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Ilia Malinin 3-peats in world championships after disastrous Olympics

Olympics: Figure Skating - GalaFeb 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

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Continuing tradition, fans of Japan clean up postgame

June 14, 2026; Arlington, Texas, U.S.; Japan fans inside the stadium before the match.  Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images June 14, 2026; Arlington, Texas, U.S.; Japan fans inside the stadium before the match. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Fans of Japan’s World Cup soccer team might be forgiven for acting a little raucous following their squad’s 2-2 draw against the Netherlands on Sunday in Arlington, Texas.

Instead, as is their custom, they spent their time post-match picking up trash at AT&T Stadium in large plastic bags.

Daichi Kamada knotted the score in dramatic fashion, positioning for a deflection off a Koki Ogawa header to rescue a point against the much larger Netherlands squad.

The two highest-ranked squads in Group F settled for the draw, though for Japan, which trailed twice in the second half, it no doubt felt like more of a victory to draw even.

Fans caught in the euphoria of the moment did not forget to engage in what has become a tradition for the side supporting Japan. Eight years ago, at the World Cup in Russia, Japan fans went viral for picking up litter, even after a difficult loss that ended their stay at the event.

Four years later at Qatar, Japanese fans were likewise documented picking up their surroundings, though those circumstances were positive rather than negative — Japan won Group E with victories against Germany and Spain.

“For Japanese people, this is just a normal thing to do,” Hajime Moriyasu, coach of the 2022 team, told The Athletic. “When you leave a place, you have to leave it cleaner than it was before.”

On Sunday, fans even had help from an unlikely source, NFL quarterback Jameis Winston, covering the event as a correspondent for FOX.

The spirit of humbleness on display was fully captured by the New York Giants backup signal-caller, though he didn’t limit his interactions only to Japan. Winston also participated in a pregame chant and singalong with Dutch supporters outside the stadium.

–Field Level Media


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Uruguay arrive in Miami after travel delayed by permit 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 ImagesNov 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 arrived in Miami late on Sunday after a travel ordeal ahead of its opening World Cup match against Saudi Arabia on Monday.

Uruguay pinned the blame on FIFA for their troubles flying from Mexico to Miami, yet they reportedly faced the threat of sanction if their head coach and captain could not make it to a mandatory press conference Sunday.

The original flight reportedly was not allowed to depart due to administrative issues, including some missing paperwork, and officials had to scramble 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 until its arrival.

“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.”

FIFA later released a statement to the Daily Mail and other outlets.

“Due to an airline permitting error in Mexico, the Uruguay national team’s departure from Cancun to Miami was delayed,” the statement said. “The airline has apologized for the inconvenience caused. FIFA remained in close contact with the Uruguay national team throughout their delay and worked alongside airport and operational partners to help expedite the process and minimize disruption to the team’s travel arrangements.”

Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa and team captain Jose Maria Gimenez missed Sunday’s originally scheduled press conference in South Florida due to the issue. The team’s press conference was pushed back to 8 p.m. ET, and the coach and captain were in attendance.

“The trip went well, we made the most of it and saw it in a positive light,” Gimenez said in Spanish. “We took the chance to rest at the hotel (in Cancun).”

Bielsa was asked what sort of disruption the flight snafu caused his team.

“No, the flight doesn’t cause any complications,” Bielsa said in Spanish before changing the subject to his team’s preparation in both the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo and Playa del Carmen.

“In Montevideo, the players had constant obligations, but they also had family time, which I felt was necessary.”

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.

The match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia is slated for 6 p.m. ET, giving them less than 24 hours to settle in before kickoff.

–Field Level Media

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No. 5 Tar Heels top No. 16 W. Virginia, move on at MCWS

Jun 12, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels pitcher Caden Glauber (27) pitches against the Mississippi Rebels during the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn ImagesJun 12, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels pitcher Caden Glauber (27) pitches against the Mississippi Rebels during the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Gavin Gallaher hit a tiebreaking two-run triple during a three-run seventh inning to help No. 5 North Carolina produce a 5-2 victory over No. 16 West Virginia on Sunday night in Men’s College World Series play at Omaha, Neb.

Owen Hull had two hits and one RBI and Carter French also had two hits for the Tar Heels (52-12-1), who will continue on in winner’s bracket play on Wednesday.

Right-hander Walker McDuffie (9-3) pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for North Carolina before running into trouble in the ninth. Right-hander Caden Glauber struck out both batters he faced for his fifth save.

Armani Guzman had two hits and one RBI and Brodie Kresser had two hits for West Virginia (46-16), which committed two errors during North Carolina’s three-run seventh-inning uprising. The Mountaineers will oppose Troy on Tuesday in an elimination contest.

At the outset of the seventh, Mountaineers third baseman Tyrus Hall and second baseman Kresser booted routine grounders in a span of three batters to set up the Tar Heels.

Gallaher then made West Virginia pay with a shot into the gap in right-center off Maxx Yehl (9-3) to score French and Jake Schaffner and give North Carolina a 4-2 lead. Hull followed with a grounded single up the middle for another run.

The left-handed Yehl allowed five runs (two earned) and eight hits over seven-plus innings. He had seven strikeouts and walked one.

North Carolina right-hander Ryan Lynch gave up two runs and five hits over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out two and walked two. McDuffie struck out four and gave up three hits and two walks.

Matt Ineich drew a one-out walk off McDuffie in the ninth and Kresser followed with a single to right-center. Glauber entered and struck out Ben Lumsden and fanned Hall looking to end it.

The Tar Heels scored twice in the first inning after loading the bases with one out. The first crossed when Erik Paulsen walked and the second came in on Cooper Nicholson’s infield out.

West Virginia got a run back in the third on Guzman’s RBI single. One inning later, a double-play grounder plated the tying run.

–Field Level Media

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