Indoor Sports

The International Olympic Committee plans to replace the 10 medals swimmer Gary Hall Jr. lost when his home was destroyed in the California wildfires last week.

IOC president Thomas Bach issued a statement regarding the matter on Sunday per USA Today's Tom Schad.

"We are in full solidarity with the citizens of Los Angeles and full of admiration for the tireless work of the firefighters and the security forces," Bach said. "Currently the full focus must be on the fight against the fires and the protection of the people and property."

Hall, 50, competed for America from 1996 to 2004, winning five gold medals, three silvers and two bronzes between the Atlanta Games, Sydney Games and Athens Games.

According to The Los Angeles Times' Chuck Schilken, Hall fled his house in Pacific Palisades, California, last week, taking with him only his Type 1 diabetes, a painting of his grandfather and a religious artifact. He said he planned to retrieve his medals but didn't have time.

"I was getting pelted by embers on that first run," Hall said. "So I grabbed my dog and some dog food, and that was it."

While Hall won't have the exact medals he lost in the tragic fires, he'll at least get to have a keepsake to remember his accomplishments from the Olympics thanks to the IOC.

The top chess player in the world was disqualified from the World Rapid Championship in New York on Friday due to a dress code violation.

Per The Guardian's Leonard Barden, world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen refused to change out of jeans after receiving a previous warning. Along with his disqualification from the World Rapid Championships, Carlsen is withdrawing from the World Blitz, which begins on Monday.

In a statement regarding Carlsen's disqualification, FIDE said a dress code is "designed to ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants."

"Today, Mr. Magnus Carlsen breached the dress code by wearing jeans, which are explicitly prohibited under long-standing regulations for this event," the statement said. "The Chief Arbiter informed Mr. Carlsen of the breach, issued a $200 fine, and requested that he change his attire. Unfortunately, Mr. Carlsen declined, and as a result, he was not paired for round nine. This decision was made impartially and applies equally to all players."

The statement also said that another player, Ian Nepomniachtchi, was fined for breaking the dress code by wearing "sports shoes," though Nepomniachtchi changed shoes to avoid disqualification.

In a statement of his own, Carlsen said he told officials he would change out of jeans the following day and said he's "too old at this point to care too much."

"I said I'll change tomorrow," Calesen said, per Barden. "… but they said you have to change now it became a matter of principle for me so here we are! Honestly I'm too old at this point to care too much. If this is what they want to do I'll probably set off to somewhere where the weather is a bit nicer."

Carlsen, who won both the World Rapid and World Blitz championships last year, scored 5/8 on Friday and sat a point and a half behind the leaders when he was disqualified.

Professional poker player Cory Zeidman pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, according to ESPN's David Purdum, after falsely claiming to have insider information on sports.

Per that report, "Federal authorities alleged that Zeidman and his partners misled customers to pay the organization for betting advice by claiming to have knowledge of nonpublic injury information, 'dirty' referees and fixed games, according to court documents."

The scheme lasted between 2006-20 and advertised itself under fake names such as "Gordon Howard Global" and the "Ray Palmer Group." It sold customers false information under the pretense of gathering inside information from television executives or college physicians.

"Zeidman and his partners baited unsuspecting victims with false claims of an edge in sports betting only to feed them lies and pocket millions of dollars," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a news release from the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.

Per the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, Zediman faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, as well as "forfeiture and restitution of approximately $3.6 million."

United States gymnastics legend Simone Biles will be joining NBC's The Voice and serving as a playoff advisor to Snoop Dogg, who is a coach on the show this season.

"We were able to riff off each other and give the artists the best insight going into the next round," Biles told the Associated Press after filming an episode with Snoop.

"We have the best experience and knowledge to give to these performers," Snoop added. "She's a performer. I'm a performer. We've performed under extreme conditions. We always do our best. But sometimes things happen behind closed doors that you don't know about. So, we're able to speak to those things and give them real reassurance."

Biles, 27, is a seven-time gold medalist at the Olympics, an 11-time medalist overall and arguably the greatest female gymnast in history. So yes, she's an excellent resource for performers who need to understand how to best handle pressure.

Former American and Romanian gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi died on Friday at age 82, according to USA Gymnastics.

Karolyi and his wife, Martha Karolyi, coached nine Olympic gold medalists over 30 years. They also faced multiple lawsuits filed by former athletes before and after the 2017 conviction of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar for sexual abuse.

Nadia Comăneci, who trained under Karolyi and won five gold Olympic medals for Romania, called the former coach "a big impact and influence in my life" in a tribute post on Instagram.

Dominique Moceanu, a member of the "Magnificent Seven" team that won gold for the U.S. during the 1996 Atlanta Games, also addressed Karolyi's death in a statement on social media.

After Bela Karolyi made his Olympic coaching debut with the Romanian national team during the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Bela and Martha Karolyi defected to the United States in 1981.

Bela and Martha Karolyi went on to coach USA Gymnastics Hall of Famers including Moceanu, Julianna McNamara, Phoebe Mills, Betty Okino, Kristie Phillips, Kerri Strug, Mary Lou Retton, and Kim Zmeskal, according to the Hall of Fame.

Bela Karolyi served as Retton's coach when she became the first American woman to claim the Olympic all-around title at age 16 in the 1984 Los Angeles Games. He also coached USA Gymnastics to team gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

During their three-decade coaching career, Bela and Martha Karolyi coached 15 gymnasts to world titles, 12 to European titles and six to U.S. national championships.

Bela Karolyi was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997. He and Martha Karolyi were inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2000 as a coaching team.

While serving as the women's national team coordinator for USA Gymnastics from 1999 to 2001, Karolyi centralized the program at a training facility in Texas.

The site served as the U.S. Women's National Team Training Center until 2018, when USA Gymnastics cut ties with the facility after multiple gymnasts reported Nassar's abuse taking place there.

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.

U.S. Olympic gymnast Suni Lee will take part in the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, the magazine announced on Monday.

"We are thrilled to launch our shoot season for the 2025 issue with an extraordinary lineup of powerful female athletes," SI Swimsuit editor-in-chief MJ Day said in a statement. "This remarkable group, featuring Olympic medalists, world champions, and record holders, embodies the next generation of all-stars poised to transform the world of sports. They defy stereotypes and champion equality, inspiring young girls to envision themselves as both athletes and leaders. At SI Swimsuit, we've always celebrated the future of women, and there's no better way to honor these remarkable achievements than by featuring them on the pages of our issue."

Lee, 21, has won two gold medals in her career—the first came at the individual all-around competition at the 2020 Tokyo Games (held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), while the second was in the team competition during this summer's Paris Games. She also took home a silver (team) and bronze medal (uneven bars) in the 2020 Games and two bronze medals (all-around, uneven bars) in Paris.

She is already one of the most decorated gymnasts in United States history and will join a number of athletes—including sprinter Gabby Thomas, skier Eileen Gu and golfer Nelly Korda—in this year's Swimsuit edition.

Despite a field that included three former champions Derek Lunsford, Hadi Choopan and Brandon Cutler, it was Nigerian-born Samson Dauda who heard his name called as the 2024 Mr. Olympia Saturday night in Las Vegas.

It was the third year in a row that a new champion was crowned, a rarity in a contest typically defined by dominance from larger-than-life competitors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronnie Coleman, Lee Haney and Phil Heath, among others.

How much did the Nigeria-born Dauda pocket as a result of his victory?

As it turns out, it was more than any other winner in event history, thanks to a record $1.6 million pot.

Results and Prize Money

1. Samson Dauda ($600,000)
2. Hadi Choopan ($250,000)
3. Derek Lunsford ($100,000)
4. Martin Fitzwater ($40,000)
5. Andrew Jacked ($35,000)

Top Three Excellence

For the second consecutive year, Dauda, Choopan and Lunsford made up the top three of the open bodybuilding portion of the Mr. Olympia event.

Lunsford finished first in 2023, with Choopan and Dauda as runners-up.

This year, the same three made up the top third of the competition, with Dauda building on his third-place finish and showing up in the best condition of his decade-long career.

He needed to be, too, as Choopan has been the most consistent bodybuilder for the last five years, routinely finishing in the top four of his category.

Lunsford's third-place finish this year could be considered a disappointment for the defending champion, but the quality of competition perhaps makes the result a little more palatable for the American than it otherwise may have been.

It will not be easy for Dauda to repeat as champion. He has put in the work to get to the pinnacle, but he will have to retain that work ethic to fend off the fierce competition who will look to dethrone him in 2025.

Samson Dauda stands atop the bodybuilding world after winning the Mr. Olympia contest Saturday night in Las Vegas.

The Nigerian bested 2022 champion Hadi Choopan and 2023 winner Derek Lunsford to take the top prize in the open bodybuilding event, one of the deepest competitions in the sport.

2024 Mr. Olympia Results

1. Dauda
2. Choopan
3. Lunsford
4. Martin Fitzwater
5. Andrew Jacked

2025 Predictions

It would not be surprising if Dauda repeated as Mr. Olympia in 2025.

A tireless worker who arrived in Las Vegas in the best shape of his life, he wrested the crown away from the two previous champions in an emphatic statement from the 32-year-old.

It also would be equally unsurprising if he did not repeat, thanks to the recent trend in the competition.

For decades, the Mr. Olympia event was defined by its repeat winners. Arnold Schwarzenegger captured seven straight titles. Ronnie Coleman set the benchmark at eight wins. Dorian Yates, Phil Heath and Lee Haney all won multiple times.

Since Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay won in 2020 and 2021, the event has seen a different winner each year.

That is a testament to the depth and quality of the competition.

Choopan is, arguably, the most consistent bodybuilder in the sport and could have earned the nod from judges in each of the last two years.

It would surprise no one if the workhorse returned to Vegas in a year and regained the Mr. Olympia title, adding a second to his resume.

Ditto for Lunsford, who won a year ago but saw himself slip to third in this year's competition amid one of the strongest fields in years.

The one name worth watching is the fourth-place finisher and internet personality Martin Fitzwater.

"The Martian" had great energy and was a fan favorite in Vegas. With a year of continuing to fine-tune his body and work on his overall presentation, he could finish in the top two and pose a legitimate threat to the title.

With all of that said, Choopan is such a consistent top-four competitor that he would have to be considered one of the early favorites to win next year's event.

2025 Prediction: Choopan wins his second Mr. Olympia

Mika Sihvonen once again reigned supreme in the open bodybuilding event at the 2024 IFBB Pro World Championships, which runs in tandem with the Arnold Classic Europe in Madrid.

According to Evolution of Bodybuilding's Kevin Grech, Sihvonen beat out Ilya Lukovets of Belarus to retain his crown in the competition. Eddy Wilson, the runner-up in 2023, settled for fourth place.

Arnold Classic Europe Winners

• Bodybuilding: Mika Sihvonen (Finland) 
• Men's Physique: Thierry Bayala (France) 
• Classic Physique: Tomislav Strmecki (Croatia)
• Women's Bikini Fitness: Kimberly Percival (Antigua and Barbuda)

Sihvonen was the second-place finisher in 2019, 2020 and 2021 before coming out on top in 2022, which kicked off his three-peat.

Men's physique saw a changing of the guard with France's Thierry Bayala standing tall in an event that came to be dominated by Dmytro Horobets. Horobets had reeled off four titles in a row. On Saturday, the spotlight shone on Bayala, who was the runner-up for the first three of Horobets' wins. The Frenchman wasn't in the field at the 2023 Arnold Classic Europe.

Tomislav Strmecki made a strong impression in his debut showing as a pro at the Arnold Classic Europe. Last year, he was victorious as an amateur and this weekend he bested Ahmed Aminu in classic physique. Yuri Valentin, the 2023 winner, fell back to third place.

Kimberly Percival returned to the top of the podium in women's bikini fitness. The 2021 winner, she had to settle for second in 2022 and 2023. Melissa Seaforth, Percival's compatriot from Antigua and Barbuda, suffered the reverse fate as she slipped to fifth place after finishing third a year ago.