Sports
Ilia Malinin 3-peats in world championships after disastrous Olympics
Feb 21, 2026; Milan, Italy; Ilia Malinin of the United States performs in the figure skating exhibition gala during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images Ilia Malinin has 3-peated.
The 21-year-old U.S. figure skater won his third straight world championship Saturday in Prague, scoring 329.40 points to win gold by a margin of 22.73 over Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama. Shun Sato also secured Japan a bronze medal.
Malinin becomes the first skater to win three consecutive world titles since Nathan Chen did it from 2018-2021. The 21-year-old is also the youngest to win three championships since Russia’s Alexei Yagudin in 2000, and he’s the second-youngest American to claim three after Dick Button did it at the age of 20.
Malinin’s triumph also serves as a redemption arc after being the gold-medal favorite in the Milan Olympics last month and finishing eighth. He landed five quads in the free skate as part of a routine that featured a lower degree of jump difficulty compared to his Olympic performance. Malinin also declined to attempt his trademark quad axel.
“My expectation was to leave the long program in one piece, and I definitely think that happened,” he said after the victory.
When asked if he intentionally chose a safer routine, Malinin responded: “A better answer to that question is, this has been time for me to relax and enjoy the last competition of the season.”
Malinin also enjoyed a return to his winning form after his 14-competition win streak, the longest stretch in men’s skating in decades, stalled out in Milan.
“This was probably one of the easier world championships I’ve been to, just because of the amount (of) pressure I had at the Olympics. And going into here, I felt like it was almost no pressure at all,” he said. “I completely blocked out all the expectations, all the pressure that people put on me and was really here to skate for myself and enjoy every moment of these world championships, and I think I did exactly that.”
Malinin’s success in the world championship could mean he’s destined for further redemption at the next Winter Olympics. Every U.S. men’s singles skater who’s won three-plus world titles has also won an Olympic gold, including Button (1948, ‘52), Hayes Alan Jenkins (1956), David Jenkins (1960), Scott Hamilton (1984) and Chen (2022).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Zach Johnson pulls out Principal Charity title in native Iowa
Apr 9, 2026; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Zach Johnson tees off on the fifth hole during the first round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale-Imagn Images Zach Johnson broke away from the pack to post a four-shot win in his home state, capturing the Principal Charity Classic title on Sunday in Des Moines, Iowa.
Playing his first season on the 50-and-older PGA Tour Champions, Johnson prevailed in his first start at Des Moines’ Wakonda Club as he followed Saturday’s round of 63 with a 5-under-par 67 to reach 17-under 199 for the week.
Richard Green of Australia (68) and Retief Goosen of South Africa (70) tied for second at 13 under.
Asked which emotions he was feeling after the win, Johnson answered, “Pure gratitude.”
“Given this week and all that it entails being back home, then literally in a place I used to live, I felt like I had already won before I teed off,” said Johnson, who attended Drake University in Des Moines and grew up two hours away in Cedar Rapids. “That honestly gave me a lot of freedom to just play. Hard to really encompass all the emotions in that regard, but a lot of peace. Like I said, a lot of gratitude, but excitement, too. This is why I play, I love competition.”
A co-leader with Brett Quigley and Australian Scott Hend entering the final round, Johnson shook off an opening bogey to roll in three birdies on the front nine. He went birdie-birdie-bogey-birdie at Nos. 12-15 to build a two-shot advantage.
After saving par at No. 16 and missing a birdie try at the par-3 17th, Johnson hit his tee shot at the short par-4 18th into a greenside bunker. But he finished with a flourish by playing a stellar second shot onto the green and sinking the ensuing birdie look.
“Today was a hard day. Today was trying,” said Johnson, who secured his second PGA Tour Champions victory. “Completely different wind for the most part, completely different wind. Not 180, but close. So managing your golf ball, your trajectory was imperative. For the most part I did that, I hit a lot of nice shots today. Feel like you left some out there, but I hit some good putts that didn’t go in, I hit some good putts that went in.
“It was course management and that’s usually where I flourish.”
Green put up the toughest challenge. He took the outright lead at the par-5 15th when he made his seventh birdie of the day, which moved him to 15 under while Johnson was three holes behind. But Green proceeded to bogey the next two holes.
“There was some good stuff. Just got a bit challenging towards the end for me, really,” Green said. “I had a really long putt for birdie on 16 and left it short and three-putted from just off the green, yeah, so that was a difficult hole. Then I made sort of a mess of 17 really as well into the wind, that probably cost me in the end.”
Quigley settled for an even-par 72 and tied for fourth at 12 under with Australian David Bransdon (71). Hend imploded almost immediately with back-to-back bogeys, a double bogey and a triple bogey during the first six holes. He posted a 5-over 77 to drop into a share of 22nd place at 7 under, 10 off Johnson’s winning score.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ryan Kreidler's late-game heroics guide Twins past Cardinals
May 30, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Twins outfielder Ryan Kreidler (5) at the batting cage before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Ryan Kreidler’s RBI double with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning made the difference for the Minnesota Twins in their 5-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals Sunday in Minneapolis.
The two-bagger off Cardinals reliever George Soriano (3-1) hit the wall in left center to cap a brief but successful day for the shortstop, who singled as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. Kriedler also made a diving play on a sharp grounder by Jose Fermin to start the ninth. Fermin initially was ruled safe, but that was overturned when the replay showed Kriedler’s throw beat Fermin by a half-step.
Byron Buxton enjoyed a 3-for-5 day while Kody Clemens and Josh Bell both went 2-for-4 for the Twins, who took the rubber match of the three-game series. Victor Caratini added a two-run homer.
Buxton and Royce Lewis hit RBI singles in the seventh to level the game for the Twins.
Andrew Morris (2-2) allowed just one hit in the eighth inning and struck out three to keep the game tied. Yoendrys Gomez pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save.
JJ Wetherholt went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs for the Cardinals. Nathan Church went 2-for-3 and scored a run, and Alec Burleson homered to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games.
Burleson gave the Cardinals the early lead with his 13th home run, a solo shot off Twins starter Taj Bradley in the fourth. However, Caratini went deep off Michael McGreevy in the latter half of the inning to put Minnesota up 2-1.
Bradley lasted 6 2/3 innings. He struck out seven against five hits and a walk, but the Cardinals got to him for all four runs.
Wetherholt’s two-run homer in the sixth allowed St. Louis to reclaim the lead. After the Cardinals chased Bradley in the seventh with back-to-back two-out singles, Wetherholt singled off reliever Anthony Banda to give them a 4-2 lead.
McGreevy threw six innings, allowing just the two runs on Caratini’s homer. He gave up seven hits and two walks while striking out two. However, the bullpen could not secure his first victory since May 8.
Soriano struck out three in 1 2/3 innings, but he allowed three hits in addition to the go-ahead run.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Uruguay travel to Miami delayed by administrative issues
Nov 28, 2022; Lusail, Qatar; Uruguay defender Jose Gimenez (2) reacts following the loss against Portugal in the group stage match in the 2022 World Cup at Lusail Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn Images The Uruguay national team hadn’t arrived in Miami as of early Sunday night for its Monday match against Saudi Arabia in the World Cup and was blaming FIFA for the troubles, according to published reports.
The flight reportedly was delayed for hours due to administrative issues, including some missing paperwork, and had officials scrambling to line up a new flight.
The Athletic reported that a member of the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) said FIFA was responsible for the traveling snafu.
FIFA is in charge of all travel related to the 48-team World Cup.
Uruguay is training in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and held a practice on Sunday. When the traveling delegation reached the airport in Cancun, approximately 45 miles away, they learned the group was not authorized to enter the United States.
The AUF said that a second plane from South Florida was en route to pick up the squad, while players waited at a resort outside Cancun for further information.
The match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia is slated for 6 p.m. ET.
“Due to problems beyond the control of the AUF, the departure from Mexico has been delayed,” the AUF said in a statement. “The squad is resting at the hotel. The new departure time set by FIFA is 4.15 pm.”
The issue certainly ranks as a logistical nightmare for Uruguay with it occurring the day before the game.
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa and team captain Jose Maria Gimenez missed Sunday’s scheduled press conference in South Florida due to the issue. The festivities were pushed back to 8 p.m. ET and the AUF reportedly could face sanctions by FIFA if the press conference doesn’t take place.
Uruguay and Saudi Arabia will play their first match of Group H at Miami Gardens, Fla. The other members of the group, Spain and Cape Verde, will play Monday in Atlanta.
–Field Level Media
