Bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor won a fifth Olympics medal on Saturday — taking home bronze in the two-woman event and becoming the most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympics history.
The big picture: Meyers Taylor, who was named the flagbearer at the closing ceremony for Team USA, tied speedskater Shani Davis earlier this week with four medals after she took silver in the monobob.
Kamila Valieva, the 15-year-old Russian figure skater who came to Beijing as the favorite to win gold, will leave without a medal — and as the unfortunate villain of these Olympics.
Why it matters: A child was failed by the adults around her, and figure skating was failed by an anti-doping system that protected no one.
Driving the news: The appeal and emergency hearing happened on Saturday after the medal ceremony for the team event was delayed last week over a "legal issue."
The NFL has hired former Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mary Jo White to investigate an allegation that the Washington Commanders' owner sexually harassed a team employee over a decade ago.
Driving the news: After the investigation, White will detail her findings in a written report that will then be released publicly, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said, according to the AP.
The Winter Olympics are winding down with just two days of competition left before the Closing Ceremony. On Friday, figure skaters were in action on the rink in the pairs competition, while skiers faced tough conditions in minus-12 degrees Fahrenheit weather.
The big picture: Americans David Wise and Alex Ferriera won silver and bronze, respectively, in the freeski halfpipe.
Wise has medaled in all three freeski halfpipe events since it debuted in 2014, winning gold in 2014 and 2018 to go with his silver medal.
ZHANGJIAKOU, CHINA - FEBRUARY 19: Alex Ferreira of Team United States competes during the Men's Freestyle Skiing Halfpipe on Day 15 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Genting Snow Park on February 19, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, China. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)China's Peng Cheng and China's Jin Yang compete in the pair skating free skating. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP) (Photo by ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images)David Wise of Team United States performs a trick at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Genting Snow Park on February 19, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, China. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 19: Juraj Slafkovsky #20 of Team Slovakia is challenged by Christian Folin #2 of Team Sweden in the first period during the Men's Ice Hockey Bronze Medal match between Team Sweden and Team Slovakia on Day 15 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at National Indoor Stadium on February 19, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 19: Athletes compete in the Men's 50km Mass Start race within the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on February 19, 2022 at Zhangjiakou National Cross-Country Skiing Centre in Beijing, China. (Photo by Dimitris Isevidis/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 19: Anna Hasselborg of Team Sweden competes against Team Switzerland during the Women's Bronze Medal Game on Day 14 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at National Aquatics Centre on February 19, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Today marks the 80th anniversary of the Day of Remembrance, when President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which led to the forced removal and mass incarceration of about 120,000 Japanese Americans into 10 incarceration camps.
Why it matters: To pass the time and ease the trauma of incarceration, people of all ages and genders played sports and organized fitness classes, participating in everything from football and baseball to weight lifting and ice skating.
Daily testing, a barricade between the Olympic village and surrounding Beijing and strict rules prohibiting entry and exit from the "closed loop" have defined the Winter Olympics as officials tried to keep COVID out at all costs.
By the numbers: As of Saturday, 436 athletes, coaches and stakeholders had tested positive for COVID-19 out of 1.7 million tests conducted since Jan. 23, according to the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games.
The College Football Playoff will keep its four-team playoff format through at least 2025, CFP executive director Bill Hancock announced Friday.
Driving the news: The CFP management committee, made up of 10 conference commissioners and Notre Dame's athletics director, could not reach the unanimous consensus needed to expand the tournament before the end of its 12-year contract, which means expansion will have to wait until the 2026 season.
Diving deeper into the VR broadcast of the Olympics beyond my first look, I found there was even more to discover and appreciate about its unique view into the Beijing games — but also a longer list of downsides.
Why it matters: Virtual reality has the potential to bring people both closer to the action and deeper behind the scenes. At the same time, it can be more isolating, tiring and blurry than watching a broadcast on a nice TV.
Why it matters: Valieva was cleared to compete in Thursday's individual figure skating competition by a panel of arbitrators, despite having trimetazidine, a banned drug, in her system during the Russian national championships in December.
