
USA bobsled's secret weapon: a Dutch engineer
The most important Team USA bobsled member heading into the 2026 Olympics might be Dutch engineer Marc Van Den Berg. The second episode of Chasing Gold: Milan Cortina 2026 debuts Sunday 4/20 at 5pm on NBC and Peacock.

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NBC Sports
23 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Lachlan Turner wins Thunder Valley Women's Pro Motocross, extends points lead
Lachlan Turner took the lead from holeshot winner Charli Cannon on Lap 2 of the third round of the Women's Pro Motocross (WMX) season and held the advantage until the checkers waved over Thunder Valley Motocross Park in Lakewood, Colorado. With her second win of the season, Turner extended her championship lead to 13 points. 'I love the rough tracks,' Turner told Peacock's Jason Thomas after the race. 'The rougher, the better. But they did smooth out the track a lot. It was fun battling with Charli. It was amazing.' In one of the most competitive WMX races of the season, Cannon's early pace and Turner's charge separated the two riders from the field. Cannon beat Kyleigh Stalling into the first turn with Turner and Mikayla Nielsen in tow before two separate battles for the podium developed. As they pushed one another to faster speeds, Cannon and Turner amassed a significant lead over the Stalling versus Nielsen battle. For the first five laps, Cannon matched Turner's pace, but after being slowed in the heavy ruts that developed with a full day's activity, Cannon lost eight seconds over the next two laps. 'That was a tough one,' Cannon told Will Christien. 'Not riding during the week (due to finger surgery five days before the season opener), really shows. I kind of died a bit. The first few laps were good, a couple of good battles with LaLa, but my hand started falling off the handlebars in the rough bumps. That made it tricky, but considering I have a broken finger and my lack of bike time, I'm happy with second.' This battle pitted last year's American Women's Pro Motocross (WMX) champion against Australia's women's champion. Stallings and Nielsen come together on the last lap! 🫣 #ProMotocross #SMX #WMX Fireworks developed on the final lap when Stallings attempted to take the final podium position from Round 1 winner Nielsen. Stallings dove to the inside and made contact with Nielsen on the steepest uphill section of the track. Both riders fell, and given the severity of the incline, it took them a minute to get their bikes upright. Riding with injuries from last week's round in Hangtown, a surprised Jordan Jarvis passed the two downed riders, noting that Nielsen was remounting her Honda as she blasted between the two bikes. That was all the encouragement Jarvis needed to beat Nielsen to the line by two seconds. Incredibly, the rider who began the weekend with a cast on her left hand, Jarvis, secured the final podium position. 'I had some bad luck last week, getting landed on,' Jarvis said. 'I'm not feeling great right now, by any means, but I was able to stay just close enough to be able to capitalize on their mistake. I'm not entirely sure what happened. Not the way I wanted to podium, but I'll take it.' Nielsen finished fourth with Jamie Astudillo rounding out the top five. Stallings finished just outside that mark in sixth. Women's Pro Motocross Results More SuperMotocross News Chance Hymas earns second MX win Jett Lawrence sweeps Thunder valley Chance Hymas ends Deegan's perfect season, winning Moto 1 Jett Lawrence wins Moto 1, pressured by Aaron Plessinger Kayden Minear qualifies 12th in MX debut Thunder Valley 450 Quals | 250 Quals Thunder Valley WMX on Saturday, broadcast on Peacock Thunder Valley Preview Thunder Valley Betting Odds Hangtown 450 Results | 250 Results
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Murray open to coaching return 'at some stage'
Andy Murray is open to a return to coaching "at some stage" but says he still has plenty to learn about the role. The 38-year-old, who retired from tennis at the 2024 Olympics, joined long-time rival Novak Djokovic's coaching team last November. Advertisement However, the pair parted company in May 2025 after just four tournaments together, with former number one Djokovic stating he "couldn't get more" out of their partnership. Murray was positive about the six months he and Djokovic spent together, hailing the "unique" experience of working with "one of the best athletes of all time", while also stating he had not planned on making the transition into coaching quite so soon after hanging up his racquet. "I would do it again at some stage. I don't think that will happen immediately," he told BBC Sport's Clare Balding at the unveiling of the Andy Murray Arena at the Queen's Club on Monday. "I wasn't planning on going into coaching as soon as I finished playing but it was a pretty unique opportunity. It was a chance to learn from one of the best athletes of all time. Advertisement "You also learn a lot about how to work with a team. As an individual athlete, you have a team of people around you, but you're the focal point whereas when you're coaching an individual, you're working with a physio, physical trainers, agents, and you need to know how to get your message across to the player and find out what makes them tick. That was the thing I learned and something I need to work on if I want to do it again in the future. "It was a brilliant opportunity for me. We got to spend some really nice moments away from the court. Results weren't as we wanted but we gave it a go. "We'll see about coaching in the future but I don't think that will happen for a while." Murray coached Novak Djokovic at the 2025 Australian Open and three other tournaments [Getty Images] 'Men's tennis is in a great place' While the jam-packed nature of tennis' schedule means focus has already shifted to the grass-court swing, this year's men's singles final at Roland Garros will be remembered as one of the all-time greats. Advertisement Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz recovered from two sets down and saved three championship points to beat world number one Jannik Sinner after five hours and 29 minutes – the longest French Open final in history. The pair, who occupy the top two spots in the ATP rankings, have now shared the past six major titles between them and Sunday's final – their first meeting in a Grand Slam trophy match – confirmed the arrival of a new blockbuster rivalry in men's tennis. Murray believes Sunday's final is confirmation the sport is in a "great place" and tipped Britain's Jack Draper, ranked fourth in the world, to be part of the success. "They're both brilliant athletes and very different personalities, which I think for fans is really exciting," Murray said. Advertisement "For me, particularly Alcaraz has an exciting brand of tennis to watch, and they complement each other well. They've already had some brilliant matches and from what I've been told, it was one of the best finals for a long time." "Moving forward, men's tennis is in a great place. People always worry at the end of a generation of players what's going to happen with the sport next, but generally sports continue to evolve and, in most cases, improve. "Jack [Draper]'s right in the mix just now and doing extremely well. He's going to give himself opportunities to win majors over the next five, 10 years." However, while heaping praise on the next generation, Murray was keen to emphasise that Alcaraz and Sinner have a long way to go to match the 20 years of dominance achieved by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Advertisement "The sport's in a really good place but it's important not to forget what the guys have done before them, what Roger, Rafa and Novak have done," he added. "Winning 20-plus majors is something exceptional and it's easy in today's age to forget a little bit about that. I saw some pundits saying if [Alcaraz and Sinner] went on court against Rafa at the French Open, they would be favourites going into that match with Rafa in his prime. "Alcaraz and Sinner are on the path to being two of the best, no doubt about that, but it takes time to build what Roger, Rafa, and Novak had. We'll see whether they get that." 'Queen's is always special for me' Murray won the last of his five Queen's singles titles in 2016 [Getty Images] Murray is synonymous with Queen's. The Scot is the most successful player in the tournament's history, winning a record five men's singles titles between 2009 and 2016. He also won the men's doubles with Feliciano Lopez in 2019. Advertisement From this year, however, his name will not just adorn the honour's board but also the centre court at Queen's Club, which has been renamed the Andy Murray Arena. "It's pretty surreal," he said. "A number of tennis courts around the world are named after great players. It's a bit strange to have a court named after you. "I have a lot of amazing memories at this place and on that court. It's by far my most successful tournament that I competed in. "I won my first ATP match here. I didn't dream of winning Wimbledon or being world number one, I just wanted to be a professional tennis player and play on the ATP tour. Moments like that, you remember; it was a special moment for me. Advertisement "Winning the tournament feels great and winning major events is the pinnacle of the sport but that wasn't my dream growing up. You remember moments like the place where you won your first tour match and that's why Queen's is always special to me." This grass-court season marks the return of women's tennis to Queen's for the first time in 52 years, with singles and doubles events taking place from 9 to 15 June before the men take to the courts the following week (16-22 June). "Having women's tennis back at Queen's for the first time in over 50 years is brilliant," Murray said. "I hope the event gets well attended. They've got a brilliant field – I think 10 of the top 20 women are here. There'll be some brilliant matches and I always look forward to the grass season." Advertisement


Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Eileen Gu Is Joining Shaun White's Snow League As Global Ambassador
Eileen Gu of Team China reacts after winning the gold medal during the Women's Freestyle Freeski ... More Halfpipe Final on Day 14 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at Genting Snow Park on February 18, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, China. Shaun White's professional snowboarding and freeskiing competition, The Snow League, debuted this year with a host of big-name sponsors and backers. White's venture is supported by partners like Marriott Bonvoy, INEOS Automotive, Pacifico, Hublot and Tiffany & Co., and it inked a multi-year media rights deal with NBC Sports. These partnerships have allowed White and his team to offer athletes the opportunity to compete for an unprecedented $2.5 million season purse at the end of The Snow League's four-stop season. Now, The Snow League has announced that Eileen Gu, one of the most recognizable names and faces in action sports, is joining as global ambassador. The news is sure to excite freeskiing fans, who eagerly await that sport's debut in the second stop of the Snow League's first season in Yunding Secret Garden in China on December 4–6, 2025. 'Eileen represents everything The Snow League stands for: greatness, creativity and a relentless drive to push boundaries,' White said. 'The Snow League is doing what no other winter sports league has done—bringing together world-class venues, premium global partners and high-profile investors to create an experience that elevates both the athletes and the sports themselves.' Having Gu onboard, White added, 'is not only an asset for the league, but also for the future of winter sports, and I'm so proud to have her as a partner on this journey.' Freeskier Eileen Gu, a powerhouse on and off the slopes, is joining Shaun White's Snow League as ... More global ambassador Gu, at 21, is already making her case as one of the best freeskiers to ever do it. She is as skilled in halfpipe as she is slopestyle and rails. At Beijing 2022, Gu became the youngest freeski Olympic gold medalist at age 18. She's also the first winter sports athlete to claim three medals at both the 2021 X Games and FIS World Championships. In World Cup competition, Gu has made the podium in 89% of her starts. But skiing represents just a fraction of Gu's platform. Gu is a full-time student at Stanford University, where she is studying quantum physics. She is also an in-demand model, having walked the runway for designers like Louis Vuitton and Brunello Cucinelli and been featured on covers of magazines like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. In short, Gu is a sports and culture powerhouse, truly the freeskiing equivalent to White, who became the face of snowboarding during his pro career. Gu has already served as an ambassador for the 2022 Beijing Olympics, 2024 Gangwon Youth Olympics, 2024 Paris Olympics and Salt Lake City's 2030 Olympic bid. Now, Gu will bring that global crossover appeal to The Snow League as the series prepares for its event in China at the same venue that saw Gu made history, becoming the only action sports athlete to win three medals (two golds and a silver) at the Beijing 2022 Games. The inaugural Snow League event, held in Aspen Snowmass March 7–8, featured snowboard halfpipe only. The final two events of the season in 2026, at Aspen Snowmass again in February and then Laax, Switzerland, in March, will also feature both disciplines. Shaun White poses in the halfpipe after competition on day 2 of The Snow League at Buttermilk Ski ... More Resort on March 08, 2025 in Aspen, Colorado. The list of invited freeski athletes for the remaining Snow League events has not yet been released. 'I vividly remember the first time I heard about The Snow League," Gu told me. 'I was getting my boots fitted in the springtime when my phone rang in my pocket. Shaun and I spoke for over an hour about our common goal of sharing the joy of snowsport with kids and adults all around the world who maybe hadn't engaged in winter sports before.' The partnership is symbolic of The Snow League's—and White's and Gu's—goal of elevating winter sports as a whole, moving beyond the tired skiing vs. snowboarding debate. 'It's about the power of sport to bring people together, cultivate resilience and build sportsmanship,' Gu added. 'I'm excited to align with TSL to make the world better through sport.'