Sports
Japan's Totsuka takes halfpipe gold, Aussie James settles for silver
Feb 11, 2026; Livigno, Italy; Yuto Totsuka of Japan competes in men’s snowboarding halfpipe qualification during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images LIVIGNO, Italy — Yuto Totsuka of Japan won the gold medal in the men’s snowboard halfpipe at the Winter Olympics on Friday in a hard-fought battle that ended with Australian Scotty James just missing out on the big prize that has eluded him through five Games.
James took the silver for the second time, and the bronze went to Totsuka’s compatriot Ryusei Yamada.
In the halfpipe, riders slide across a 22-foot-tall, U-shaped ramp and perform acrobatic maneuvers in the air. Judges award points based on amplitude, variety, difficulty and other factors, with a maximum score of 100. The best score out of three runs determines the winners.
Totsuka, part of a powerhouse Japanese team, put up a high score of 95 in his second run to lead the field during a nighttime event in the Alpine town of Livigno. Floodlights illuminated the course on a clear night, providing a striking backdrop for Totsuka’s high-flying spins. He and the other riders stepped up the complexity they had displayed in the qualifying round two days earlier.
“I’ve competed in many events before, but today’s competition was among the highest caliber,” the 24-year-old Totsuka said.
James made his tricks look effortless at the start of his first run but ran out of room to land and skidded to a stop at the very end. On his second run, he executed well and shot up to second place with a 93.50.
The 31-year-old nearly put down a flawless effort to give himself a chance at the gold, but he fell when attempting to end the night with a backside 1620, an advanced trick with four and a half spins in the air. The move has never been successfully performed at the Olympics.
After he got up, James stood at the bottom of the pipe on his board and hung his head. He cracked a slight smile on the podium and wiped his eyes with his signature red boxing-style gloves.
He told reporters he felt a mix of emotions, from frustration to pride.
“I’m very proud because regardless of the color of the medal, I got to come out and ride in one of the hardest-fought finals ever in my country colors and represent Australia,” he said.
He added that he thought he would have prevailed if he had landed his final jump, and he was glad he tried it.
“It’s OK, I can own that,” he said.
James, Australia’s flag-bearer at Pyeongchang 2018, made no secret of wanting to add an Olympic gold to his medal collection at the Milan Cortina Games. He took bronze at the Games in South Korea and silver in Beijing four years ago, and has won nearly every other major award in snowboarding.
Asked if he plans to compete at the next Olympics, James said “absolutely.”
“I hate losing, so this has motivated me now,” he said.
Among other riders, defending halfpipe champion Ayumu Hirano of Japan fell forward in his first run and skidded on his stomach. The 26-year-old returned with an impressive second run and then fell backward on his final attempt. He finished seventh.
Jan Scherrer of Switzerland, who took bronze in 2022, hit his head in practice before the qualifiers and had to withdraw.
On Thursday, South Korea’s Choi Ga-on won gold and denied American Chloe Kim a three-peat in the women’s snowboard halfpipe.
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
Sports
Gary Player rips round snub with grandsons: 'We made Augusta'
Honorary starter Gary Player reacts on the first tee during the first round of the 2025 Masters. (Michael Madrid-Imagn Images) Gary Player lashed out at the current leadership of Augusta National after the three-time Masters champion was denied of his request to play a fourball round with his grandsons.
Player, 90, is one of three honorary starters for the first major of the year, which he became the first non-American to win in 1961.
“I have been an ambassador for Augusta for all these years, yet they won’t let me have one round of golf in my life with my three grandsons,” Player told Golf Monthly. “All the courses that have hosted the Open (Championship), the U.S. Open and the PGA (Championship) would oblige, but they won’t do it at Augusta.
“My grandsons are dying to know about their grandfather’s episodes on that golf course. It is just this current management there.
“But these are the times we live in, and I accept it, but I accept it with sadness. When I go there, I feel like I am walking on to a golf course in heaven. I tread very carefully and I love Augusta so much — but I don’t like all the rules.”
Player’s 52 Masters appearances are more than any other player in history, and he began serving as an honorary starter in 2012. During his playing career, the World Golf Hall of Fame member was part of the “Big Three” along with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.
He added two more green jackets in 1974 and 1978, with the Masters serving as the site of three of his nine career majors. As a past champion, Palmer has playing privileges at the course. However, unlike Palmer and Nicklaus, Player was never granted membership at Augusta National that would enable him to bring guests to play alongside him.
He previously has criticized his lack of playing privileges at Augusta, saying in 2023 that he was “disillusioned” about the difficulty of playing the course with a guest. At the time, he ranked the Masters last among the four majors.
Player’s son, Wayne, reportedly also received a lifetime ban from Augusta after holding up a pack of golf balls in a marketing stunt during a 2021 ceremony honoring Lee Elder.
“There are a lot of things that have made Augusta what it is, but the part we played was a prevalent part of my career,” Player told Golf Monthly. “(Co-founder) Bobby Jones was a wonderful man and a wonderful asset to a wonderful tournament, as was (member) President (Dwight D.) Eisenhower as was (co-founder) Clifford Roberts. Those three people, they basically made Augusta.
“Then Arnold, Jack and I came along, and we fought it out every year, and then we made Augusta thanks to the coverage and publicity we generated around the Masters, whether the club likes to admit it or not. They won’t admit it, but we made Augusta.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Spurs' Carter Bryant tabbed as replacement for Rising Stars game
Feb 7, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant (11) looks up in the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images San Antonio Spurs rookie forward Carter Bryant will replace injured Memphis Grizzlies rookie guard Cedric Coward on Team Vince in the Rising Stars game on Friday in Inglewood, Calif.
Bryant, 20, also will compete in the Slam Dunk contest on Saturday. He has averaged 3.4 points and 2.0 rebounds in 43 games this season since being selected with the 14th overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Coward, 22, is dealing with right knee soreness.
–Field Level Media
Sports
US women's curling upsets top-ranked Canada; US men fall to Canada
Feb 13, 2026; Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy; Tabitha Peterson of the United States talks with the team during a women’s round robin game during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Joel Retornaz’s Italy beat Britain 9-7 on Friday to continue its winning start at the Winter Olympics with a victory over another favorite in the men’s curling competition, boosting hopes of a medal on home ice.
In its opening match, Italy beat Olympic champions Sweden, which also lost to Britain on Thursday.
Britain, the defending world champions, began on a disastrous note as skip Bruce Mouat attempted a complicated takeout but ended up clearing out a couple of his own team’s stones, giving Italy a steal of four points in the first end.
A frustrated Mouat kicked out at a stone and then got back to work, nailing a double takeout in the fourth end to reduce the deficit before another stolen point left the score at 5-4 to Italy at the halfway mark.
With momentum slowly shifting towards the top-ranked British side after it leveled at 7-7 in the penultimate end, Retornaz sealed two points with the final stone to secure the win.
“It’s good for us, it’s good for the fans, and those are the games you want to be in,” Retornaz said.
“Something changes in the head because you have those four points (in the first end), but that’s what you have to fight also.
“You have to fight your mindset because you cannot rely on those four points in the first end out of ten. The game is too long.”
Brad Jacobs’ Canada also picked up a comfortable 6-3 win over Danny Casper’s United States, while Yannick Schwaller-led Switzerland beat the Czech Republic 7-3. Norway defeated China 8-6 in a hard-fought encounter which went into an extra end.
US WOMEN BEAT CANADA
In the women’s competition, Tabitha Peterson’s United States team claimed the country’s first-ever Olympic victory over neighbors Canada.
Two-time world champion and top-ranked Canada, led by Rachel Homan, had a slender lead heading into the final end but the United States had the hammer and Peterson sealed a 9-8 win.
Both nations have competed at every Games since curling’s return to the official program in 1998, but the U.S. women’s team has won no medals, while Canada has won two golds, a silver and a pair of bronzes.
Asked what it was like to record a first Games win over Canada, Peterson said: “That’s what I just heard too. I know we came close in the past. Great time to beat the number one team … It was a good game, it was a good battle.”
The U.S. women’s team includes Cory Thiesse, who became the first American woman to win an Olympic curling medal when she and partner Korey Dropkin won silver in mixed doubles earlier in these Games.
Britain suffered its second defeat in as many games, losing 9-3 to South Korea, while Silvana Tirinzoni’s Switzerland beat China 7-5.
Anna Hasselborg’s Sweden saw out a narrow 6-5 win over Denmark, which moved the team to the top of the standings with a 3-0 record.
Teams play nine matches in the round-robin stage, which continues on Friday. The top four advance to the semifinals next week.
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
Gary Player rips round snub with grandsons: 'We made Augusta'
Spurs' Carter Bryant tabbed as replacement for Rising Stars game
