Sports
Ukrainian sees appeal for reinstatement dismissed
Vladyslav Heraskevych of Ukraine poses with his helmet after appearing before the Court of Arbitration for Sport following his disqualification from the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics for wearing a helmet in tribute to athletes who have died amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine. MILAN — The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Friday dismissed an appeal by Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych to be reinstated in the Milan Cortina Olympics after he was disqualified over his “helmet of remembrance.”
The 27-year-old was removed from the Olympic program on Thursday when the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation jury ruled that imagery on the helmet — depicting athletes killed since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 — breached rules on political neutrality.
“The CAS ad Hoc division dismissed the application and found that freedom of expression is guaranteed at the Olympic Games but not on the field of play which is a sacred principle,” CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb said, reading from a statement following an eight-hour hearing.
Heraskevych, who was seeking reinstatement or at least a CAS-supervised run ahead of the final two runs set for Friday evening, said he would look at his legal options now.
“CAS has failed us. We will consider our next steps,” Heraskevych told Reuters.
The case has dominated headlines in the first week of the Olympics, with the International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry meeting the athlete on Thursday morning at the sliding venue in Cortina d’Ampezzo in a last-minute attempt to broker a compromise and have him race without the specific helmet.
The IOC instead offered that he wear a black armband and display the helmet before and after the race but said using the helmet in competition breached its rules on political protests and slogans in the field of play.
In a statement, CAS said the IOC guidelines for athletes’ expression in the Games were fair.
“The Sole Arbitrator found these limitations reasonable and proportionate, considering the other opportunities for athletes to raise awareness,” CAS said.
“The Sole Arbitrator considers these Guidelines provide a reasonable balance between athletes’ interests to express their views, and athletes’ interests to receive undivided attention for their sporting performance on the field of play.”
Ukraine’s Olympic Committee has backed its athlete, who is also the team’s flagbearer for the Games and also displayed a “No War in Ukraine” sign at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, days before Russia’s invasion. Heraskevych has received support from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
CAS was established in 1984 by the IOC as an independent judicial authority to settle sports disputes worldwide.
–Reuters, Special to Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Dolphins hiring Mississippi State's Bush Hamdan as QB coach
New Kentucky offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan coaches during practice Friday. August 2, 2024, in Lexington. Hamdan came from Boise State; he’s also coached at Missouri, the Atlanta Falcons and Florida as well. The Miami Dolphins are hiring Mississippi State associate head coach Bush Hamdan as the team’s quarterbacks coach, according to multiple reports Friday.
Hamdan only landed the Mississippi State position in December and also was to coach the team’s wide receivers.
The 40-year-old has 17 years of coaching experience, largely in the college ranks. Most recently, he was the quarterbacks coach at Missouri from 2020-22 and the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at his alma mater, Boise State, in 2023 and moved to Kentucky as OC in 2024.
Hamdan has one year of coaching experience in the NFL, having served as the QBs coach for the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 when Matt Ryan threw for 4,095 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
The Hamdan hire was not the Dolphins’ first attempt to fill the quarterbacks coach position.
Miami originally hired former Broncos head coach and Packers offensive assistant Nathaniel Hackett before he took the offensive coordinator position under new Arizona Cardinals’ head coach Mike LaFluer.
The Dolphins also wanted to interview Detroit Lions offensive assistant Bruce Gradkowski for quarterbacks coach position, but the Lions blocked the interview, according to multiple reports.
Hamdan faces an uncertain quarterbacks’ room in Miami, where the future of starter Tua Tagovailoa is still up in the air. Miami general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said Thursday at a fan event that the Dolphins are “getting close to a decision” on Tagovailoa and that the team would be looking at other quarterbacks in this year’s draft.
Quinn Ewers, a seventh-round pick in last year’s draft, is the other quarterback currently under contract in Miami.
Regardless of the Tagovailoa decision, Sullivan said he expects significant competition among quarterbacks.
“I don’t know what the future holds right now, and I told Tua that. We’re working through some things,” Sullivan said. “What I can tell you is that we’re going to infuse competition into that room, whether Tua is part of the room, whether he’s not part of the room. We’re going to infuse competition into that room, like we will do in every other position,” Sullivan said.
“… You can rest assured that we will add competition to that room, one way or the other, to make it the best that we can.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Anthony Alfredo disqualified from Daytona 500 after car inspection
Feb 11, 2026; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Anthony Alfredo (62) during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Anthony Alfredo will not drive in the Daytona 500 on Sunday after being disqualified because of a technical violation with his No. 62 car.
NASCAR officials announced the decision late Thursday after the qualifying race in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Alfredo, 26, was in tears after qualifying for the Daytona 500, then heartbroken a bit later when he was told he had been disqualified following the post-race inspection.
“I was on top of the world, and now it feels like I’m at the bottom of it,” Alfredo told The Athletic. “It feels like I’m drowning.”
NASCAR officials said they found, upon inspection, a loose transaxle cooling hose and an improperly attached driver cooling hose.
“These parts have to be fastened properly,” NASCAR Cup Series director Brad Moran said. “Unfortunately, this one piece wasn’t on the right side, and there was also another hose disconnected for driver cooling.”
The No. 62 car is owned by Beard Motorsports, which issued a statement Friday morning.
“We are proud of our team and the work they put into this NASCAR program,” the statement began.
“Our intent is to make races, contend for wins and race with integrity. We will review what happened and work to make sure we do not have these issues in the future. We are heartbroken for our entire team, our wonderful partners and Anthony and his sweet family.”
With Alfredo’s disqualification, driver B.J. McLeod was elevated to the Daytona 500 field.
Alfredo finished 24th in the Xfinity Series — now called the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series — in 2025. In limited NASCAR Cup Series appearances since 2021, he has two top-10 finishes.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Blue Jays, Astros swap outfielders Joey Loperfido and Jesus Sanchez
Oct 23, 2025; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Joey Loperfido (10) answers a question during media day before game one of the World Series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images The Astros and Blue Jays exchanged outfielders on Friday, with Houston acquiring Joey Loperfido from Toronto for Jesus Sanchez.
This is a return to Houston for Loperfido, who was a seventh-round pick by the Astros in the 2021 MLB Draft. He hit .333 with four home runs, 14 RBIs and an .879 OPS in 41 regular-season games for Toronto in 2025.
In 91 games at Triple-A Buffalo, Loperfido batted .264 with seven homers and 44 RBIs.
The 26-year-old was traded from Houston to Toronto in July 2024, along with pitcher Jake Bloss and infielder Will Wagner, for pitcher Yusei Kikuchi. Before the trade he appeared in 38 games with the Astros in 2024, his first season in the major leagues, batting .236 with two home runs and 16 RBIs.
Sanchez, 28, appeared in 134 games between the Miami Marlins and the Astros in 2025, combining to slash .237/.304/.395 with 14 home runs, 48 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.
Sanchez is a career .239 hitter with 73 home runs and 238 RBIs in 580 games with the Astros (2020-25) and Marlins.
–Field Level Media
Reports: Dolphins hiring Mississippi State's Bush Hamdan as QB coach
Anthony Alfredo disqualified from Daytona 500 after car inspection
