Olympians mourn figure skaters killed in Potomac plane crash
The figure skating community is mourning the victims killed in the crash on the Potomac River. Former Olympians and skating coaches Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov join Chris Jansing to reflect on the lives of those lost.
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New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Riley Gaines issues vile response to Olympian Simone Biles' critique of Minn. trans athlete
She pulled no punches. Conservative anti-trans activist Riley Gaines couldn't resist going for the low blow in her ongoing online spat with gold medal-winning gymnast Simone Biles. In her latest reply in the back-and-forth between the pair, Gaines referenced convicted sexual predator Larry Nassar — the former Team USA doctor who abused the Olympic legend and other females gymnasts. Advertisement 'All the horrific sexual abuse @Simone_Biles witnessed and spoke out against caused by one man, yet [she] believes women should be forced to strip naked in front of men to validate the man's feelings,' the former collegiate swimmer posted to X. 'You know how many gold medals you'd have if your 'inclusive' dream came true? Zero.' 3 Simone Biles is an Olympic legend with a ton of gold medals. Getty Images Advertisement Nassar is serving 40 to 175 years in prison for sexually abusing hundreds of gymnasts, including Olympians Biles, Aly Raisman, and Gabby Douglas. Biles blasted Gaines on X for criticizing a Minnesota softball team that included transgender player Marissa Rothenberger. 3 Riley Gaines has been a staunch anti-trans activist for years. Getty Images The pitcher threw a shutout and helped bring a state championship home to Champlin Park High School. Advertisement 'To be expected when your star player is a boy,' Gaines wrote in response to a photo of the team celebrating the winning season. Biles, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist, told Gaines she was 'truly sick.' 'All of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser,' Biles wrote to Gaines, who competed against trans swimmer Lia Thomas in 2022. 'You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!! But instead… You bully them… One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!' Advertisement In another post, Biles added, 'bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.' 3 Larry Nassar will spend the rest of his natural life in prison. AP Gaines called the dig 'disappointing,' and added, 'It's not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces. You can uplift men stealing championships in women's sports with YOUR platform. Men don't belong in women's sports and I say that with my full chest.' Gaines added in a separate post, 'My take is the least controversial take on the planet,' and accused Biles of 'being a male-apologist at the expense of young girls' dreams.' With Post wires
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Ab-Soul Keeps Hip-Hop's Spirit Alive At Red Bull BC One
On Sunday (May 18), over a dozen of the country's most talented breakers arrived in Denver to leave it all on the floor at the Red Bull BC One Cypher to wrap its 2025 U.S. season. In total, 16 B-Boys and 16 B-Girls — including Olympians B-Girl Logistx and B-Girl Kate — united to compete for a chance to advance to the world finals in Tokyo later this year, but first, they had to battle one another. Camaraderie is shared between the dancers as they stretch and get in the zone, but on center stage, the mutual respect is channeled into elite routines. Ahead of the main event, Red Bull hosted the competitors as well as a select group of media and content creators and offered a warm welcome into its world of breaking. This included movement workshops, workout classes, and crew battles. At the Red Bull Camp, a new 2v2 format called Breakfighter was introduced, pairing breakers with gamers in a crossover clash featuring the iconic Japanese game, Street Fighter. At stake, a chance to win a trip to the Tokyo finals. The event also featured Salt Break City, an all-girl battle that paired B-girls with all-style dancers, uniting the power of breaking with the versatility and style of street dancing. Once it was time for the BC One, the camp closed shop and the activity moved to the city's Mission Ballroom to host hundreds of ticketholders excited for the competition. Each round grew more intense as one by one, breakers were knocked out of the competition, with many of the battles close. Judged by Red Bull BC One All-Star B-Boy Taisuke, B-Girl Beta, and OG B-Boy Ken Swift of the Rock Steady Crew, each dancer was ranked on creativity, musicality, and flow. A performance from Ab-Soul kept the Hip-Hop-centered event culturally grounded as he repped California with 'All That' and 'Do Better.' 'Man you know im KRS-2,' joked the Soul Burger performer with VIBE before taking the stage. 'This is what I really came to do. I really came to represent and keep the spirit alive. Keep the roots healthy as it [Hip-Hop] grows older. You know what I'm saying, with break dancing being one of the pillars. So I'm grateful to be a part of it.' In the end, B-Girl Logistix and B-Boy Hijck rose above their competitors and earned their respective spots in the finals. 'What's important is how you put your fingerprint on this dance,' explained Hijck, the now two-time Red Bull BC One Cypher USA champion, in a statement. 'It's not just about signature moves – it's about signature style. I can't wait to represent [the] USA, but most importantly, represent Hawaii.' 'I feel proud of myself for navigating life while training for this battle,' added B-Girl Logistx, also the 2021 Red Bull BC One World Champion. 'I am grateful for this win and the people who supported me on this journey. I'm ready for Tokyo, but this time I am working my way up from the National Final. In order to do this opportunity justice, I have to win in Tokyo.' Take a look inside the Red Bull BC One Cypher below. More from Ab-Soul Speaks On Joey Bada$$ And West Coast Rap Feud: "It's A Sport" Joey Bada$$, Ab-Soul Trade Bars Amid Coastal Rhyme War With Ray Vaughn Ab-Soul Teases Possible Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl Involvement In Cryptic Post Best of 10 Rap Albums Snubbed Of The Grammys' Album Of The Year Award 21 Black Entertainers Who Are Almost EGOT Winners 11 Black-Owned Games To Play At The Next Function Or Kick Back
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Chancellor Julio Frenk suggests he'll be actively involved with UCLA athletics
Julio Frenk does not appear to be a university administrator content to watch his school's athletic program from the sidelines. In his last stop before becoming UCLA's chancellor, Frenk led an overhaul of the University of Miami's athletic department, bringing in a new athletic director and football coach after the Hurricanes were criticized for not making football a priority under Frenk's leadership. Advertisement That shakeup resulted in coach Mario Cristobal leading his team to a 10-3 season in 2024 that represented the Hurricanes' best finish in nearly a decade. Can UCLA fans expect a similar level of involvement in athletics from their new chancellor? In a word, yes. Read more: UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk vows to restore campus trust amid 'nervousness and anxiety' During a recent interview with The Times, Frenk indicated that he would be hands-on with UCLA athletics because of its importance to the university as a whole. 'I am [going to be involved] because I think athletics plays a very central role,' Frenk said. 'It is, first, an avenue for recruiting very talented students. Secondly, it benefits the other students. It enriches the student experience of everyone. But let me tell you, when we talk about the contribution to society, part of the reason many universities have a deficit, it's not because of football. Football actually has a positive cash flow for the university. Advertisement 'What we do in the United States that no other country that I know of does, is that universities are the place where we train Olympians, Olympic competitors, competitors who go to the Olympic Games. That function — just like the research function — has been delegated to universities and we are investing in having Olympic athletes. In most of the other countries, it's government-run high-performance centers. 'But here the federal government doesn't have to worry about that because universities do that and they fund that. And when we have the Olympics every four years, everyone is very proud to see the United States top the medal chart. That work starts in universities and that's why we also fund that. It's an intrinsic part of education. It enriches everyone's experience. It builds community. It also produces the best performing Olympic teams in the world.' Frenk's comments would seem to suggest that he is not considering any cuts to UCLA's Olympic sports even at a time when the school's athletic department has run up a $219.5-million deficit over the last six fiscal years. That deficit would be even higher had the university not agreed to provide $30 million to its athletic department as part of its most recent fiscal budget. Frenk also said that federal legislation was needed 'to create a much more predictable model' for football and men's basketball, controlling expenses while propping up the rest of an athletic department. UCLA chancellor Julio Frenk speaks during his inauguration ceremony at Royce Hall on June 5. (Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times) 'I acknowledge this costs money,' Frenk said of allocating resources to the revenue sports, 'but the money goes to be able to have all the other disciplines that do not generate money. The most direct way to do that would be to find other sources of funding. Right now, we use the revenue from football and that requires investments to fund the entire athletic operation. Advertisement 'It is time to have a conversation and create a legal framework that doesn't leave it to each institution or each state to find their own way in this. We're part of an ecosystem. I think the move to the Big Ten has been very positive in that respect. And those are the conversations we are having. How do we generate other sources of revenue — mostly to be able not just to maintain the excellence of the sports that are widely followed by the public, but also all the other sports, including, very importantly, the Olympic sports, which are such a source of pride?' Frenk has shown he will not tolerate failure in high-profile sports — or the perception that he is not doing everything he can to help his teams. As Miami's president, he led an upheaval of the school's athletic department after ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit criticized the Hurricanes during a September 2021 broadcast, mentioning a Miami Herald article stating that football was not a priority for Frenk. Herbstreit went on to say that Miami's athletic director, football coach and president were not in alignment about team needs like other powerhouse programs. Five days later, Frenk issued a statement saying that he wanted 'to make clear that the board of trustees and I, as president, recognize the essential part of our brand and reputation derived from athletics and we are fully committed to building championship-caliber teams at the U.' Frenk added that he would have his chief of staff and senior advisor engage with the athletic department to enhance his own commitment to sustain winning teams. Advertisement With the football team headed for a 7-5 finish that fell far short of preseason expectations, athletic director James Blake was fired before the end of the season and football coach Manny Diaz was dismissed a little more than a week after the final game. The Hurricanes then gave Cristobal a 10-year, $80-million contract, with Frenk attending the introductory news conference and calling his new coach's selection 'a bold vision for the future.' UCLA football went 5-7 last season under first-year coach DeShaun Foster. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Last month, while making his first public remarks about UCLA athletics at a UC regents meeting, Frenk referenced the role athletics played in the school's institutional identity, mentioning legendary basketball coach John Wooden and the Bruins' dominance in Olympic sports with the school set to host the athlete village for the 2028 Olympics. Frenk also mentioned how UCLA's recent move to the Big Ten Conference was made with 'the goal of stabilizing the program and positioning it for long-term success.' The chancellor referenced the school's national championship in men's water polo, a Final Four appearance in women's basketball and a national runner-up finish in women's gymnastics as part of a haul that also included six team and four individual conference titles, the most of any Big Ten team. Advertisement Ultimately, an athletic department is only as healthy as its highest-profile sports. UCLA's football team needs to fully capitalize on the recent buzz created by the arrival of transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava after finishing 5-7 in coach DeShaun Foster's debut season. The men's basketball team must maximize the ability of transfer point guard Donovan Dent to make everyone around him better if it hopes to make it to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2023. Going forward, every UCLA team seems assured of one thing: Their new chancellor will be watching. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
