The 13th Winter Paralympics began Friday in Beijing with two fewer competing nations than expected.
The backdrop: The IPC on Thursday banned all Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Games, reversing its previous decision that would have allowed them to compete under the neutral Paralympic flag.
The International Federation of Gymnastics announced Friday it will ban all Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from participating in competitions starting next week.
Why it matters: It's the latest international sports federation to take measures against Russia and Belarus after the invasion of Ukraine.
The Basketball Africa League, jointly operated by the NBA and FIBA, begins its second season Saturday in Dakar, Senegal.
Why it matters: The inaugural season in 2020 was canceled due to COVID and last year's debut was condensed and bubbled. Finally, the BAL will go off as planned.
The big picture: The Games — which end March 13 — come against the backdrop of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The International Paralympic Committee this week banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in the Paralympic Winter Games.
The NFL and NFL Players Association have suspended all COVID-19 protocols effective immediately, according to a league-wide memo.
The big picture: The league and its players' union said that the policy change was due to "current encouraging trends regarding the prevalence and severity of COVID-19."
For the first time in 27 years, MLB has canceled regular-season games because of a labor fight, as the longest lockout in its history rolls on.
State of play: For months, MLB and its players' union have accused each other of not wanting to strike a deal — a "deeply cynical premise" that illustrates the disconnect between them, as ESPN's Jeff Passan puts it.
A golf course is so yesterday: The thing to have if you're building a new luxury real estate development is a pickleball court, Architectural Digest reports.
Why it matters: When prominent architects and high-end developers sink their teeth into a consumer lifestyle trend, it's likely to stick around and attract big dollars.
Russian and Belarusian athletes will be banned from competing in the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, after the International Paralympic Committee reversed its original decision.
Why it matters: The IPC made clear in its statement Thursday that it faced boycott threats from some member nations after saying a day earlier that athletes from Russia and Belarus could compete at the Beijing Paralympics, but not as representatives of their countries.
