Lindsey Vonn has surrendered her lead in the World Cup downhill standings following Laura Pirovano’s back-to-back victories in Val di Fassa.
The American speed specialist had dominated the discipline throughout January, finishing on the podium in every race prior to her season-ending injury.
However, a complex leg break sustained during a horrific crash at the Winter Olympics required multiple surgeries, leaving the 41-year-old unable to defend her advantage.
Vonn had been pursuing a record-extending ninth World Cup downhill title before her campaign was curtailed.
Pirovano’s shock breakthrough
Pirovano capitalised on Vonn’s absence to claim the standings lead, securing victory by just 0.01 seconds on consecutive days in the Dolomites.
It marks a career-defining performance for the 28-year-old Italian, who had failed to reach the podium in her previous 124 World Cup starts.
The home favourite edged out Germany’s Emma Aicher on Friday before scraping inside Cornelia Huetter’s time by the finest of margins on Saturday.
Corinne Suter, the 2022 Olympic champion, finished third on Saturday, trailing the leader by 0.05 seconds despite reaching speeds close to 133kph (83mph).
Shiffrin eyes overall glory
Pirovano now sits atop the downhill standings, 36 points clear of the sidelined Vonn, with one race remaining at Kvitfjell on 21 March.
Emma Aicher remains in contention in second place, though her finish outside the top 10 on Saturday proved beneficial for Mikaela Shiffrin in the overall classification.
Shiffrin, who recently claimed Olympic slalom gold, holds a 117-point lead over Aicher in the race for the overall crystal globe.
The technical specialist is chasing a sixth career overall title and could extend her advantage in Sunday’s super-G.
Victor Wembanyama produced a masterclass to guide the San Antonio Spurs to a remarkable 25-point comeback victory against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
The French phenomenon recorded 27 points and 10 rebounds as his side rallied from a 75-50 third-quarter deficit to triumph 116-112.
With just 16 seconds remaining on the clock, the 22-year-old secured the go-ahead basket to complete San Antonio’s biggest turnaround of the campaign.
It marked a 14th victory in 15 outings for the in-form franchise.
“I was about to pass out, I’ve got zero left right now,”
Wembanyama admitted during his on-court interview immediately following the buzzer.
“That was one of the best wins. That was one of the best games, best parts of my career, my basketball life.”
The result improves the Spurs’ record to 46-17, leaving them trailing Western Conference leaders the Oklahoma City Thunder by just 2.5 games.
Doncic shines in Lakers victory
Elsewhere, Luka Doncic posted 44 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 128-117 home success over the Indiana Pacers.
The Slovenian guard stepped up in the absence of LeBron James, who was sidelined with elbow and foot issues.
It was Doncic’s 10th 40-point haul of the season, moving him past Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards for the league lead in that category.
Anunoby helps Knicks thrash Nuggets
London-born forward OG Anunoby registered a season-high 34 points as the New York Knicks cruised to a 142-103 win at the Denver Nuggets.
Denver’s night was compounded by an injury to Jamal Murray, who missed the second half after rolling his left ankle on team-mate Nikola Jokic’s foot.
The Knicks remain third in the Eastern Conference standings following the dominant performance.
Tatum returns for Celtics
Second-placed Boston Celtics claimed a 120-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks as Jayson Tatum made his long-awaited return.
The six-time All-Star contributed 15 points in 27 minutes on the court.
This was Tatum’s first appearance of the season following a ruptured Achilles sustained during the previous play-offs.
Novak Djokovic has insisted he has no intention of retiring while he retains his competitive edge as he prepares to return to action at Indian Wells.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion has not featured on the ATP Tour since his defeat by Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final earlier this year.
However, the 38-year-old is back in California seeking a sixth title at the Masters 1000 event.
‘Fire and flair’ remains
Speaking before his second-round match against Kamil Majchrzak, the Serbian dismissed suggestions that he was nearing the end of his illustrious career.
Djokovic maintains that his ability to challenge the sport’s younger generation is the primary factor in his decision to continue playing.
“My logic is why not keep going as long as I have that fire and flair and quality and the motivation to do that,” said the world number three.
“I have proven to myself primarily and to others that I can still compete at the highest level and beat these guys.”
Despite a lighter schedule focused almost exclusively on major tournaments to aid physical recovery, the veteran remains firmly inside the world’s top three.
Competing with the best
The 38-year-old cited his recent run in Melbourne, which included a five-set semi-final victory over Jannik Sinner, as evidence of his enduring quality.
Djokovic believes his ranking and performance levels justify his continued presence on the tour.
“It was an incredible feeling to be able to beat Sinner in five sets in one of the epic matches that I played in recent times in Australia,” he added.
“And then have another great match with Carlos [Alcaraz], who was just too good in the end. For me, that has been a phenomenal result.”
The former world number one emphasised that the adrenaline of elite sport continues to drive him as he approaches his 39th birthday.
“I really enjoy the thrill of competition,” he said.
“I enjoy still getting out there in front of the fans and being competitive. I still have that edge, and I’ll keep on going as long as I feel like it.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold has faced intense scrutiny from the Spanish press following his performance in Real Madrid’s narrow 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo.
The England international completed a high-profile move from Liverpool to the Bernabeu last season but has found life difficult in the Spanish capital so far.
While Real Madrid secured three points thanks to a 94th-minute winner from Federico Valverde, the right-back’s defensive display dominated the post-match analysis.
Defensive lapses highlighted
Alexander-Arnold played the full 90 minutes but struggled to impact the game at either end of the pitch.
He was highlighted as the primary fault for Celta Vigo’s equaliser, allowing Williot Swedberg to bypass him on the flank before setting up Borja Iglesias.
The 27-year-old has now played 13 La Liga matches, registering just two assists and failing to score, leading to growing frustration regarding his output.
Spanish journalist Albert Ortega offered a particularly scathing assessment of the defender’s work rate on social media following the match.
“The problem with Trent Alexander-Arnold isn’t that he doesn’t know how to defend. It’s that he can’t be arsed to bother.”
Albert Ortega, Spanish Journalist
Ortega added that the full-back “only understands football from the ball” and described his performance as a “right disaster”.
Media ratings reflect poor form
The criticism was not isolated to social media, with major Spanish outlets handing the former Liverpool man low match ratings.
Football Espana awarded the defender a 4/10, noting that his offensive production does not currently justify his defensive vulnerabilities.
The outlet stated that he “hooked in several wayward crosses” and was beaten “too easily” for the equaliser.
Managing Madrid offered a slightly higher score of 5/10 but observed that aside from one pass to Vinicius Junior, he was not his “usual self” in possession.
This latest wave of criticism follows a difficult outing in the Champions League play-off against Benfica, where local reports described his marking as “nonexistent”.
British doubles champion Henry Patten has returned to the UK after a harrowing week stranded in Dubai during the escalation of the Middle East conflict.
The 29-year-old was unable to leave the United Arab Emirates immediately following the Dubai Championships final as airspace closures disrupted travel across the region.
Patten and his playing partner Harri Heliovaara were among a group of 40 players and officials caught in the uncertainty as Iranian missiles targeted the area.
Explosions and fighter jets
The ordeal began last Saturday, when a fighter jet roared over the centre court just moments before the pair were due to contest the final.
Despite the unsettled atmosphere, the Grand Slam champions secured their second ATP title in as many weeks before the reality of their predicament set in.
Patten recounted hearing explosions from his hotel room while watching everyday life continue surrealistically around him.
Desperate to return home, the Briton spent 14 hours in a car attempting to cross the border into Oman, only for the journey to prove unsuccessful.
The situation intensified when he witnessed a drone strike a US consulate building located just minutes from the airport.
Anxious journey home
Eventually securing a flight back to London via Cairo and Rome, the self-confessed nervous flyer faced a terrifying departure.
“It was up to me to pluck up the courage to get on that flight out of Dubai airport the day after I saw the drone hit the US consulate building about five minutes away,” Patten told BBC Sport.
“It wasn’t particularly enjoyable, to say the least, but I didn’t really have much of a choice.”
The tennis star sat beside a non-English speaking passenger during the initial, tense leg of the extraction.
“We just looked at each other and gave each other a little nod and we were on our way. But certainly the first couple of hours on that flight were the longest couple of hours of a flight I have ever experienced.”
Surreal scenes at player hotel
Prior to his departure, the ATP had extended accommodation bookings and covered expenses for the stranded group.
Patten described a strange contrast between the geopolitical violence and the scene at the player hotel, where others continued to swim and play golf.
“If I didn’t have access to my phone, to the news and social media, I really don’t think I would have known there was a war going on,” he added.
“I would sit in my hotel room and watch people going to the pool. I would go to the pool.”
While Heliovaara remained with his family, Patten admitted the flight out was a significant mental challenge.
“Obviously as a tennis player I have to deal with that phobia an awful lot, and I’m generally pretty successful at it, but that flight was probably a step too far. I wouldn’t want to do that again.”
Victor Wembanyama inspired the San Antonio Spurs to a stunning 116-112 victory over the LA Clippers, overcoming a 25-point deficit in one of the franchise’s greatest comebacks.
Wembanyama exhausted after historic rally
The Spurs trailed significantly in the third quarter but rallied to secure their 14th win in 15 games.
It marked the club’s second-largest comeback in the play-by-play era, dating back to the 1997-98 season.
Wembanyama scored a team-high 27 points, including a decisive dunk from a De’Aaron Fox pass with just 16 seconds remaining.
“I’ve got zero left right now,” said the 21-year-old French phenomenon immediately after the game.
“That was one of the best wins. That was one of the best games, best parts of my career, my basketball life.”
‘Best 30 hours of basketball’
The victory came on the second night of a back-to-back, following a win against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.
San Antonio have now improved their record to a league-best 14-1 since 1 February.
Wembanyama, who also contributed 10 rebounds and four blocks, described the sequence of victories as the “best 30 hours of basketball” of his life.
De’Aaron Fox was instrumental in the turnaround, scoring or assisting on 25 of San Antonio’s 35 fourth-quarter points.
“This one felt good,” said Fox, who finished with 19 points and nine assists. “This one felt better than yesterday.”
Spurs overcome Leonard return
Former San Antonio star Kawhi Leonard scored a game-high 30 points for the Clippers but faced boos from the home crowd throughout the night.
The visitors had built a commanding lead, with Brook Lopez scoring 17 points in the first half alone.
By the third quarter, the Clippers held a 75-50 advantage before the Spurs mounted their resurgence.
San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson praised his squad’s mental toughness given the physical fatigue of the schedule.
“The competitive response and the character the guys showed to really try to band together and fight through the mental, physical, and emotional fatigue was commendable,” Johnson said.
Coventry City have moved five points clear at the Championship summit under Frank Lampard as they close in on a return to the top flight after 25 years away.
The Sky Blues are now firm favourites to secure automatic promotion following a crucial run of form.
Lampard has steadied the ship after a difficult post-Christmas period where the club suffered four defeats in seven games.
Title charge gathers pace
A vital 3-1 victory over promotion rivals Middlesbrough sparked a resurgence that has seen the league leaders record four consecutive wins.
Victory against Bristol City on Saturday would further increase the pressure on the chasing pack, with Middlesbrough not in action until Sunday.
Owner Doug King’s controversial decision to replace club legend Mark Robins in November 2024 now appears vindicated with just 11 games remaining.
McAllister backs title bid
Former Coventry midfielder Gary McAllister believes the squad must now target the trophy rather than settling for second place.
The Scot insists the mentality within the dressing room must remain aggressive to secure the silverware.
I think that’s got to be the target. Not just being happy with getting promotion, which obviously they would be, but their target will be maintaining that lead and going up as champions.
Gary McAllister
Lampard focused on the job
Despite the growing excitement at the CBS Arena, the former Chelsea manager remains focused on the task at hand rather than personal glory.
Lampard admitted to BBC Sport that his perspective on management differs significantly from his playing days.
Adulation was more important to me in my 20s than it is in my 40s. It’s always an amazing feeling hearing people sing your name but, as you get older, you realise it’s more a case of ‘this is my job’.
Frank Lampard
The West Midlands club last featured in the Premier League in 2001 and have since navigated relegations to League Two and unfamiliar ground-sharing arrangements.
Max Verstappen has crashed out of qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix in a shock start to the new Formula 1 season.
The four-time world champion spun his Red Bull at Turn 1 midway through the opening session in Melbourne.
Verstappen bounced across the gravel trap before hitting the wall, ending his participation in Q1.
It means the Dutchman will start from the back of the grid for Sunday’s race.
‘Fantastic’ frustration for champion
Verstappen emerged from the cockpit unhurt but was immediately vocal about technical issues over the team radio.
The incident occurred as he applied the brakes, causing the car to snap unexpectedly.
“The car just f***ing locked the rear axles. Fantastic.”
Max Verstappen via team radio
Struggles with new era
This dramatic exit marks a turbulent beginning to Formula 1’s latest technical era.
The Red Bull driver has already been a vocal critic of the sport’s new cars.
Drivers are facing a complicated new driving style due to the increased emphasis on battery management within the revised hybrid engines.