Sports
Lindsey Vonn situation sparks debate in Olympic skiing community
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 6, 2026; Cortina d’Ampezzo, ITALY; Lindsey Vonn of the United States in the finish area during women’s downhill training during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre. Mandatory Credit: Leonhard Foeger/Reuters via Imagn Images CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — The question of whether Lindsey Vonn should have started the Olympic downhill race on Sunday has expanded beyond a single athlete or race, exposing a deeper tension at the core of elite sport: who decides when an injured competitor is fit to compete and what message that choice sends.
The 41-year-old American started the race at the Milan Cortina Games despite having ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in a World Cup event in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana little more than a week ago.
With a brace on the knee, she set the third fastest time in training on Saturday but sustained a horrific crash on Sunday and was airlifted to hospital for surgery on a broken leg.
Vonn was determined to start the race, saying earlier this week: “we’ve been doing extensive therapy and consulting with doctors, been in the gym and today I went skiing. And considering how my knee feels, it feels stable, I feel strong.”
For former French national football and ski team doctor Jean-Pierre Paclet, the issue of athletes competing while injured blends medicine with ethics.
“Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are extremely common, both among elite athletes and the general public,” he said.
“You can tear it very easily. You don’t need an ACL in every skiing movement, which is why surgery is performed, but the real question concerns the athlete’s long-term future.”
Repeated trauma in sports such as skiing or football can lead to degenerative joint damage later in life, he added.
“Many athletes who continue for years do not have healthy joints when they are older. Does a doctor have the right to allow a career to continue if it risks severe degenerative lesions? That is a matter of sporting ethics.”
RETURN-TO-PLAY PROTOCOLS
Financial stakes and competitive pressure can cloud medical judgment, while knee prostheses have limited durability and repeated surgery becomes increasingly complex.
Paclet said clearer return-to-play protocols – similar to concussion rules in rugby – might help, although implementing them across sports would be difficult.
For now, responsibility rests primarily with national federations rather than the international governing body.
“FIS is made up of national ski associations, and those associations are responsible for taking care of their own athletes,” race director Peter Gerdol said.
“At the moment it remains the responsibility of each national ski association, or the National Olympic Committee, to decide whether an athlete is healthy enough to compete.”
Gerdol pointed out that 26-year-old Marte Monsen, who sustained knee and facial injuries in the same World Cup race in Switzerland where Vonn was hurt, was prevented from racing in Cortina on Sunday by the Norwegian federation.
“The Norwegian who crashed in Crans-Montana was here but at the end they decided not to let her start for safety reasons,” he said.
Neither the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) nor United States Ski and Snowboard responded to requests for comment on the question of athlete medical clearance to compete.
PERSONAL CHOICE
Among athletes, the balance between the importance of autonomy, risk and setting an example produces more nuanced views than the public debate often suggests.
Norway’s Kajsa Vickhoff Lie framed the issue less as prohibition than personal choice.
“Could I even attempt it? I don’t think anyone could do what she (Vonn) is doing now. I’m 27 years old – maybe I could try – but at 41, I really don’t think so,” she said.
“Everyone is evaluated by a doctor, but in the end it’s up to you. Nobody can tell you what to do – you ski for yourself. People can give you the facts, and then you decide what to do with them.”
French Olympic biathlon champion Lou Jeanmonnot described an instinctive admiration for Vonn that shifted toward caution.
“At first I thought, ‘That’s badass’ – she’s impressive, she has real aura,” she said.
“But in the end there’s nothing to be proud of either, because health must come before sport. As athletes, we shouldn’t send younger people the message that we can push through pain at the expense of our health.”
Italian skier Federica Brignone returned the debate to individual responsibility.
“It’s her choice. Her body is hers, and she decides what to do,” she said.
“Your body is yours and you decide. It’s always a choice whether you want to start or not. It doesn’t depend on others. It depends only on you.”
In Cortina, the discussion surrounding one start list decision has therefore come to reflect a broader unresolved question in modern sport – where the line between courage and risk is drawn, and who has the authority to draw it.
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
Sports
Kawhi Leonard racks up 41 to lead Clippers to runaway win over Wolves
Feb 8, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu (13) battles Los Angeles Clippers center Brook Lopez (11) for the ball in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Kawhi Leonard scored 41 points and grabbed eight rebounds to help the Los Angeles Clippers pull away for a 115-96 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.
John Collins and Yanic Konan Niederhauser added 15 points apiece for Los Angeles, which won its second game in a row. Kobe Sanders contributed 10 points.
Anthony Edwards scored 23 points to lead Minnesota, which has lost three of its past four games. Julius Randle finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, and Rudy Gobert tallied 10 points and seven rebounds.
Ayo Dosunmu scored 11 points in his debut with the Timberwolves, who acquired him from the Chicago Bulls three days earlier. Dosunmu made 4 of 11 shots and was 3-of-7 from 3-point range.
The Clippers led by at least 18 points throughout the fourth quarter. Jordan Miller made a pair of free throws to give Los Angeles its largest lead of the game at 28 points with 3:10 remaining.
Los Angeles entered the fourth quarter with a 21-point lead.
The Clippers started the second half on a 7-0 run to go ahead 61-42 with 10:15 remaining in the third quarter. Collins and Leonard each made a jump shot, and Derrick Jones Jr. punctuated the run with a 3-pointer.
The Timberwolves pulled within seven points after Edwards made a dunk to cut the deficit to 63-56 with 6:21 left in the third quarter.
Leonard and the rest of his Clippers teammates did not allow Minnesota to get any closer. The Clippers finished the third quarter on a 17-3 run to seize an 80-59 advantage. Sanders sank two 3-pointers during the run.
The Clippers led 54-42 at the half.
Los Angeles closed the first half on a 20-6 run to seize the lead. That included a stretch in which the Clippers scored 11 consecutive points on a 3-pointer by Kris Dunn, two free throws and a layup by Leonard, a dunk by Collins and a driving layup by Dunn.
-Field Level Media
Sports
ATP roundup: Felix Auger-Aliassime defends title, sets Canadian record
Jan 19, 2026; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in action against Nuno Borges of Portugal in the first round of the men’s singles at the Australian Open at John Cain Arena in Melbourne Park. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime successfully defended his Open Occitanie championship on Sunday with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over Adrian Mannarino in Montpellier, France.
Auger-Aliassime, 25, recorded 13 aces and won 87% of his first-serve points to dispatch the Frenchman in 1 hour, 35 minutes. The ninth career ATP title for Auger-Aliassime is one more than Milos Raonic for the most tour-level titles by a Canadian in the Open Era.
A strong service game was nothing new for Auger-Aliassime, who delivered 20 aces while posting a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 victory over French qualifier Titouan Droguet on Saturday.
Auger-Aliassime will elevate one spot to No. 6 in the ATP rankings on Monday.
Davis Cup
The fifth-seeded United States finished a 4-0 sweep of host Hungary on Sunday in Tatabanya to advance to the second round of Davis Cup qualifying.
Christian Harrison and Austin Krajicek defeated Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan and Zsombor Piros in doubles action 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, and Emilio Nava defeated Matyas Fuele 6-2, 6-3 to close out the first round against unseeded Hungary.
In more dramatic action, unseeded host South Korea rallied for a 3-2 win over ninth-seeded Argentina in Busan. After the Argentinian doubles team of Guido Andreozzi and Federico Agustin Gomez defeated Jisung Nam and Uisung Park 6-3, 7-5 to go up 2-1, the Koreans rallied behind a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory from Soonwoo Kwon over Thiago Agustin Tirante and a 6-4, 6-3 win by Hyeon Chung over Marco Trungelliti in the decisive match.
Host India also won 3-2 in the decisive fifth match, beating the fourth-seeded Netherlands in Bengaluru thanks to a 6-4, 7-6 (4) win from Dhakshineswar Suresh over Guy Den Ouden. India also claimed the doubles point in three sets while Dutch competitor Jesper De Jong won the fourth match 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 to level it at 2-2.
Entering the day tied at 1, sixth-seeded France beat visiting Slovakia in both matches in Le Portel. Arthur Rinderknech defeated Alex Molcan 7-5, 7-6 (6) to clinch the result after doubles pair Benjamin Bonzi and Pierre-Hugues Herbert beat Milos Karol and Lukas Klein 6-2, 6-3.
Host Czechia entered Sunday with a 2-0 lead over visiting Sweden and clinched its spot in the second round with the doubles point in Jihlava. Petr Nouza and Patrik Rikl escaped with a 7-6 (4), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4) win over Andre Goransson and Erik Grevelius. Ollie Wallin beat Maxim Mrva 6-4, 7-6 (1) in Match 4 to put a point on the board for the Swedes.
Belgium completed a 4-0 sweep of host Bulgaria with two more wins in Plovdiv. Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen won the doubles point 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) over Alexander Donski and Pyotr Nesterov, and Raphael Collignon defeated Ivan Ivanov 6-2, 6-2.
Host Ecuador finished off a 3-1 upset of No. 2 seed Australia in Quito with Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo winning in doubles, 7-6 (5), 6-4, over Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson. Jason Kubler beat Emilio Camacho 6-4, 6-2 to salvage a point for the Aussies.
The second round of Davis Cup qualifying is set for Sept. 18-20, with the finals set for Nov. 24-29.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Women's Top 25 roundup: No. 2 UCLA fends off No. 8 Michigan
Feb 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) reacts after a foul call in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Kiki Rice scored 16 of her 20 points after halftime and Lauren Betts tied a season high of 16 rebounds to go with 16 points as No. 2 UCLA escaped with a 69-66 win over No. 8 Michigan on Sunday in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The Bruins (23-1, 13-0 Big Ten) rallied from an early six-point hole to lead by as many as 13 in the third quarter. Michigan was down 69-60 with 29 seconds left, but Olivia Olson and Syla Swords sandwiched back-to-back 3-pointers around a Rice turnover to cut it to three.
After Gabriela Jaquez was sent to the line and missed both free throws, Michigan had a chance to tie at the buzzer but Swords was off the mark.
Jaquez scored 13 points and Gianna Kneepkens had 12 for UCLA in its 17th straight win. Olson scored 11 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter to power Michigan (20-4, 11-2) and Mila Holloway added 15 points and six assists.
No. 3 South Carolina 93, No. 19 Tennessee 50
Ta’Niya Latson scored 21 points to lead all five starters in double figures as the Gamecocks smashed the Lady Volunteers in Columbia, S.C.
South Carolina (24-2, 10-1 SEC) won by 43 for the second straight game while Tennessee (15-6, 7-2) suffered its largest loss of the season. The Gamecocks shot 69.2% from the field and limited the Vols to 28.1%.
Joyce Edwards (20 points, eight rebounds) and Madina Okot (10 points, 15 rebounds) also starred for South Carolina. Talaysia Cooper had 17 points, five boards and five assists for Tennessee.
No. 9 Ohio State 80, Oregon 64
Elsa Lemmila tallied 23 points and nine rebounds to pace the Buckeyes to a thorough win over the Ducks in Eugene, Ore.
Kennedy Cambridge had 20 points, seven rebounds and eight steals while sister Jaloni Cambridge added 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Ohio State (22-3, 11-2 Big Ten). The Buckeyes had 14 steals and 28 fastbreak points on the day.
Ari Long scored 16 points and Mia Jacobs and Sarah Rambus added 13 apiece for Oregon (18-8, 6-7), which committed a season-high 23 turnovers to end its four-game winning streak.
Colorado 80, No. 14 TCU 79
Jade Masogayo drew a foul while sinking a fastbreak layup with two seconds to go and converted the accompanying free throw to give the Buffaloes their only lead of the second half and the upset of the Horned Frogs in Boulder, Colo.
Masogayo scored 17 of her 23 points in the second half for Colorado (16-8, 7-5 Big 12) while Desiree Wooten scored 19 with six assists, Logyn Greer had 17 points and Zyanna Walker chipped in 15 points.
TCU (21-4, 9-3) erased a 10-point deficit with a 10-0 second-quarter run, but squandered an eight-point lead in the fourth. Olivia Miles did all she could with 31 points and five rebounds to lead the Frogs, while Marta Suarez had 20 points and five boards.
No. 24 Washington 91, Wisconsin 86 (OT)
Avery Howell poured in a career-high 34 points, including 10 in the extra session, and had a game-high 14 rebounds as the Huskies escaped in Madison, Wis.
Washington (18-6, 8-5) scored the last four points of regulation to push the game to overtime, when Howell hit consecutive 3-pointers to put the Huskies in front. A four-point play by Destiny Howell gave the Badgers (13-11, 5-8) an 86-85 lead with 1:09 to go, but Howell and Sayvia Sellers scored the game’s final six points.
Sellers recorded 23 points and five assists and Elle Ladine had 16 points and seven boards for the Huskies. Destiny Howell (unrelated to Avery) led Wisconsin with 28 points and Gift Uchenna had a season-high 24 points with 12 rebounds.
No. 17 Duke 95, SMU 36
Toby Fournier dropped 26 points on 12-of-16 shooting, freshman Arianna Roberson had career highs of 22 points and 16 rebounds as the Blue Devils thrashed the Mustangs in Durham, N.C.
It marked the largest margin of victory for the Blue Devils this season and their second time holding an opponent below 40 points. Duke led by as many as 60 in the final minutes.
Delaney Thomas added 16 points and 10 rebounds and Ashlon Jackson bundled 11 points with a career-high 10 assists for the Blue Devils (18-6, 13-0 ACC), who outrebounded the Mustangs, 53-29, and scored 20 points off 25 SMU turnovers.
Grace Hall had nine points and seven rebounds to guide SMU (8-16, 1-11). The home team outshot the visitors 52.0% to 22.8% as the Mustangs never led.
No. 5 LSU 77, Auburn 44
ZaKiyah Johnson tallied 16 points and eight rebounds, Amiya Joyner added 10 points and 10 boards and the visitors ran away with the SEC victory in a battle of Tigers in Auburn, Ala.
Mikaylah Williams had 12 points and seven rebounds and Flau’jae Johnson added 10 points and seven boards as LSU (22-3, 8-3 SEC) bounced back from a loss to No. 4 Texas. LSU owned a 54-30 advantage on the glass while overcoming 19 turnovers.
Harissoum Coulibaly paced Auburn (13-12, 2-9) with 13 points and four assists. Clara Coulibaly grabbed 10 rebounds in 22 minutes.
No. 6 Louisville 84, Syracuse 65
Laura Ziegler made 10 of 13 shots from the floor for a team-high 22 points and the Cardinals used a dominant first quarter to sail to victory over the host Orange.
Mackenly Randolph (15 points, eight rebounds), Imari Berry (15 points, five assists) and Tajianna Roberts (12 points, five boards, five assists) also contributed to the Cardinals’ cause. Louisville (22-4, 12-1 ACC) shrugged off a home loss to Duke on Thursday by winning the first quarter 28-6, then shook off Syracuse’s comeback efforts in the second half.
Dominique Darius scored 22 points on 7-for-7 shooting to lead Syracuse (19-5, 9-4). Uche Izoje posted 13 points, eight rebounds and four blocks and Sophie Burrows scored 11.
No. 25 North Carolina 84, Wake Forest 56
Freshman Nyla Brooks went off for 21 points and seven rebounds, both career highs, to power the Tar Heels past the host Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Brooks made 5 of 11 3-point tries while teammate Nyla Harris scored 13 of her 19 points in the second half to help North Carolina (20-5, 9-3 ACC) win its seventh in a row.
Milan Brown scored 13 points to lead Wake Forest (13-12, 3-10). UNC owned a 41-24 rebounding edge and a 21-1 advantage in second-chance points.
–Field Level Media
Starfleet Academy's Star Trek: DS9 Tribute Was An Insult To Avery Brooks, Violated His Wishes
Kawhi Leonard racks up 41 to lead Clippers to runaway win over Wolves
