(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Denver 124, Brooklyn 104
Minnesota 118, Detroit 105
Philadelphia 119, Chicago 108
Boston 116, Orlando 83
Dallas 103, Atlanta 94
Cleveland 98, Indiana 85
New Orleans 120, Houston 107
Milwaukee 137, LA Clippers 113
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Houston 80, Cincinnati 58
Providence 71, Georgetown 52
Ohio St. 82, Maryland 67
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) — Days after former Miami Dolphins Coach Brian Flores sued the NFL over allegations of discrimination, commissioner Roger Goodell told teams Saturday that the league’s efforts to promote diversity among head coaches “have been unacceptable,” ESPN reported.
Goodell sent a letter to NFL teams addressing Flores’ suit and the allegations that the league and team owners have been sidelining Black candidates for coaching positions, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who tweeted out the letter.
The commissioner reiterated the league’s earlier messages that it “adopted numerous policies and programs,” to promote diversity, but acknowledged that there is still more work to be done.
“With respect to head coaches, the results have been unacceptable,” Goodell wrote in the letter.
The commissioner hasn’t commented on the letter.
Douglas H. Wigdor and John Elefterakis, Flores’ attorneys, said in a statement that Goodell’s letter was “on the surface, a positive first step, but we suspect that this is more of a public relations ploy than real commitment to change.”
They added that Goodell hasn’t reached out to them or their client to discuss his concerns.
Flores, 40, who was fired from the Miami Dolphins last month after back-to-back winning seasons, filed his suit on Monday and cited a recent experience he said he had as one of the examples of the league’s discrimination against Black coaches.
Flores said he was offered an interview with the New York Giants for a head coaching position and texted with his mentor, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, about the upcoming meeting.
Belichick allegedly sent texts congratulating Flores on getting hired by the Giants before the interview took place, according to screenshots of the texts that were included in the lawsuit.
Belichick later allegedly texted back indicating that he’d made a mistake and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was actually getting the job — three days before Flores’ interview, according to the screenshots.
“There’s a humiliation that came over me,” Flores told ABC News’ “Nightline.” “Why wasn’t I afforded the opportunity to truly interview and show what I can do? Because I am a good coach and I do relate to players and I know how to lead.”
The NFL responded to the suit, which seeks unspecified damages and changes to ensure the hiring of more Black coaches, dismissing Flores’ claims.
“The NFL and our clubs are deeply committed to ensuring equitable employment practices and continue to make progress in providing equitable opportunities throughout our organizations,” the league said in a statement Monday.
Goodell told the team owners that the league “understands the concerns of Coach Flores” and others and will be making some changes to address them. Specifically, the commissioner said the league will “reevaluate and examine” all policies related to diversity and inclusion and bring in outside experts to assist with the review.
The commissioner said the league will “also solicit input from current and former players, coaches and other authorities.”
Flores’ attorneys expressed skepticism in Goodell’s promise.
“For too many years, the NFL has hid behind the cover of foundations that were supposed to protect the rights of Black players and coaches, all while letting systemic racial bias fester in its front offices. The NFL is now rolling out the same playbook yet again and that is precisely why this lawsuit was filed,” the attorneys said in a statement.
ABC News’ Stephanie Wash contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(BEIJING) — The 2022 Winter Olympics kicked off in China’s capital this week with the opening ceremony on Friday, marking the official start of the Games.
While preliminary competitions have already begun in curling, ice hockey, luge and various skiing events, the opening ceremony is a chance for the host country to make a statement to the world with an unforgettable display and performance. The much-awaited spectacle is taking place at the National Stadium in Beijing starting at 8 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET) and is being broadcast live on NBC.
The United States has imposed a diplomatic boycott of this year’s Beijing Olympics. While American athletes will still participate, President Joe Biden’s administration will not send an official delegation to the Games due to China’s “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity” in the northwestern Xinjiang region, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters last December. The move was swiftly followed by Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada.
Here are key moments from the opening ceremony. All times Eastern:
Feb 04, 9:49 am
Olympic cauldron is lit
The torch was passed from speedskater Zhao Weichang to short-track athlete Li Yan, before being passed to short-track athlete Yang Yang, track-and-field Olympian Su Bingtian and short-track athlete Zhou Yang.
It was then passed to two final 2022 Olympians: cross-country skier Dinigeer Yilamujiang and Nordic Combined athlete Jiawen Zhao.
The two lit the Olympic cauldron together to represent gender equality.
Dinigeer is from Xinjiang and is of the Uyghur minority. Chinese President Xi Jinping and the nation’s government have been accused of genocide and human rights violations against this population, prompting international protests and a U.S. diplomatic boycott.
Feb 04, 9:27 am
Xi declares Games open as performances continue
Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing officially open, following remarks from International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
The declaration was followed by a display of fireworks overhead and skaters gliding across the stadium floor, revealing colorful images behind them.
Next, there was a rendition of John Lennon’s iconic song “Imagine.” Then another poignant, snowflake-filled performance where dozens of children joyfully sang in unison.
Feb 04, 9:22 am
Messages of peace and solidarity drive speeches
Beijing Communist Party Secretary and President of the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee Cai Qi thanked and welcomed the athletes, offering words of peace and unity — a running theme throughout the opening ceremony.
“The Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 is to show the world how people boldly rise to challenges and forge ahead into the future that is being worked together to add a new chapter to building a community with a shared future for mankind,” he said.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach in turn thanked the Chinese people “wholeheartedly” for being “gracious hosts” and “welcoming us all so warmly” in his official speech in the opening ceremony.
He also extended gratitude to those on the front lines, including doctors and scientists, for their “outstanding efforts and solidarity” amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.
He made no direct mention of the alleged Uyghur genocide and crimes against humanity in the country but did emphasize the importance of peace and unity.
“You will live peacefully together under one roof in the Olympic village,” Bach told athletes. “There will be no discrimination for any reason whatsoever.”
“In our fragile world with division, conflict and mistrust on the rise, we show the world, yes, it is possible to be fierce rivals while at the same time living peacefully and respectfully together,” he added, saying this is the mission of the Olympic games.
He then said: “I appeal to all political authorities across the world: Observe your commitment to this Olympic truce. Give peace a chance.”
Feb 04, 8:54 am
Dazzling display represents unity
Snowflakes representing all of the countries converged on the floor of the National Stadium, symbolizing the world coming together.
The imagery was inspired by the uniqueness of each individual snowflake, as well as a Chinese poem that describes a snowy canopy at the center of a gathering.
A stunning 3D display of the Northern Lights took over the arena, as dancers filled the stadium in the next portion of the creative performance.
Feb 04, 8:40 am
A ‘Parade of Nations’ enters the ‘Bird’s Nest’
After a short but colorful opening performance, some of the athletes from the participating Olympic teams marched into the “Bird’s Nest” for the hourlong “Parade of Nations” segment of the ceremony.
The parade has been part of the opening ceremonies at the Games since the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. Traditionally, each team chooses just one flag-bearer for the parade. But starting last year at the pandemic-delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, teams were encouraged to select both a male and female representative to carry their flag.
As with the opening ceremony of the pandemic-delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, all athletes marching in this “Parade of Nations” wore face masks to protect against COVID-19.
Teams entered the “Bird’s Nest” in order by the number of strokes in the first character of their name in the Chinese writing system. However, the first team to enter is always Greece because that’s where the ancient Games originated in 776 B.C.
And as the host of the next Winter Olympics in 2026, Italy’s team was second-to-last to enter the stadium. The current host country, China, was last.
With Russia’s team name, flag and national anthem once again banned from the Games over allegations of a state-backed doping program, the country’s athletes marched into the stadium this year with the Olympic flag and under the name ROC, an acronym for Russian Olympic Committee.
It’s the third time that Russia has not been able to use its own name, flag or anthem at the Olympics. Last summer, Russian athletes competed as part of the ROC at the Tokyo Games. During the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Russia’s team was branded as OAR, an acronym for Olympic Athletes from Russia.
Team USA was 56th to enter the stadium, with the second-largest delegation in U.S. history.
Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor and curler John Shuster were named Team USA’s flag-bearers. However, Meyers Taylors was unable to attend the opening ceremony because she tested positive for COVID-19. Speed skater Brittany Bowe marched in her place during the “Parade of Nations.”
Feb 04, 7:04 am
Opening ceremony kicks off
The opening ceremony for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing has begun.
The event is taking place at the National Stadium in Beijing. The 80,000-seat stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, will also hold the closing ceremony on Feb. 20. It was the same venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics, which was the last time China hosted the Games.
Chinese authorities tightened travel restrictions for Beijing ahead of the Games, requiring all travelers to the city to take a nucleic acid test within 72 hours of entry as part of efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Moreover, the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee announced that no public tickets to the Games will be sold due to the “grave and complicated situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the safety of all participants and spectators.” Instead, groups of spectators will be invited to the Games, and “the organizers expect that these spectators will strictly abide by the COVID-19 countermeasures before, during and after each event,” the committee said.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(BEIJING) — The 2022 Winter Olympics kicked off in China’s capital this week with the opening ceremony on Friday, marking the official start of the Games.
While preliminary competitions have already begun in curling, ice hockey, luge and various skiing events, the opening ceremony is a chance for the host country to make a statement to the world with an unforgettable display and performance. The much-awaited spectacle is taking place at the National Stadium in Beijing starting at 8 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET) and is being broadcast live on NBC.
The United States has imposed a diplomatic boycott of this year’s Beijing Olympics. While American athletes will still participate, President Joe Biden’s administration will not send an official delegation to the Games due to China’s “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity” in the northwestern Xinjiang region, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters last December. The move was swiftly followed by Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada.
Here are key moments from the opening ceremony. All times Eastern:
Feb 04, 7:04 am
Opening ceremony kicks off
The opening ceremony for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing has begun.
The event is taking place at the National Stadium in Beijing. The 80,000-seat stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, will also hold the closing ceremony on Feb. 20. It was the same venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics, which was the last time China hosted the Games.
Chinese authorities tightened travel restrictions for Beijing ahead of the Games, requiring all travelers to the city to take a nucleic acid test within 72 hours of entry as part of efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Moreover, the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee announced that no public tickets to the Games will be sold due to the “grave and complicated situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the safety of all participants and spectators.” Instead, groups of spectators will be invited to the Games, and “the organizers expect that these spectators will strictly abide by the COVID-19 countermeasures before, during and after each event,” the committee said.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Miami 112, San Antonio 95
Minnesota 128, Detroit 117
Atlanta 124, Phoenix 115
Toronto 127, Chicago 120 (OT)
LA Clippers 111, LA Lakers 110
Golden State 126, Sacramento 114
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Gonzaga 92, San Diego 62
Arizona 76, UCLA 66
Southern Cal 58, Arizona St. 53
Iowa at Ohio St. (Postponed)
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(BEIJING) — The fear of testing positive for COVID is a constant stress hanging over athletes at the 2022 Winter Olympics, a fear realized for U.S. women’s bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor.
Meyers Taylor tested positive on day two after entering the country, which has forced her to isolate from her family and teammates while she quarantines.
The 37-year-old, who tested negative Wednesday, must test negative twice to return to the Olympic village.
“I was pretty shocked,” Meyers Taylor told ABC News Thursday. “We did everything we could to try and avoid it and still caught up to us anyways.”
The new mother is now isolated from her son, Nico, and her husband. The family traveled to China together for the Games.
Meyers Taylor said she can’t just focus on training while in isolation. She also needs to take care of her son, who was born in 2020 with Down syndrome and is still nursing.
“We FaceTime as much as we can and, you know, just trying to do everything we can to stay connected,” Meyers Taylor said.
Now that she has to isolate herself from her baby, she said she’s doing everything to make sure he’s OK. Team USA was able to find her a breast pump, and she said the hotel staff has been great at helping make milk deliveries.
Meyers Taylor said she’s thankful her husband is on the trip and can care for Nico while she isolates.
Being an Olympian and a mom takes a team, she said.
After arriving in the country with no problems, Meyers Taylor, her husband and son all tested positive. She said all are asymptomatic but have to quarantine separately in a Chinese isolation facility.
As Meyers Taylor waits out quarantine, she’s missing crucial training days ahead of her big competition; the first-ever running of the woman’s monobob. The three-time Olympian said she’s pumped for the new event.
“It feels like you’re flying. Like, it is just amazing and just the feeling of gravity, the feeling of pressure, the feeling of the wind rushing past you …” Meyers Taylor said. “It really does feel like you’re a superhero and the speed suits don’t hurt.”
As she trains in isolation, Meyers Taylor got an exercise bike dropped off at her hotel room to stay in shape. She said since her husband, who is also her physical trainer, is staying in an identical hotel room, he’s been able to devise a hotel workout plan for her to follow.
Meyers Taylor, who was selected as a flag bearer for Team USA at this year’s Winter Olympics, will not attend Friday’s Olympics Opening Ceremony because of COVID. Speed skater Brittany Bowe is set to replace Meyers Taylor at the ceremony.
“She was one of the first people to reach out to me after she learned I had COVID … that’s why sport is so important; you make relationships that last forever,” Meyers Taylor said.
Out of the 441 U.S. Olympic delegates in China, eight are in isolation, according to the International Olympic Committee.
Inside the Olympics closed loop, which separates athletes, team officials and members of the press from the rest of the Chinese population, athletes live under a daily regimen of temperature checks and COVID tests administered by workers dressed in full-body personal protective equipment.
First-time Olympians Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc told ABC News they felt safe practicing on the rink and were trying to focus on what was “within their control” despite the lingering COVID worries.
The two figure skaters made their debut on the ice Wednesday for their first practice on Beijing’s main rink.
Three thousand people will perform in front of Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders Friday at the Opening Ceremony. There will be no official American delegation after the U.S. announced a diplomatic boycott of the games.
Jackie Chan carried the Olympic torch on top of the Great Wall of China on Thursday, as Beijing counted down the final day before the Games kick off.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(BEIJING) — It’s only been six months since the festivities wrapped up at Tokyo’s Summer Olympics, but it’s time to learn who will be stealing nightly headlines at the Beijing Winter Games.
If you’re a sports fan who’s been more focused on Patrick Mahomes and Ja Morant than monobob or moguls in the past few months, let this be a guide to the big names from the 223 athletes the U.S. is sending to China.
Two of these athletes (Jamie Anderson and David Wise) are going for three-peats, which would tie them for the most consecutive Winter Olympic golds in the same event. Speedskater Bonnie Blair is the only American to accomplish the feat, winning the 500 meters, albeit in a shortened timeframe from 1988 to 1994. (Six Summer Olympians, including Michael Phelps in the 200-meter individual medley, have won four in a row in the same event.)
Shaun White meanwhile is going for four total golds, which would be a first for a Winter Olympian in the same individual event. He’ll also be one of four Americans attending their fifth Olympics (White, Lindsey Jacobellis, John Shuster and Katie Uhlaender).
Here’s a look at who will be hunting hardware in Beijing:
Jamie Anderson, 31, Snowboarding
Anytime you get to watch the best of all time in their sport, it’s worth tuning in. No woman has had more success in snowboarding than Jamie Anderson, a seven-time X Games gold medalist and the two-time defending Olympic champion in slopestyle. Anderson won the sport’s debut in 2014 and followed that up with gold in Pyeongchang. She’s been remarkably consistent in a sport that often comes down to who can stay upright for a “full pull.”
The California native will bring her megawatt smile and trademark blond locks to a third Olympics in Beijing, hoping to fend off a new generation she inspired. One of those women, 20-year-old Zoi Sadowski Synnott of New Zealand, edged out Anderson at last month’s X Games and the 2021 world championships (and already has a bronze as a 16-year-old competing in big air at the Pyeongchang Games). Australia’s Tess Coady, 21, and Japan’s Kokomo Murase, 17, will also be tough competition for Anderson.
Brittany Bowe, 33, Long-track speedskating
Brittany Bowe is among the recent spate of U.S. speedskating stars to make the transition from inline skates to blades. She had a disappointing 2014 Games and won just a bronze in team pursuit in 2018, but expects more individual success in 2022. Since Pyeongchang, Bowe set a world record in the 1,000 meters that’s stood for three years. Bowe currently leads the world cup standings in the 1,000 with two individual wins and is second in the 1,500 with one event win. She’ll be a medal favorite at both distances with a host of Japanese rivals in each distance.
Nao Kodaira and Miho Takagi have both bested Bowe in individual world stops at 1,000 meters, while Takagi has won three of four stops at 1,500.
Not only is Bowe a tremendous athlete, she is also a tremendous person. When Erin Jackson, the current world No. 1 in the 500 meters this year, caught her edge and finished third at the U.S. trials — meaning she would not qualify — Bowe, who won the distance in the trials, graciously passed her spot to her friend and countrywoman Jackson.
Nathan Chen, 22, Figure skating
Chen’s trip to Pyeongchang was supposed to end with a medal. Instead, the teenage prodigy fell apart in the short program and stood in 17th after night one. He showed just how brilliant he could be in the free skate, finishing first and landing six quads — four rotations in midair — including the first quadruple flip in Olympic history. The astonishing night two skate propelled him to fifth overall — off the medal stand but a portent of things to come.
He’s failed to win only one competition in the last four years, including gold medals at the last three world championships. (The championships were canceled due to COVID in 2020.) That includes a dominating win at the 2018 world championships a month after failing in Pyeongchang.
Chen will be a big favorite in Beijing, with familiar rivals from Japan as his main challengers: Yuma Kagiyama, just 18, who won silver at last year’s world championships, and two-time defending Olympic gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu, who led after the short program at the 2021 world championships before literally stumbling in the free skate. But Chen’s biggest competition may be the demons of what happened in Pyeongchang.
Jessie Diggins, 30, Cross-country skiing
Jessie Diggins immortalized herself in U.S. Olympics history in Pyeongchang when she out-sprinted the competition down the stretch in dramatic fashion in the women’s team sprint to win America’s first cross-country skiing gold alongside Kikkan Randall. Diggins is back in Beijing after four successful years between games proved 2018 was no fluke. She had a tremendous 2020-2021 season, becoming the first American man or woman to win the Tour de Ski, a cross-country skiing event modeled after cycling’s Tour de France, and finished atop the world cup rankings as well — the first American woman ever. She currently stands in third place in this year’s world cup standings and has two individual wins so far.
Diggins’ compatriot in 2018 — Randall — will not be competing in Beijing. She’ll be a strong contender in the individual events though, especially the sprints. It’s cross-country skiing, so you know Scandinavia will be her top competition. Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist currently stands atop the world cup sprint standings while fellow Swede Frida Karlsson leads in the distance standings. Russian Natalia Nepryaeva, who is talented at both distance and sprint races — like Diggins — is on top of the overall standings.
Chloe Kim, 21, Snowboarding
Were there no age requirements in snowboarding, Chloe Kim would likely be going for a three-peat in Beijing. Kim was already beating the best in the halfpipe snowboarding world in 2014, but the minimum age to compete in the Olympics is 15. So, instead, the Princeton student will be going for a repeat of her gold medal win when she was just 17.
Her win in Pyeongchang launched her, well, higher than a Chloe Kim frontside air, into the ranks of most marketable athletes. She’s been made into a Barbie doll, appeared alongside Serena Williams and Simone Biles in a Nike ad, competed on “The Masked Singer” and been named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People. And when she wasn’t attending college classes, taking time off in 2019 and 2020, she’s continued to dominate in the halfpipe. She won gold at the X Games and world championships in 2021 and was last year’s Dew Tour champ.
In Kim’s last tuneup for the Olympics, she won the world cup tour stop in Switzerland on Jan. 15 needing just her first run. She’ll certainly be the favorite at the 2022 Games, but the home country’s Xuetong Cai and veteran Queralt Castellet of Spain will be medal contenders. Fellow American Maddie Mastro will also threaten the podium.
Elana Meyers Taylor, 37, Bobsled
Elana Meyers Taylor is no newcomer to the Olympics. In fact, this will be her fourth games. But her sport will be making its debut. Meyers Taylor made the transition from two-person bobsled — long in the Winter Games — to the monobob as it is contested at the Olympics for the first time in Beijing. In the two-person sport, the person in front is the driver and the one in the back — largely there for their pushing ability at the start — controls the brake. All of that is left to the sole athlete in monobob. It’s a discipline that has been dominated by the American leading up to the 2022 Games. She wrapped up the world cup title in the monobob Jan. 15 and will be the favorite in Beijing. In fact, her top competition is likely fellow American Kaillie Humphries, who won the world cup title last year.
Meyers Taylor is looking to get the monkey off her back when it comes to winning Olympic gold. In the two-women competition, she holds two silvers — in 2014 and 2018 — and a bronze from Vancouver in 2010. But an added hurdle was thrown into Meyers Taylor’s quest when she tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Beijing. She said she’s asymptomatic and is “optimistic” she’ll recover in time for her event, which doesn’t come until the second week.
Kai Owens, 17, Freestyle skiing
Kai Owens’ journey has come full circle with a trip to Beijing and the 2022 Olympics. Owens was abandoned in a town square as an infant in China and sent to an orphanage in Anhui province, west of Shanghai, where she was adopted by an American couple at 1 year old. She grew up in Vail, Colorado, and took to moguls skiing, where she’s a rising star on the international circuit.
Owens competed in her first world cup event at just 15 and was named rookie of the year on the FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup tour in 2021. While she’s not a medal favorite, just the journey may be impressive enough.
Mikaela Shiffrin, 26, Alpine skiing
If there’s a face of the Olympic Games, at least for Americans, it’s Mikaela Shiffrin. Shiffrin is one medal away from tying Julia Mancuso for most medals by a female American Alpine skier (four). A particularly successful games — two golds — would tie Shiffrin for most golds ever by a female Alpine skier (four) and three medals of any color would tie her for the overall lead (six). Both of those records are held by Croatian legend Janica Kostelic. Not only would six medals make her the winningest female Alpine skier of all time, it would tie her with Bode Miller for most medals by an American man or woman.
One thing is for sure: Shiffrin will have plenty of chances to move up the all-time leaderboards. She said she hopes to ski in all five individual Alpine events in the Olympics: downhill, super G, giant slalom, slalom and Alpine combined. Shiffrin was atop the world cup standings through 21 of 35 events and though she’s not No. 1 in any of the individual disciplines, she’s second in both giant slalom and slalom and fifth in both downhill and super G. And that combination of skills both in slalom and downhill makes her a big favorite in the Alpine combined.
Shaun White, 35, Snowboarding
Snowboarding, like its sibling skateboarding, is notoriously a young person’s game. But don’t tell that to Shaun White, who is about old enough to be the father of some of his competitors in Beijing. The 35-year-old is going to his fifth Olympics in 2022, a far cry from the “Flying Tomato” who won gold as a 19-year-old in Torino. (Danny Kass, the American who won silver in 2006, hasn’t competed in over a decade despite being only a few years older than White.)
A three-time gold medalist (2006, 2010, 2018), White is a long shot to win a fourth in Beijing. He’s become a part-time competitor on the international level, saving himself for Olympic years. For someone who was the face of the Winter X Games for a decade, winning 15 total gold medals, he hasn’t won gold since 2013 and has only competed twice in the last nine years. In his bid to qualify for Beijing, he just snuck onto the U.S. team with a third place finish Jan. 15 in Laax, Switzerland.
The favorite to win in Beijing will be Japan’s Ayumu Hirano, who earned silver in 2018 and has won the last two world cup stops, including in Laax. He’s also the only snowboarder to ever land a triple cork (that’s three off-axis rotations) in competition. Australia’s Scotty James, the reigning bronze medalist, and Japan’s 19-year-old Ruka Hirano, no relation to Ayumu, are other top competitors. James managed to edge Ayumu Hirano and Ayumu’s brother, Kaishu, at this year’s X Games. Win or lose, the greatest halfpipe snowboarder of all time — and probably the most famous winter athlete period — is worth a watch one last time in the Olympics.
David Wise, 31, Freestyle skiing
He doesn’t have the profile of Shaun White, but David Wise is a two-time defending gold medalist in the halfpipe. He just does it on skis. Like White, he’ll be fending off a slew of younger challengers after a few shaky years of world competition. His last win in world competition came in February 2019 and he hasn’t won X Games gold since 2018. But he took bronze at the X Games this year and stands fourth in the current world cup standings, so he’s still capable of winning a third straight Olympic gold.
While many of the top U.S. competitors in other sports — like White and Chloe Kim — sat out the X Games two weeks ago, the men’s ski halfpipe competition featured most of the top contenders in Beijing. New Zealand’s Nico Porteous, who earned bronze in 2018 at just 16 years old, won gold at last month’s X Games and will be tough to beat in Beijing. Gus Kenworthy, though he couldn’t put together a clean run in Aspen, will be a sentimental favorite since he will retire following the Olympics. Kenworthy earned silver in slopestyle in Sochi, won hearts by saving several stray dogs at those games and publicly came out as gay a year later. The five-time X Games medalist will be competing for Great Britain to honor his mother after competing for the U.S. at the last two games. Canadian Brendan MacKay and Wise’s fellow American Alex Ferreira did not compete at the X Games but are also contenders.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) — Social media phenom is figure skating for change and representation
Figure skating at the Olympics is set to kick off on Friday, starting with the team event’s men’s singles short program.
There will be five types of figure skating events at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics: men’s individual, women’s individual, pairs, ice dancing and the team event. The events will run through Feb. 19, ending with the pairs free skate event.
Here, we break down what you need to know about figure skating, from how it’s scored to the jumps and spins required.
Scoring
The Olympics competition follows the International Judging System, which was established by the International Skating Union (ISU), the governing body for competitive ice skating sports, including figure skating, synchronized skating and speed skating.
Skaters earn technical scores and program components scores, which are added together to determine the score they got for the segment. Scores from the short program and free skating segments are then added to give the total score.
Skaters accumulate points based on the degree of difficulty of each element and how well each element is executed, according to US Figure Skating.
A technical panel — made up of a technical controller, technical specialist, assistant technical specialist, data operator and video replay operator — is tasked with identifying each element performed by skaters and its level of difficulty.
The judging panel is made up of a maximum of nine judges all tasked with scoring the quality of each technical element made and the five program components for each skater. The five components are: skating skills, transitions, performance, composition and interpretation of music.
Judges give a score for each component on a scale of 0.25 to 10, in increments of 0.25, with 10 being the best. The highest and lowest scores are thrown out and the remaining scores are averaged, and then multiplied by a set factor.
Different kinds of jumps and spins have different requirements, such as the number of rotations and edges used, in order to be performed correctly.
Points are deducted from skaters for any infractions they make. Deductions can be made for time violations, costume violations, illegal elements, falls during the program, interruptions of the program, late starts and not performing elements, according to the requirements of the programs.
The number of penalty points vary based on the kind of penalty made, according to ISU rules.
Skaters can also earn bonus points for jump elements performed during the second half of their program.
Spins
In order for it to qualify, a spin needs a minimum of two revolutions without interruption. There are three basic spin positions — a camel, sit or upright spin — and each can be performed a number of ways.
In a camel spin, one leg is on the ice while the other is lifted behind the skater with the knee higher than hip level. In a sit spin, the upper part of the leg not on the ice needs to be at least parallel to the ice. Upright spins are performed in any position with one leg extended or slightly bent, but not in a camel position.
There are also non-basic positions, such as a layback spin, where the skater is upright while their head and shoulders are leaning backwards with the back arched, and the sideways-leaning spin, where the skater is upright and their head and shoulders are leaning sideways with their upper body arched.
Spin combinations need at least two different basic positions with two revolutions each. Changing to a non-basic position is not considered a change of position.
Short programs need to include a flying spin, a spin in one position and a spin combination with only one change of foot. In the free skate, skaters need to have a maximum of three spins, with one of each: a spin combination, a flying spin or a spin with a flying entrance, and a spin with only one position.
Jumps
Jumps in competitive-level figure skating generally fall into two categories: edge jumps and toe jumps. To perform edge jumps, skaters rely on the blades of their skates to get off the ice, while toe jumps require skaters to use their toe pick to get in the air.
The edge jumps are the loop, the salchow and the axel, while the toe jumps are the toe loop, the flip and the lutz.
Each jump is assigned a different number of points depending on difficulty level.
Part of the difficulty level involves the number of rotations skaters make in the air. Triple-jumps require three or three and a half rotations in the air, and quadruples require four revolutions.
Jumping elements can be solo jumps, jump combinations and jump sequences. In a jump combination, the landing foot has to be the takeoff foot of the next jump, while jump sequences are made up of two jumps beginning with any jump and followed by an axle jump with a direct step from the landing curve of the first jump.
In the short program, skaters need to perform two solo jumps and a jump combination. Skaters need to include seven jumping elements in the free skate.
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(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Washington 106, Philadelphia 103
Orlando 119, Indiana 118
Boston 113, Charlotte 107
Memphis 120, New York 108
Houston 115, Cleveland 104
Oklahoma City 120 Dallas 114 (OT)
Sacramento 112, Brooklyn 101
Utah 108, Denver 104
LA Lakers 99, Portland 94
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Seattle 3, NY Islanders 0
Edmonton 5, Washington 3
Los Angeles 5, Detroit 3
Calgary 4, Arizona 2
Minnesota 5, Chicago 0
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Purdue 88, Minnesota 73
Kentucky 77, Vanderbilt 70
Houston 73, Tulane 62
Illinois 80, Wisconsin 67
Marquette 83, Villanova 73
Xavier 68, Butler 66
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(MIAMI) — Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores is sounding off about the NFL’s response to his lawsuit accusing the league of racial discrimination.
Flores spoke with ABC News’ “Nightline” about his suit, filed Tuesday, and dismissed the league’s statement that his claims were “without merit” and criticized the league saying it is “committed to ensuring equitable employment practices.”
Flores said it was a “slap in the face” because there is only one Black head coach in the NFL despite the fact Black players make up 70% of the league.
“It speaks to a lack of belief not wanting to believe the facts [and] the numbers,” Flores told ABC News. “There’s a little bit of a fantasy land that would leave them to feel like, you know, these things are without merit.”
Flores, 40, filed his 60-page suit against the league contending it has a history of racism especially when it comes to the hiring and retention of Black head coaches.
Flores, who was let go as the head coach of the Dolphins last month, cited a recent opportunity when he was asked to meet with the owners of the New York Giants to interview for their open head coaching job.
Watch Brian Flores’ full interview with “Nightline” Wednesday night at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC.
The suit included what he says are screengrabs of text messages from his mentor, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who congratulated Flores on getting hired by the Giants before the interview took place. Belichick later allegedly texted back indicating that he’d made a mistake and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was actually getting the job — three days before Flores’ interview.
Flores, who was coming off back-to-back winning seasons with the Dolphins, said he wasn’t mad at Belichick but was in disbelief and angry after reading the messages.
“There’s a humiliation that came over me,” he said. “Why wasn’t I afforded the opportunity to truly interview and show what I can do? Because I am a good coach and I do relate to players and I know how to lead.”
Belichick hasn’t responded to the allegations.
Flores accused the Giants of requesting an interview simply to fill the quota of interviewing a minority candidate outlined in the league’s Rooney Rule. The Giants denied that claim, saying in a statement, “We are pleased and confident with the process that resulted in the hiring of Brian Daboll. We interviewed an impressive and diverse group of candidates. The fact of the matter is, Brian Flores was in the conversation to be our head coach until the eleventh hour. Ultimately, we hired the individual we felt was most qualified to be our next head coach.”
The league put out a statement Tuesday claiming, “the NFL and our clubs are deeply committed to ensuring equitable employment practices and continue to make progress in providing equitable opportunities throughout our organizations.”
Flores’ lawsuit also cites the use of race-norming in the league’s concussion settlement program, which was the subject of a previous ABC News investigation, as indicative of its broader attitude toward Black players and coaches.
“The NFL took the position that white people simply have better baseline cognitive function than Black people,” Flores’ suit said.
“It just gives you how they view Black people as being inferior intellectually to white people,” Doug Wigdor, Flores’ attorney, told ABC News.
The NFL previously told ABC News that the concussion settlement “relied on widely accepted and long-established cognitive tests and scoring methodologies.”
The lawsuit seeks class-action status, unspecified damages and changes to ensure the hiring of more Black coaches, coordinators and front office personnel.
“Those coaches could set an example for the Black players in the league that they can strive and be in those types of leadership positions,” Flores said. “We filed because this is bigger than football.”
Flores said he is hopeful he can coach again and would take up any opportunity offered.
“I think what I’m doing now speaks to leadership, speaks to sacrifice. I mean what more would you want to exemplify from your team?” he said.
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