Olympics

Lindey Vonn is fighting back against her critics.

The Olympic skier is ending her retirement this weekend and competing at the World Cup. This comes after she officially retired in 2019 and had a knee replacement surgery seven months ago that gave the 40-year-old the confidence to return.

While a return is remarkable, some, including Swiss skier Pirmin Zubriggen, have expressed concern at her return and what damage further injuries could cause. Vonn responded to this on X, stating that she is "tired" of people negative predictions about her future and that she has received her advice and care from the "best doctors in the world."

"You know, I'm getting pretty tired of people predicting negative things about my future," Vonn wrote. "It's enough now. Bernard, Sonja and now Primin… is there a reason all former Swiss skiers think this way? Did they all become doctors and I missed it, because they talk like they know more than the best doctors in the world."

Vonn has won one Olympic gold medal and two bronzes in her career, as well as two golds, three silvers, and three bronzes at the World Championships. Her last World Championship medal came in 2019 while her last Olympic medal came in 2018.

She said that she did her research on the surgery and that she was committed to returning to the slopes.

"Once you commit to something, you got to commit," Vonn said, per the Associated Press. "Once they're cutting you open, that is what it is. So I did all the front-end research, and now I'm reaping the rewards on the back end."

Vonn will hope that the surgery helps her return to form. Her journey will begin Dec. 21 in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn provided some insight into her final goal as she returns to alpine skiing.

Vonn confirmed on Saturday that she's targeting a trip to the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will occur in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

"I've tried to keep everything in perspective and not set goals too high," Vonn said after forerunning the Stifel Birds of Prey World Cup races at Beaver Creek, Colorado. "But ultimately, if I can make it to Cortina, that would be my goal."

The 40-year-old initially stepped away from the sport after the 2019 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, but she announced plans to come out of retirement and join the U.S. Ski Team on Nov. 14.

Vonn's injuries played a role in her break from alpine skiing, revealing that she underwent knee replacement surgery in April. On Saturday, she detailed her recovery from the procedure.

"It feels so amazing to be back," Vonn said. "I can't tell you how big of a difference it makes to be able to ski without pain. It's a completely new world for me. I haven't felt this good in 15 years, so I'm excited to be back."

When she left the tour in 2019, her 82 World Cup wins represented a women's record at the time and she still sits at No. 2 on the all-time leaderboard behind Mikaela Shiffrin at 99.

Vonn was hand-timed at 1:34.1 as a forerunner at Beaver Creek on Saturday, which would have placed her just inside the top 20 of the eventual race (h/t Rory Jiwani of Olympics.com).

Vonn is set to compete in a pair of super-G events at the World Cup in St. Moritz, but an appearance in the Games is her ultimate goal.

Move over, Usain Bolt, because there might be a new fastest man in the world.

Gout Gout, the budding star from Australia, broke Bolt's record for the fastest time in the 200 meters by a 16-year-old on Friday at the Australian All Schools Championships. He crossed the finish line in 20.04 seconds.

Bolt had been the record-holder for fastest time by a 16-year-old in the 200 meters when he ran it in 20.13 seconds in 2003 at the Pan American Junior Championships.

When Bolt originally set the record, he was ascending toward superstardom in the world of track and field. He already had three medals on his mantle at the World Junior Championships the previous year, including a gold in the 200 meters.

Injuries delayed Bolt from making his name on the Olympic stage until 2008. He was on the Jamaican team at the 2004 Games, but he didn't make it out of the qualifying round after finishing fifth in his heat.

Gout figures to be a major player at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles if he continues on his current trajectory. He also ran the 100 meters in 10.04 seconds at the event, marking the fourth-best time ever for a runner under the age of 18.

Nick Zaccardi of NBC Sports noted Gout's historic run at the Australian All Schools Championships met the entry standard of 20.16 seconds to qualify for the World Outdoor Track and Field Championships being held in Tokyo next September.

Gout won the silver medal in the 200 meters at the World U20 Championships in August. He finished in 20.60 seconds, which at the time was his personal best in the event.

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra left no doubt as to his desire to continue his duties with the United States men's national team.

"I'd be willing to do anything for USA Basketball," he said to The Athletic's Joe Vardon. "That's how it should be for anybody, for players and for staff members, if you're asked. It's such an honor and such a life experience, so you just do it. You don't want to miss out on those experiences. And I would do any role."

USA Basketball hired Spoelstra in 2021 to be an assistant under Steve Kerr. With Kerr stepping down from the job, promoting him to the top job would be a logical succession plan.

Beyond his experience with Team USA, Spoelstra is a two-time NBA champion with the Heat and is widely regarded as one of the best tacticians in the league.

The 54-year-old has serious competition from Tyronn Lue, though. The Los Angeles Clippers head coach came aboard for USA Basketball in February 2023. He's another highly respected voice who'd provide continuity within the U.S. squad.

Perhaps managing director Grant Hill wants to think outside the box and select a fresh voice to lead the United States into the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Much like how international soccer is handled, there may come a time when USA Basketball hires a coach who focuses full-time on the national team.

According to Vardon, Hill for now "is basking in the glow of Paris gold and has not yet begun the process of selecting Kerr's successor."

In the event Spoelstra is bypassed, it sounds like he'd still be happy to serve as an assistant, and that's a nice luxury to have.

Ilona Maher became a household name during the summer when she helped lead the United States women's rugby team to a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics.

And now she's even more of a star after finishing in second place in Dancing With the Stars.

The season finale aired Tuesday, and Maher finished just behind winner Joey Graziadei. She wasn't the only athlete who qualified for the final, as gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik finished in fourth while former NFL wide receiver Danny Amendola finished in fifth.

Social media had plenty of love for Maher even though she fell just short of the coveted Mirrorball Trophy:

There were a number of memorable moments during Tuesday's finale, including Amendola dancing to I'm Just Ken and Nedoroscik using a pommel horse. Nedoroscik impressed during the 2024 Paris Games on the pommel horse, so it was a fitting tribute.

Maher also impressed the judges and received a perfect score, which was important since fan voting only accounted for half of the final results.

Yet Graziadei prevailed over the athletes and finished the season as the champion.

Legendary sprinter Michael Johnson's upstart track and field league officially landed a major addition on Tuesday.

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas signed with Grand Slam Track and will compete in the league's four Slam weekends in 2025.

"I am so excited to be joining Grand Slam Track, and partnering with Michael Johnson to give our sport the platform it deserves," Thomas said in a release. "Coming off of the Olympics, I want to continue testing myself and competing at the highest level against the fastest women in the world. Grand Slam Track allows us that chance in 2025. Michael's vision is incredibly exciting, and I can't wait to give the millions of track fans around the world even more chances to watch us compete. I look forward to seeing all of our fans at the four Slams next year."

Thomas was one of the biggest stars of the Paris Olympics this past summer after winning gold in the 200-meter sprint and the 4x100m and 4x400m relays. The 27-year-old also owns a silver medal and a bronze medal from the Tokyo Olympics.

"This is an incredibly exciting day for all of us at Grand Slam Track," Johnson said. "Gabby was unquestionably one of the biggest superstars to come out of Paris, and for us to bring her excellence, exceptional speed, and tenacious competitive spirit to our league is a huge moment for us. What's even more important is that this ensures fans around the world will get to see Gabby compete against the fastest women in the world four times a year at our Slams."

Grand Slam Track will host its first event on April 4-6 in Kingston, Jamaica. A total of $12.6 million in prize money will be awarded at the four slams each year.

Three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn is launching her comeback on the slopes.

The 40-year-old confirmed to the New York Times' Bill Pennington that she's coming out of retirement and rejoining the U.S. Ski Team.

"Getting back to skiing without pain has been an incredible journey," Vonn said in a statement on the organization's site. "I am looking forward to being back with the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and to continue to share my knowledge of the sport with these incredible women."

Vonn hasn't competed since the 2019 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, where she earned a bronze in the downhill. She acknowledged going into the even that it would be her last due to the physical toll of multiple injuries she had suffered.

The 2009 world champion said her body was "broken beyond repair" and "screaming at me to STOP."

Vonn told Pennington she had a knee replacement surgery this past April with the hope of simply enjoying a "pain-free" life away from skiing. Over time, she discovered she could not only go through regular movements—she was unable to even straighten her right leg before the procedure—but also work out and train with few issues.

Vonn continued pushing her physical limits until she grew confident she could ski competitively again.

The Minnesota native stopped short of setting any firm goals.

"I'm trying not to get too far ahead of myself because I have quite a few hoops to jump through," she said to Pennington. "Obviously, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't hope to be racing. I have aspirations. I love to go fast. How fast can I go? I don't know.

"But I'm not going to put myself in a position to fail. My goal is to enjoy this, and hopefully that road takes me to World Cup races. I wouldn't be back on the U.S. ski team if I didn't have intentions."

In addition to her gold medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics and two golds from the 2009 World Championships, Vonn won 82 World Cup races, which were a record for a female skier until Mikaela Shiffrin passed her in 2023. The vast majority of those victories came in the downhill (43) and super G (28).

It's unclear what kind of schedule Vonn will maintain in her comeback. The 2024-25 World Cup season is already underway, but the bulk of the campaign is still ahead.

Should Vonn stay healthy and perform well, it stands to reason she could compete for a spot on Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

Team USA gymnastics star Jordan Chiles has not given up on her effort to reclaim the Olympic medal that was stripped from her following a controversial ruling.

"It's hard to tell yourself everything is going to be fine when we literally didn't do anything wrong. Everything was in the time that it needed to be," Chiles said during an appearance on NBC's TODAY show, her first live TV interview discussing the situation. "For them to come back and say it was four seconds too late when we have proof … I can only control what my truth is and I know that we were right."

Chiles was awarded the bronze medal in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics after her coach Cecile Landi pointed out a mistake the judges made when determining the degree of difficulty for part of her routine, correcting her score.

However, on the last day of the Paris Games, the International Olympic Committee announced that it would adhere to a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that Landi missed the one-minute deadline to protest the score by four seconds, dropping Chiles back to fifth place. The bronze medal was awarded to 18-year-old Romanian Ana Bărbosu.

Chiles said she still physically has the medal, but she is fighting to have the official results changed back. She has pursued legal avenues with her lawyers to have the medal returned, and she said there is video evidence that Landi made the scoring inquiry within the 60-second window. The 23-year-old explained why the medal is so important to her.

"It was like a cherry on top. My redemption tour going into Paris was 'Yes.' Coming back with a gold, coming back with the understanding that I was able to go out there and be the best version of myself," she said. "With this floor medal it was like 'Wow, I never expected myself to make a floor final.' Plus it was an all Black podium. That was history being made. I was very glad to be a part of."

Chiles added that she has not yet considered whether she will compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

"LA is in and out of my mind. I think right now, I'm just trying to take in what's happened from Paris and just take day by day," she said.

Raygun's breakdancing performances at the Paris Olympics will be her last.

The Australian breakdancer announced Wednesday she will no longer compete in the sport after receiving backlash from her performance in the Olympics.

"I'm not going to compete anymore, no," she told 2DayFM (h/t ESPN). "I was going to keep competing, for sure, but that seems really difficult for me to do now to approach a battle. Yeah, I mean I still dance, and I still break. But, you know, that's like in my living room with my partner. It's been really upsetting. I just didn't have any control over how people saw me or who I was."

As breakdancing made its Olympic debut in Paris over the summer, Raygun quickly became the face of the sport, but not exactly for the reasons she hoped. Moves like her signature kangaroo bounce were the subject of memes and jokes on social media throughout the Olympics.

There were also theories that Raygun made her way to the Olympics illegitimately as an online petition accusing her of manipulating the qualification procedure received 50,000 signatures, per ESPN. The Australian Olympic Committee requested the removal of the petition and refuted a claim that her husband and coach, Samuel Free, was involved in her selection.

"The conspiracy theories were totally wild," she said. "But I just try and stay on the positives and that's what gets me through.

"The people that have like [said], 'You have inspired me to go out there and do something that I've been too shy to do. You've brought joy, you've brought laughter. You know, we're so proud of you.'"

Despite attracting some fans at the Paris Olympics, breaking will not be a part of the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, a decision made before the sport debuted in Paris.

"It was disappointing that it was decided before we'd even had a chance to show it so I think that was possibly a little premature," Rachael Gunn said in August. "I wonder if they're kicking themselves now, particularly because they've got some great American breakers who could totally be on the podium. But it's not the end for breaking, the breaking culture is so strong."

As Raygun's Olympic breaking career comes to an end, so does the sport at the Games, at least for now.

There's still a chance it could be one of the events included in the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, Australia as sports are often added and dropped between Games.

Shaun White announced in a social media post on Wednesday that he and his girlfriend, actress Nina Dobrev, are engaged.

According to Vogue's Elise Taylor, White originally had a few other ideas planned for their engagement. The first was for a vacation over the summer, but that plan got scrapped after Dobrev suffered a knee injury in a dirt biking accident. The second idea was for early November when the two planned to be in Cape Town, but White altered that plan after he felt like Dobrev knew it was coming.

"She's an extremely organized person who is rarely surprised, but she loves being surprised," White said, per Taylor.

White ultimately settled on proposing in New York City at the Golden Swan Restaurant, according to Taylor.

White, who has three Olympic gold medals in snowboarding and 15 gold medals at the X Games in both snowboarding and skateboarding, announced that the 2022 Winter Olympics would be his last. He later announced he would no longer compete in snowboarding in any capacity.

With his fruitful snowboarding career now behind him, White has time for other endeavors, one of which will be planning a wedding.