Sports
Dutchman Jens Van 't Wout wins men's 1500m short track for second gold
Feb 12, 2026; Milan, Italy; Gold medalist Jens van ‘T Wout of the Netherlands celebrates during the medal ceremony for the men’s 1000m during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images MILAN, Italy — Dutchman Jens van ‘t Wout struck gold in the men’s 1500 meters short track on Saturday, his second individual title, as the Netherlands continued their strong showing at the Milan Cortina Games.
South Korean reigning champion Hwang Dae-heon came second, while Latvia’s Roberts Kruzbergs won the bronze.
“This race with nine people was like a table of roulette in the casino. And the fact that I can win like this, really fight well. It’s insane,” Van ‘t Wout said.
There were extra skaters in the finals because of reinstatements after crashes in the semi-finals.
Van ‘t Wout said that he had been shown a video of the 2022 final in Beijing, which featured 10 skaters, just before the race to get his tactics right.
“I thought, let’s see what the winner did then. And that was to sit at the front of the race. So that’s what I tried to do,” he added.
The victories are a vindication for the 24-year-old who has a visible scar on his cheek after a skating accident in 2019 that almost caused him to quit the sport.
In the women’s events, Arianna Fontana maintained her quest for an Italian record 14th Olympic medal when she qualified for the quarterfinals of the 1000 meters and made it to the final of the 3000 meters relay with her national team.
“Today it was mission accomplished,” she told reporters.
THIRD GOLD FOR THE NETHERLANDS IN SHORT TRACK
Van ‘t Wout and compatriot Xandra Velzeboer had doubled up on Thursday as she took the women’s 500 meters gold, while he won the men’s 1000 meters crown.
The Dutch skater took the lead with four laps to go on Saturday in the Milan Ice Skating Arena and never gave it up. He skated around the ice draped in the red, white and blue Dutch flag to celebrate after his victory.
After the medal ceremony, he greeted his parents in the crowd.
“Every time I look at my dad, he’s like: how are you doing this? And I’m like: I have no idea,” he said.
The victory by the Dutch skater ended South Korea’s winning streak in Beijing and Pyeongchang.
KRUZBERGS HOPES BRONZE MAKES SHORT TRACK POPULAR IN LATVIA
Latvia’s Kruzbergs, who had not been considered among the favorites, said he was very happy with his bronze medal.
“Hopefully this brings some recognition to the sport itself in Latvia. And this is an incredible achievement. I’m just super happy that the medal is here, you know. I’m extremely, extremely happy that with a knee injury I’m able to get it,” he said.
China’s Sun Long, who won silver in the 1000 meters on Thursday, suffered an injury just below the knee following a collision during the final, and members of his delegation had to help him exit the rink.
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
Sports
Villanova wins fifth straight, avenges loss to Creighton
Feb 14, 2026; Omaha, Nebraska, USA; Villanova Wildcats forward Duke Brennan (24) drives against Creighton Bluejays forward Isaac Traudt (41) during the first half at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images Duke Brennan had 21 points and 12 rebounds and Tyler Perkins had 17 points and 11 rebounds as Villanova extended its win streak to five with an 80-69 victory over Creighton on Saturday afternoon in Omaha, Neb.
Deven Askew had 13 points off the bench for the Wildcats (20-5, 11-3 Big East Conference), who ended a four-game losing streak to the Bluejays (13-13, 7-8). Villanova is 6-1 on the road in conference play and avenged a 76-72 home loss to Creighton last month.
Back-to-back Askew 3-pointers gave the Wildcats a 25-10 lead with 7:17 to play in the first half as Villanova used a 16-3 run to take control. The Wildcats never led by less than seven points the rest of the game.
Both teams struggled offensively early. Villanova started 5 for 17 from the field.
Creighton, whose team attended the funeral of guard Josh Dix’s mother Friday, struggled for nearly all of the first half. Isaac Traudt, one of the Bluejays’ key long-range shooters, was 0 of 4 from beyond the arc early.
Nik Graves led Creighton with 15 points, scoring 13 after the break. Dix chipped in with 14 points.
Austin Swartz made two 3-pointers and scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half for the Bluejays, who have lost seven of 10 and are in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
Villanova secured the game late, finishing 14 for 19 (74%) from the foul line, markedly better than recent performances.
Malachi Palmer came off the bench to score all 10 of his points in the second half for the Wildcats. Acaden Lewis, one of just five freshmen in the country to average 12.5 points and at least five assists, had eight points, four assists and two steals.
Brennan posted his 11th double-double to lead Villanova.
Jasen Green had a team-high 11 rebounds for Creighton. Hudson Greer added eight points and five rebounds and Fedor Zugic scored all seven of his points in the second half.
Villanova is holding opponents to a Big East-leading 29.9% shooting percentage from beyond the arc, and Creighton finished 8 for 27 (29.6%).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Padres agree to deal with RHP German Marquez
Jul 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher German Marquez (48) delivers a pitch in the second inning against the Chicago White Sox at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The San Diego Padres agreed to a one-year deal with right-hander German Marquez, according to ESPN.
Marquez has played all 10 of his MLB seasons for the Colorado Rockies. He owns a career record of 68-72 with a 4.67 ERA and 1.334 WHIP.
He earned his sole All-Star selection in 2021, in which he posted a 4.40 ERA, 1.272 WHIP, 176 strikeouts and a league-leading three complete games across 32 starts.
The 30-year-old is looking to bounce back from an underwhelming 2025 campaign. Across 26 games, he went 3-16 with a 6.70 ERA, 1.710 WHIP and 83 strikeouts in 126 1/3 innings pitched.
The metrics were concerning, as well. He ranked in the bottom five percentile in pitching run value (-42), fastball run value (-29), breaking run value (-11), xERA (5.81), xBA (.287) and strikeout percentage (14.0).
Pitching at Coors Field is a well-known challenge, and Marquez’s away splits are slightly better. For his career, he has a 5.17 ERA at home and a 4.22 ERA on the road.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Oregon downs Penn State to snap 10-game skid
Jan 20, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Takai Simpkins (5) is introduced before the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images Oregon overcame a slow start and held on for an 83-72 win over Penn State in Big Ten play on Saturday afternoon in Eugene, Ore.
The Ducks (9-16, 2-12 Big Ten) put an end to a 10-game losing streak with the win, and were led by Takai Simpkins and Nate Bittle with 22 points each.
Oregon made 7 of 10 3-point attempts in the second half to pull away for its first win since January 2 at Maryland.
Penn State (11-15, 2-13) got a game-high 24 points from guard Kayden Mingo in the loss. Josh Reed added 13 for the Nittany Lions in a matchup of two Big Ten cellar dwellers.
Penn State tied the game at 46 on a 3-pointer from Dominick Stewart with 15:42 to play. Then Oregon took control, building its lead to 58-49 on a 3-pointer from Wei Lin and 62-51 after a dunk by Kwame Evans Jr. following a Nittany Lions turnover.
Simpkins scored 20 of his points in the second half, including three early 3-pointers in the first few minutes. When Bittle found forward Sean Stewart all alone jogging down the lane for a dunk with 7:04 remaining, Oregon took a 69-58 lead and was able to finish the game with ease.
Simpkins knocked down a deep 3 from the top of the arc with 4:00 to play, with Bittle passing out of the low post for the assist. Oregon led 80-65, and the fans at Matthew Knight Arena could, for the first time in well over a month, fully enjoy the traditional playing of “Shout,” an Oregon sports tradition, during a late timeout.
Oregon trailed by as many as seven early in the game but turned things around with a Bittle dunk in transition for a 27-23 lead and a couple Evans free throws for a 38-28 lead. Penn State trailed 38-32 at halftime.
–Field Level Media
Villanova wins fifth straight, avenges loss to Creighton
Report: Padres agree to deal with RHP German Marquez
