider dropped his chain just as the decisive move was made on the Monte Sante Marie, preventing him from following the leaders.
Despite fighting back into the chasing group, the Ineos Grenadiers rider faded on the final climb to finish seventh, more than two minutes adrift.
Former 100m world champion Fred Kerley has been banned for two years after a tribunal found he committed three anti-doping whereabouts failures.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) confirmed the sanction on Thursday, stating the American sprinter was found to be “negligent and, to a certain extent, reckless” regarding his obligations.
The 30-year-old’s period of ineligibility will run until 11 August 2027.
Kerley had been provisionally suspended by the AIU in August last year, causing him to miss the World Championships in Tokyo.
Tribunal findings and disqualification
The independent tribunal determined that Kerley recorded three whereabouts failures between 11 May and 6 December 2024.
Under the World Anti-Doping Code, athletes face a ban if they record three missed tests or filing failures within a rolling 12-month period.
Consequently, all competitive results achieved by the Tokyo 2020 silver medallist between 6 December 2024 and 12 August 2025 have been disqualified.
This retrospective action includes the forfeiture of any titles, ranking points, prize money, and prizes won during that timeframe.
The AIU noted that a Disciplinary and Appeals Tribunal did not need to consider a fourth alleged failure on 7 December, as the violation was already established by the previous three instances.
‘Technical issues’ defence
Kerley did not dispute the whereabouts failure recorded on 13 June.
However, the Paris 2024 bronze medallist contested the other instances, attributing a missed test on 11 May to technical issues with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) app.
He further blamed the Doping Control Officer (DCO) for the missed tests occurring on 6 and 7 December.
Despite these claims, the tribunal ruled against the sprinter, noting that given his experience in the testing pool since 2017, he “should have exercised more care”.
In addition to the ban, the 2022 world champion has been ordered to pay World Athletics £3,000 to cover legal fees and expenses.
Integrity of the sport
Brett Clothier, head of the AIU, emphasised that strict adherence to whereabouts rules is essential for catching sophisticated doping violations.
“Unfortunately, sophisticated doping substances may only be detectable within an athlete’s sample for a few days or even hours after administration.”
Brett Clothier, Head of the AIU
“Anti-doping organisations need to be able to test athletes without notice on the day and hour of our choosing, otherwise anti-doping programmes will not work, and dopers will easily avoid detection.”
Brett Clothier, Head of the AIU
Clothier added that the rules remain fundamental to the integrity of the sport and must be respected by all competitors.
Enhanced Games context
Kerley had previously generated significant attention by becoming the first track athlete and American male to sign up for the controversial Enhanced Games.
That event, which proposes to allow performance-enhancing drugs, has drawn criticism from World Athletics and the International Olympic Committee.
The Texas-born athlete last competed at the Grand Sprint Series in Norwalk, California, in July 2025.
This decision is subject to appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
India will attempt to become the first team to retain the Men’s T20 World Cup when they face New Zealand in Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad.
The hosts are aiming to secure a record third title in the tournament’s history.
Success on home soil would see them become the first side to successfully defend the trophy, two years after defeating South Africa in the 2024 showpiece.
New Zealand arrive in the final seeking to silence the home crowd and lift the trophy for the very first time.
Expectation weighs heavy on home side
A capacity crowd of over 100,000 is expected at the Narendra Modi Stadium for the blockbuster clash.
New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips believes the burden of history rests squarely on the home favourites.
Glenn Phillips, New Zealand all-rounder“I mean I guess that means only one team can fail, doesn’t it?”
The Black Caps star insisted his side would focus on enjoying the occasion rather than fearing the hostile atmosphere.
“We go out and do our best for our country and obviously a packed crowd is fantastic. We play to entertain the people and, whether they’re supporting us or whether they support India, it is fantastic for cricket in general.”
Redemption for 2023 heartbreak?
For the defending champions, Sunday represents a chance to banish the ghosts of the 2023 50-over World Cup.
India dominated that tournament on home soil only to suffer a painful defeat by Australia in the final at the same venue.
Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik believes this adds an extra layer of significance to the contest.
Dinesh Karthik, former India wicketkeeper“It’s redemption time in a way. That 2023 campaign was amazing. They were flawless all the way to the final that day and then had one bad day.”
Do not write off the Black Caps
India enter the contest as firm favourites, having beaten the Kiwis 4-1 in a T20 series earlier this year.
The holders also showed resilience to bounce back from a record defeat by South Africa in the group stages before edging past England in the semi-finals.
However, former England captain Nasser Hussain has warned against underestimating the tourists.
Nasser Hussain, former England captain“All the focus will be on India. New Zealand will do what they always do – rock up and play their best cricket. India are definitely the favourites, but do not write off New Zealand in any format.”
Steve Borthwick has abandoned his philosophy of continuity by selecting a new-look England backline to face Italy in the Six Nations in a bid to arrest a brewing crisis.
While rivals France launch glossy retro kits for the tournament’s climax, England have turned to the training ground bibs for inspiration.
The Red Rose’s back division for this weekend has virtually no shared match experience.
Look for established partnerships within the selection and you will find only the thinnest threads of understanding.
Training form over Test cohesion
Fly-half Fin Smith and inside centre Seb Atkinson last played together regularly in the Worcester youth system five years ago.
Northampton’s Tommy Freeman joins Smith in the set-up, though he usually operates on the wing rather than his deployed role at outside centre.
Sale Sharks wing Tom Roebuck offers some familiarity, having toured Argentina with Atkinson, but connections remain scarce.
Seven players from six different clubs represents a significant gamble on unknown quantities.
The head coach has previously prioritized the "white heat" of Test match cohesion but is now citing different evidence for his selection.
"Much of this backline has trained for four or five weeks together and trained very, very well," said Borthwick.
"I say again how much I value what I see in training. I say it to the players, that I’m watching every bit of training and I value performance in training."
"This is a very strong message about the ethos within the England team, that you will be rewarded for performing in that sense."
Stopping the slide
This strategic pivot follows a dramatic downturn in form during the current campaign.
Comprehensive defeats by Scotland and Ireland saw England lose by 11 and 21 points respectively.
Those losses were defined by a lack of power, low energy, and a high error count that undermined the gameplan.
Two defeats have shaken belief in the long-term project, despite the 12 wins that preceded this slump.
Captain Maro Itoje addressed the squad following the Ireland defeat, insisting progress is rarely a straight line.
"Success isn’t always linear… success doesn’t always go like that," Itoje told his team-mates.
"Sometimes it goes like that. Through hard work, though consistency, we’ll get it back on track. Keep faith in what we’re doing, keep faith in each other."
Undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue will defend his titles against unbeaten compatriot Junto Nakatani at the Tokyo Dome on 2 May.
The highly anticipated all-Japanese showdown was formally announced at a news conference in Japan following months of speculation.
It pits two of the sport’s most destructive punchers against one another, with both men entering the ring boasting perfect 32-0 records.
Battle of the pound-for-pound stars
‘The Monster’, widely regarded as the world’s second-best pound-for-pound fighter, enjoyed a stellar 2025 campaign.
Inoue competed four times last year, culminating in a unanimous decision victory over David Picasso in December.
Nakatani, currently ranked sixth in the pound-for-pound standings, is aiming to become a four-weight world champion.
The challenger previously held world titles at bantamweight, junior bantamweight and flyweight before moving up to the 122lb division.
He secured his shot at the undisputed crown with a gritty, tougher-than-expected win over Sebastian Hernandez on the same December card as his upcoming opponent.
Tokyo Dome stage set
This blockbuster event marks a significant return to the iconic Tokyo Dome, a venue reserved for only the most prestigious martial arts contests in Japan.
While domestic coverage has been confirmed on Lemino pay-per-view, broadcast rights for the United States have yet to be announced.
Family affair on the undercard
The main event will not be the only major title fight of the evening involving the Inoue family.
Naoya’s younger brother, Takuma Inoue, is set to defend his WBC bantamweight title against former four-division king Kazuto Ioka.
Iran’s only representative Aboulfazl Khatibi has been forced to withdraw from the Milan Cortina Paralympic Games because he cannot travel safely amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) confirmed the news on Friday, mere hours before the opening ceremony was scheduled to begin in Verona.
Travel risks force withdrawal
Khatibi had been set to compete as a cross-country skier and was the solitary athlete registered to represent his nation at these Winter Games.
However, the IPC stated that it was impossible to secure safe passage for him to travel to Italy.
This disruption follows the intensifying military situation in the region, occurring less than a week after reports of strikes involving the United States and Israel.
Sole representative absent
The enforced absence leaves Iran without any active participants for the duration of the competition.
The skier had been preparing to compete on the global stage, but geopolitical tensions have curtailed his participation just as the Games get underway.
Events are scheduled to take place across Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo following the opening formalities.