Olympic tensions flare as US skeleton star alleges Canadian coach rigged qualifying event

Sporting tensions between the USA and Canada have erupted once again, this time in skeleton as next month’s Winter Olympics approach.The USA’s Katie Uhlaender, a five-time Winter Olympian in skeleton, has accused the Canadian team of depriving her of a place at the Milan-Cortina Games by manipulating a qualifying event over the weekend.Uhlaender says that Canada deliberately pulled four of its six athletes from the race in the North American Cup in Lake Placid, New York. That meant the field was reduced to under 21 athletes and fewer qualifying points were on offer due to the lack of competition. Uhlaender believes the Canadian team did so to prevent American athletes from catching them in the standings for Olympic qualifying

‘It’s embarrassing’: riders say time is up for fossil fuel sponsorship of heat-affected Tour Down Under

The first time Maeve Plouffe trained in the heat, she was in Paris in the lead-up to the Olympics. It was supposed to be an easy ride to help get used to the conditions. When she returned, she fainted from heat sickness.“That’s how badly I was affected,” she says. “Racing in extreme heat is like playing chicken with your environment

Australian Open is drawing record crowds before the tournament has even begun

“Cricket’s in December,” Tennis Australia’s chief executive, Craig Tiley, says with a smile on a record-breaking first day of the Australian Open on Monday. The veteran may be rumoured to be considering a move to the US Tennis Association, but for now he remains focused on his sport’s summer dominance.“Our objective is we want to own January,” he says. At the launch of one of many Melbourne Park sponsor activations, conditions are ripe for Tiley to talk a big game. “We’re intense, and we’re intense because we’re 21 days, every day

Stan Wawrinka: ‘I really believe that I squeezed the lemon until the last drop’

The 40-year-old is nearing end of his career and has few regrets after winning three grand slams in Big Three eraIn the first week of the final year of his life as a professional tennis player, Stanislas “Stan” Wawrinka found himself in the familiar position of staring down an opponent nearly half his age. Wawrinka, now 40, had tussled with the talented 23-year-old Flavio Cobolli for nearly three hours before offering himself a shot at a monumental victory.Just a few tense errors deep in a tense final set tie-break saw those chances slip away. In theory, deciding that 2026 will be the final year of his career should provide Wawrinka with an opportunity to swing for the fences and completely empty his tank, playing without inhibitions. Life, however, is far more complicated than that

Brilliant, battered and unkillable: Josh Allen lurches towards the Super Bowl

The Buffalo Bills quarterback is not only a danger to opponents. His bravery and skill inspire his teammates to elevate their playTwo things about the NFL playoffs are predictable: Josh Allen will play out of his skin ... and Josh Allen will suffer a soul-sucking, stupefying loss

49ers dethrone Eagles; Bills beat Jaguars in thriller: NFL playoffs wildcard round – as it happened

And here is the playoff bracket as it stands, as I bid you goodnight! What a start to the postseason.49ers 23-19 Eagles, final scoreAnother fourth-quarter frenzy sees the 49ers comeback from 16-10 down. A really limp showing from the Eagles to only find 114 yards of offense and two field goals in the second half with the season on the line.Did Nick Sirriani’s blow up with AJ Brown in the first half affect the outcome? Brown did not make a catch after the first quarter and made a crucial drop in the final drive.49ers 23-19 Eagles 0:40, 4th quarterPressure