Sports
Miura, Kihara skate to Japan’s first ever Olympic pairs title
Feb 15, 2026; Milan, Italy; Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan compete in the pairs skating short program during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images MILAN — Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara delivered a thrilling comeback at the Milan Cortina Games, storming from fifth place after a shaky short program to capture Japan’s first Olympic figure skating pairs title on Monday.
Miura and Kihara scored a whopping 158.13 points — a world record under the scoring system that was revamped following the 2018 Olympics — for their spellbinding free program to music from “Gladiator,” performed by Andrea Bocelli, to earn a combined total of 231.24.
That set the bar sky-high for the four teams that skated after them.
Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava captured Georgia’s first ever Winter Olympics medal when they secured silver with 221.75.
The European champions paid the price for Metelkina stumbling out of her landing on the throw triple loop.
Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany, the leaders following the short program, had to settle for bronze with 219.09 after Fabienne Hase bobbled the landing of a double Axel and singled a planned triple Salchow.
Miura and Kihara, who teamed up in 2019, had suffered an uncharacteristic error a night earlier when she slipped out of their lasso lift.
When they stepped off the ice on Sunday, coach Bruno Marcotte reminded a devastated Kihara: “It’s not over.”
Turns out, he was right.
“Considering the big mistake that we made yesterday, we feel very proud that we’ve been able to come … back up to this high level today,” Miura said.
Kihara added: “At this point, we still can’t believe that this has happened since yesterday’s performance.
“It’s a little bit of a disbelief, almost, that we’re able to get a medal for Japan pair skating for the first time ever, and we hope that our performance tonight is going to lead Japan skating community into the future to perform better and better moving forward.”
BURST INTO TEARS
Skating with the fearlessness that made them double world champions, the duo erased a near seven-point deficit with a powerful skate that had eluded them 24 hours earlier.
They opened with a soaring triple twist lift, before landing clean triple toe loops and Salchows in perfect synchronization.
With the duo also showcasing a huge throw triple Lutz and a throw triple loop, the Milano Ice Skating Arena crowd were on their feet long before the final strains of the music had died out while Marcotte was leaping up in celebration.
Kihara immediately burst into tears.
About 40 minutes later, once it was confirmed that they had obliterated their nearest rivals by almost 10 points, the overwhelmed Japanese pair fell into a tight embrace, shedding tears of joy onto each other’s shoulders.
“I’m proud of them,” Marcotte said. “I’m happy for them. I think they were ready. Coming here we were extremely confident. The main goal was to be the best today after what happened yesterday.
“They were still a little bit shaken. But the biggest message was: you have to be the best in the world today. Because no matter what happened, in five years, 10 years, 20 years, you want to remember this moment that you gave everything today. I want you to create magic, skate with your heart.”
Marcotte had reminded the skaters how Germany’s Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot had sat fourth after the short program eight years ago in the Pyeongchang Olympics but laid down a stunning free skate of 159.31, a world record before the scoring system change, in one of skating’s greatest comebacks.
“I showed them the example (of Savchenko and Massot) who were also trailing by seven points, and they came back and won,” Marcotte said. “But I never, I never stopped believing.”
An emotional Berulava, meanwhile, called winning Georgia’s first Winter Olympic medal “the best day of my life.”
“I’m so very happy,” he said. “It’s an amazing moment for my country. I have no words. I’m shocked.”
China’s 2022 Olympic champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong, who announced their comeback in June, rebounded from Sui’s fall in their short program to finish fifth.
Canada’s Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, the 2024 world champions, finished 11th following errors in both of their programs.
The 42-year-old Stellato-Dudek, the oldest figure skater competing in an Olympics in almost 100 years, made a remarkable comeback after 16 years away from the sport.
Their Olympics had been in doubt after Stellato-Dudek hit her head in training on Jan. 30.
“Just to be out here and skating on the ice was a privilege and really amazing,” Deschamps said.
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
Sports
Red Sox fire manager Alex Cora, five other coaches
Mar 30, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora walks to the mound for a pitching change during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images After a shocking 10-17 start to the season, the Boston Red Sox have fired manager Alex Cora and five coaches, the club announced on Saturday evening.
In addition to Cora, the club dismissed hitting coach Peter Fatse, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson, third base coach Kyle Hudson, bench coach Ramon Vasquez and hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin.
Chad Tracy, 40, the club’s manager at Triple-A Worcester since 2022, has been named interim manager. Game planning and run-prevention coach Jason Varitek will be reassigned to a new role in the organization.
“Alex Cora led this organization to one of the greatest seasons in Red Sox history in 2018, and for that, and the many years that followed, he will always have our deepest gratitude,” Red Sox owner John Henry said in a team statement. “He has had a lasting impact on this team and on this city. He has led on and off the field in so many important ways. These decisions are never easy, but this one is especially difficult given what Alex has meant to the Red Sox since the day he arrived.
“I want to thank Alex, our coaches, and their families for everything they have given to this organization. They have been part of this club in a way that goes beyond the field, and they will always have our respect and gratitude.”
Boston dipped to 9-17 after a 10-3 loss in Baltimore on Friday. The Orioles blasted six home runs and 20 hits in that rout. After Friday’s game, the Red Sox sat eight games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East.
But the Red Sox did exact a measure of revenge on Saturday, shellacking the Orioles, 17-1.
After serving as bench coach for the 2017 world champion Houston Astros, Cora was hired as manager in Boston in 2018. He led the Red Sox to a franchise-record 108 victories and a World Series title.
However, after the 2019 campaign, Cora was implicated in an MLB investigation involving sign-stealing by the Astros. MLB undertook an investigation into the Red Sox practices, but Cora and the Red Sox mutually agreed to separate before the 2020 season.
Cora, 50, was suspended for the 2020 season for his role in Houston, but returned to Boston as manager in 2021.
After missing the playoffs from 2022-24, the Red Sox returned last season, but lost a American League wild-card series to the New York Yankees.
Cora posted an eight-year regular-season record of 619-541 and postseason mark of 18-10.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Buffalo star Red Murdock is 'Mr. Irrelevant' after Broncos tab him last in draft
Sep 2, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Braelon Allen (0) rushes with the football as Buffalo Bulls linebacker Red Murdock (2) defends during the third quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Red Murdock enjoyed a storied college career at Buffalo but all his accolades and production weren’t appearing especially relevant in the eyes of NFL teams.
But Murdock was finally chosen Sunday by the Denver Broncos with the 257th and last pick of the seven-round 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, earning him the label of “Mr. Irrelevant.”
The second-team All-American is the 51st player to earn the “Mr. Irrelevant” tag since the tradition began in 1976.
Murdock, whose birth name is Khalil, set the FBS record of 17 career forced fumbles during his time at Buffalo. He had four in 2023, seven in 2024 and six in 2025. Ironically, another former Buffalo star, longtime NFL player Khalil Mack, held the previous record of 16.
Murdock ranked third in the nation with 142 tackles in 2025 and also had five sacks among 13.5 tackles for loss. In 2024, he was second nationally with 156 stops. He was a first-team All-Mid-American-Conference choice in both seasons.
Still, Murdock was getting concerned in the latter stages of the three-day draft. He didn’t want to go undrafted.
“I feel extremely grateful and excited to help the Broncos win, above all else,” Murdock told reporters. “I know a little bit about Mr. Irrelevant, but the main thing is I got an opportunity, and I’m trying to make the most of it to help us win.”
The most prominent Mr. Irrelevant is quarterback Brock Purdy, who was the final pick of the 2022 draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Purdy was repeatedly passed over despite a highly decorated college career at Iowa State.
It didn’t take long for the pick to pay dividends as Purdy quarterbacked the 49ers to the 2023 season’s Super Bowl before his club lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The creator of Mr. Irrelevant, former NFL receiver Paul Salata, died at age 94 in 2021.
The last pick receives more attention than any other seventh-round selection and the notoriety reaches its zenith when the player travels to Southern California to be honored during Irrelevant Week. Among the festivities is the awarding of the “Lowsman Trophy.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Nelly Korda shoots 2 under to keep lead at Chevron
Apr 25, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Nelly Korda prepares to putt on the 18th hole during the third round of The Chevron Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images Two straight stellar rounds gave Nelly Korda a cushion to endure some bumps in the road.
She found those bumps on Saturday, but still shot a 2-under-par 70 to hold a five-shot advantage heading into the final round at the Chevron Championship in Houston.
Back-to-back 65s had given Korda a six-shot advantage, and the start of her third round on Saturday looked like more of the same. Two straight birdies to open got her to 16 under for the tournament, and she quickly added two more on Holes 5-6 to get to 18 under.
But that was it on the birdie front for the World No. 2. Worse still, Korda suffered bogeys on the eighth and 13th holes while battling the wind to settle for 16 under.
That represented a notable shift for Korda after she carded five of her eight birdies Friday on the back nine at Memorial Park Golf Course.
“I played really solid on the front and then just kind of — not may have lost concentration, but the wind started picking up and then I just put myself into — I mean, I put myself into great positions; didn’t kind of execute really well,” Korda said.
Korda is pursuing her third career major title, which would be her first since winning this event at a different course in 2024.
“This is why we do it, right, to be in contention on major championship Sunday?” Korda said. “I’m just going to focus on myself, kind of work on my process, really dial into that, make sure that I have tunnel vision, and not really focus on the exterior noise.”
Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit continues to lurk in second place. She crept closer to Korda with a 3-under 69, making up a shot, and she now sits at 11 under for the tournament.
Tavatanakit’s day featured four birdies on Holes 1, 6, 14 and 16, with a bogey on the par-4 13th.
She admitted an aggressive mindset could serve her well on Sunday.
“Yeah, I have nothing to lose. I have nothing to lose from day one,” Tavatanakit said. “I’m trying to be aggressive but sometimes the ball just doesn’t go there.”
China’s Ruoning Yin (66) and France’s Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (67) put themselves in position to contend with low rounds Saturday and are now tied for third at 10 under, six shots behind Korda.
South Korea’s Ina Yoon (71) is alone in fifth at 8 under.
Amateur Farah O’Keefe, who has been the surprise of the tournament to this point, fell off the pace a little with her even-par round, moving her from a tie for third into a tie for sixth.
Yet O’Keefe, a native of nearby Austin and a member of the University of Texas golf team, is maintaining her composure.
“I’m having a great time,” O’Keefe said. “The thing that I do is just play my game. However it stacks up against everybody else is the way that it happens to finish.”
Tied with O’Keefe at 7 under are Mexico’s Gaby Lopez (66), Yealimi Noh (69) and China’s Yan Liu (71).
–Field Level Media
Red Sox fire manager Alex Cora, five other coaches
Buffalo star Red Murdock is 'Mr. Irrelevant' after Broncos tab him last in draft
