Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia BEIJING, Feb. (Xinhua) -- Swiss alpine skier Franjo von Allmen won the first gold medal of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in the men's downhill on Saturday, while Italian veteran Francesca Lollobrigida set a new Olympic record in the women's 3,000m speed skating event to claim her first Olympic gold. Gold medalist Franjo von Allmen (C) of Switzerland, silver medalist Giovanni Franzoni (L) of Italy and bronze medalist Dominik Paris of Italy pos

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia Sander Eitrem of Norway in action during the speed skating men's 5000m event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Feb. 8, 2026. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi) MILAN, Feb. (Xinhua) -- Lindsey Vonn's daring bid for an Olympic downhill medal ended in heartbreak, while Norway's Sander Eitrem delivered a record-breaking triumph on the speed skating oval on Sunday, as the Milan-Cortina Winter Games produced drama across multiple venues on the second compet

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia International Skating Union President Kim Jae-yeol (4th L) attends the opening ceremony of ISU home of skating in Milan, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Gao Meng) MILAN, Feb. (Xinhua) -- The International Skating Union opened the ISU home of skating here on Saturday, creating a dedicated Olympic-time venue for athletes and the global skating community. "With skating at the heart of the Olympic experience, we are proud to introduce the home of skatin

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia Max Langenhan of Germany competes during the luge men's singles run 1 at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Ding Xu) CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Germany's Max Langenhan topped the men's singles luge standings after setting two track records from as many runs at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games here on Saturday. The 26-year-old clocked 52.924 seconds in his first run and improved it

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia Franjo von Allmen of Switzerland in action during the alpine skiing men's downhill of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Bormio, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun) BORMIO, Italy, Feb. (Xinhua) -- Swiss alpine skier Franjo von Allmen won the first gold medal of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics here on Saturday, capturing the men's downhill title on the daunting Stelvio course in one minute and 51.61 seconds. Swiss skiers underli

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia The delegation of the People's Republic of China parades into the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium during the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Predazzo, Italy, Feb. 6, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ming) Beijing 2022 ignited a nationwide winter sports boom in China, inspiring a new generation of athletes and driving mass participation that now exceeds 300 million people. At the elite level, Chinese stars such as Su Yiming, Gu Ail

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia People pose for photos by the Olympic Cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Feb. 6, 2026. The Olympic Cauldron in Vancouver was relit on Friday to mark the opening day of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua) People gather by the Olympic Cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Feb. 6, 2026. The Olympic Cauldron in Vancouver was relit on Friday to ma

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia Avery Krumme of the United States competes during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle qualification of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang) Avery Krumme of the United States competes during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle qualification of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang) Mathilde Gremaud

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia Giovanni Franzoni of Italy competes during the alpine skiing men's downhill of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Bormio, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu) Giovanni Franzoni of Italy reacts during the alpine skiing men's downhill of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Bormio, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun) Giovanni Franzoni of Italy reacts during the alpine skiing men's downhill of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olymp

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia Gu Ailing of China reacts during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle qualification of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Peng) by sportswriter He Leijing LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb. (Xinhua) -- China's freestyle skiing star Gu Ailing recovered from an early fall to advance to the women's slopestyle final here on Saturday at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The 22-year-old Olympic

Olivier Safari, Head of the CAF Referees Committee, has addressed the controversy surrounding the "towel incident" during last week’s AFCON final between Morocco and Senegal. Safari clarified that removing Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s towel from the goal area was necessary, as such items can be interpreted as unsporting behavior intended to influence the match’s outcome or distract opponents. "The towel is not part of a player’s equipment," Safari told Canal+ Sport Afri

The UEFA Champions League league phase is heading for a dramatic finish. Arsenal and Bayern Munich have officially secured their places in the Round of 16 as top-eight finishers. However, the race for the remaining six direct qualification spots is wide open, with heavyweights like Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Barcelona still needing positive results in the final matchday to avoid the grueling two-legged play-off round. Meanwhile, historical powerhouses such a

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has delivered a stinging critique of Arne Slot, dismissing the Liverpool manager's claim that the club is in a "transition season." Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville argued that after a £450 million summer investment in stars like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, combined with contract extensions for Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool should be title contenders, not sitting in 6th place. The controversy comes amidst renewed rumor

Real Madrid is facing a significant legal setback as a Madrid court officially indicted the club's subsidiary, "Real Madrid Studio," for an alleged environmental crime related to "noise pollution." The ruling, issued after an 18-month investigation, stems from complaints by local residents who claimed that concerts hosted at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium significantly exceeded legal noise limits. This judicial order marks another victory for neighborhood associations, who pre

Liverpool manager Arne Slot hailed Mohamed Salah’s "extraordinary professionalism" following his return to the starting XI in a 3-0 victory over Marseille. Salah, who had been away for over a month with Egypt at the AFCON, played the full 90 minutes after just one day of training. The win propels Liverpool to 4th place in the Champions League table, keeping them on track for automatic qualification to the round of 16. Slot emphasized that Salah’s physical fitness and readines

Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has showered the "Lions of Teranga" with unprecedented rewards following their 1-0 extra-time victory over Morocco in the AFCON 2025 final. Each of the 28 players received $135,000 (75 million CFA francs) and a 1,500-square-meter plot of prime coastal land in the Petite-Côte tourism hub. Additionally, the entire squad was awarded the rank of Commanders of the National Order of the Lion, the country's highest honor. These lavish expend

Egypt’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Ashraf Sobhy, held a phone call with his Moroccan counterpart, Mohamed Saad Berrada, to promote brotherhood and reject sports fanaticism following the 2025 AFCON (concluded in Jan 2026). Both ministers emphasized that sports should serve as a bridge for cooperation rather than a source of friction, urging fans to maintain mutual respect and high sportsmanship. Minister Sobhy congratulated Morocco on successfully hosting the tournament, wh

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has strongly criticized the Senegalese national team following their brief walkout during the AFCON 2025 final against Morocco. Despite Senegal eventually securing a 1-0 victory in extra time to claim their second continental title, the match was marred by "unacceptable scenes" when the Senegalese squad left the pitch for 16 minutes to protest a controversial late penalty awarded to the hosts. Infantino expressed his disapproval on Instagram, s

The Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat hosts the ultimate African football showdown tonight as Morocco faces Senegal in the AFCON 2025 final. The hosts, led by Walid Regragui, are determined to secure their first title since 1976, ending a 50-year drought. Standing in their way is the 2021 champion, Senegal, looking to cement their status as the continent's powerhouse with a second trophy. Regragui highlighted the importance of psychological composure, while Senegalese c

The relevance of the AFCON 2026 third-place play-off is under fire as Liverpool and Manchester City fans demand the immediate return of Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush. While modern football trends (like the Euros) have scrapped such fixtures to ease player burnout, Salah has a massive personal incentive to play: he is just one goal behind Morocco’s Brahim Diaz in the race for the Golden Boot (5 goals vs. 4). Adding fuel to the fire, Pep Guardiola publicly expressed his wish