Belgian skeleton racer Kim Meylemans was moved late Wednesday Beijing time to the Olympic Village where she would be allowed to continue her COVID-19 isolation, the athlete said via Instagram Stories.
Driving the news: Earlier Wednesday, Meylemans posted a tearful video on her Instagram detailing her treatment in COVID isolation and prompting the International Olympic Committee to step in, per the New York Times.
Tom Brady, the best QB in NFL history and one of the greatest athletes to ever live, officially retired on Tuesday after 22 seasons.
Why it matters: Brady, the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL draft, is 21st century sports. If there was a Mount Rushmore of North American athletes, his face would almost certainly on it.
The National Football League yesterday was rocked by a racial discrimination lawsuit, brought by recently fired Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. It could change the way teams are bought and sold, and even may put a new one in play.
Driving the news: Flores, who hopes his complaint will become a class action, mostly focuses on hiring practices — including alleged "sham" interview processes with the New York Giants and Denver Broncos. But his list of request injunctive reliefs includes:
Brian Flores, who was fired last month as head coach of the Miami Dolphins, said Wednesday that the lawsuit filed against the National Football League and each of its franchises for racial discrimination "is bigger than football."
Driving the news: "It’s hard to speak out. You’re making some sacrifices. But this is again, this is bigger than football. This is bigger than coaching," Flores said in an interview with "CBS Morning" on Wednesday.
The Washington Football Team said on Wednesday that it will change its name to the Washington Commanders.
The big picture: The announcement ends an 18-month wait for the NFL franchise's new name and follows years of complaints from fans, politicians and corporate sponsors that its previous moniker was a racial slur.
Nearly half of American adults say they approve of the U.S. diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics — although 45% admitted they hadn't heard anything about it, according to new polling by Pew Research Center.
Brian Flores, who was fired last month as head coach of the Miami Dolphins, has sued the National Football League and each of its franchises for racial discrimination.
Why it matters: The NFL for decades has been criticized for its paucity of Black coaches, and now Flores plans to hold the league's feet to the legal fire.
The FBI is warning people and businesses to remain vigilant against malicious actors who could interfere with the Beijing Olympic Games through a "broad range" of cyber activities, including theft of sensitive data.
Why it matters: High-profile events like the Olympics give cyber actors the opportunity to "make money, sow confusion, increase their notoriety, discredit adversaries, and advance ideological goals," the FBI said in a statement Tuesday.
U.S. long track speed skater Erin Jackson is looking for her first Olympic gold in Beijing at age 29, and is ready to prove herself after a slip in qualifying.
The big picture: The Ocala, Florida native is the world's top-ranked woman in 500-meter long track, but she wouldn’t even be heading to her second Olympics if not for the kindness of her teammate, Brittany Bowe.
COVID is likely to cause a decline in the viewership, fanfare, and prestige usually associated with hosting the Olympics.
The big picture: Empty stadiums, a ban on foreign visitors, and a COVID-powered migration among global viewers away from TV and to streaming are likely to reduce the attention Beijing was hoping to garner from the Games.
The Olympics are about more than medals. They’re about leaving a lasting legacy for the host nation, and China’s goal for Beijing 2022 is an ambitious one: transform into a winter sports nation.
By the numbers: When China won its bid to host these Games, its goal was to attract 300 million new winter sports participants by 2022. It has exceeded expectations, attracting 346 million, per the organizing committee.
Three-time Olympic medalist Elana Meyers Taylor, 37, announced Tuesday that she tested positive for COVID two days after arriving in Beijing for the Winter Games.
Driving the news: At least three athletes on Team USA's Olympic bobsled team, including Meyers Taylor, have tested positive for COVID-19, just days ahead of the start of the Winter Games, NPR reports.
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady officially retired Tuesday after days of speculation on his future in the NFL.
What they're saying: "I've done a lot of reflecting the past week and have asked myself difficult questions," Brady said in a statement posted to his social media accounts. "My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now it's best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes."
The International Olympic Committee is publicly backing China, where the Winter Games are being held this year and where there is an ongoing genocide.
The big picture: The IOC has long stated it is committed to human rights, but it is declining to take a stand ahead of the Beijing Olympics — and insisting its only mission is to run the Games successfully.
Athletes and other attendees of the Beijing Winter Olympics will endure some of the strictest COVID-prevention protocols ever created for an event as organizers attempt to pull off a coronavirus-free Games.
Driving the news: While the general public and outside spectators aren't allowed to attend, 11,000 people from around the world are expected in Beijing.Officials have implemented strict measures, including a "closed-loop system" meant to shut off the outside world entirely.
