Why three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto will retire after the 2026 Winter Olympics
The 25-year-old Japanese star won an Olympic bronze medal in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and took the silver medal in the world championships in March with gold to
American Alysa Liu
.
Sakamoto acknowledged that age is catching up with her.
'I feel like I have less than a year left,' the Japanese news agency Kyodo quoted her as saying in Kobe, Japan. 'I'll be 29 at the following Olympics (in 2030), which is out of the question. I'll try to bring things to a close the year I turn 26.'
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USA Today
29 minutes ago
- USA Today
Where Oregon Ducks rank in preseason AP Top 25 since 2000
Over the past couple of weeks, there have been signs that college football has returned at long last. While players are returning to practices across the nation and preseason watch lists are being publicized, college football is in the air. The best signifier that it is finally football season, though? The Associated Press Poll has returned. The AP Top 25 was released on Monday morning, and the Oregon Ducks are regarded highly, as expected. AP ranks Dan Lanning's squad as the No. 7 team in the nation, which is the third-highest team in the Big Ten Conference. This ranking aligns with the US LBM Coaches Poll released last week. While the Ducks have a new-look team going into the year with just four returning starters, there are still high expectations for them going into the 2025 season, with their fifth top-10 ranking in the College Football Playoff era. But how does it compare to years past when the Ducks also had high expectations going into the season? Let's take a look. Here are the Ducks' preseason AP rankings for every season going back to the turn of the century. 2000 — Unranked Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 5 (Week 13) Season Record: 10-2 Bowl Game Result: 35-30 Win vs. Texas in Holiday Bowl Analysis: Coming off a strong 1999 season, Oregon had high expectations at the turn of the century, and it made good on those expectations, reaching No. 5 in the rankings before beating Texas in the Holiday Bowl. 2001 — No. 7 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 2 (Week 16, Final) Season Record: 11-1 Bowl Game Result: 38-16 Win vs. Colorado in Fiesta Bowl Analysis: This is the year that put the Ducks on the map. It was Joey Harrington's Heisman campaign season, and Oregon ultimately reached No. 2 in the nation before being snubbed for a spot in the BCS National Championship Game. It smoked Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl instead. 2002 — No. 15 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 6 (Week 9) Season Record: 7-6 Bowl Game Result: 38-17 Loss vs. Wake Forest in Seattle Bowl Analysis: With Harrington out the door, expectations fell back to earth for the Ducks. They still played well in the middle of the season, getting to No. 6 in the rankings, but a loss in the bowl game put a damper on the season. 2003 — Unranked Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 10 (Week 5) Season Record: 8-5 Bowl Game Result: 31-30 Loss to Minnesota in Sun Bowl Analysis: The year started out with an upset over Michigan at home, which led the Ducks into the rankings quickly, but the season fell apart from there. 2004 — No. 23 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 23 (Week 1) Season Record: 5-6 Bowl Game Result: No Bowl Analysis: It was a tough year for the Ducks in 2004. There were some expectations in the preseason when they were ranked inside the top 25. But they quickly fell out of the rankings and never sniffed them again on their way to a season with no bowl game. 2005 — Unranked Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 6 (Week 15) Season Record: 10-2 Bowl Game Result: 17-14 Loss vs. Oklahoma in Holiday Bowl Analysis: The Dennis Dixon era begins. At its best, Oregon was as good as any team in the country. It still struggled with consistency, though, culminating in a bowl game loss to Oklahoma. 2006 — No. 21 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 11 (Week 6) Season Record: 7-6 Bowl Game Result: 38-8 Loss to BYU in Las Vegas Bowl Analysis: After a solid start under Dixon, the Ducks regressed in 2006 and struggled after a solid start to the year. In the end, they were blown out in the Las Vegas Bowl by BYU. 2007 — Unranked Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 2 (Week 12) Season Record: 9-4 Bowl Game Result: 56-21 Win over South Florida in Sun Bowl Analysis: The year that could have been. ... Oregon was arguably the best team in the nation this season. If it weren't for a Dennis Dixon torn ACL late in the year, it would have played for the national championship and likely gained a Heisman Trophy. This one still stings for most Duck fans. 2008 — No. 21 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 10 (Week 17, Final) Season Record: 10-3 Bowl Game Result: 42-31 Win over Oklahoma State in Holiday Bowl Analysis: After losing Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart, Oregon bounced back with Jeremiah Masoli and LeGarrette Blount and found great success, reaching a peak at No. 10 in the rankings late in the year. 2009 — No. 16 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 7 (Week 10, 14, 15) Season Record: 10-3 Bowl Game Result: 26-17 Loss to Ohio State in Rose Bowl Analysis: The Ducks might have arrived in 2001 under Joey Harrington, but they finally became cool in 2009 with Chip Kelly leading the way. A place in the Rose Bowl was huge, but the loss to Ohio State was unfortunate. 2010 — No. 11 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 1 (Weeks 8-14) Season Record: 12-1 Bowl Game Result: 22-19 Loss to Auburn in BCS National Championship Game Analysis: Oregon has arrived. For much of the year, the Ducks were No. 1 in the polls, and they made it to their first BCS National Championship Game. We don't have to talk about what happened from there. Dyer was down. 2011 — No. 3 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 3 (Week 1) Season Record: 12-2 Bowl Game Result: 45-38 Win over Wisconsin in Rose Bowl Analysis: Coming off the championship game loss, the Ducks still had incredibly high expectations going into 2011. The stayed up in the rankings for most of the year and ended it with a Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin. 2012 — No. 5 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 1 (Week 12) Season Record: 12-1 Bowl Game Result: 35-17 Win over Kansas State in Fiesta Bowl Analysis: Despite a quarterback change, the Ducks were still projected to be one of the top teams in the nation going into 2012. They reached No. 1 in the rankings late in the year before a loss to Stanford ended the dream of another championship appearance. The Ducks took out their frustration on Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. 2013 — No. 3 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 2 (Weeks 2-11) Season Record: 11-2 Bowl Game Result: 30-7 Win over Texas in Alamo Bowl Analysis: Another strong season from Marcus Mariota had the Ducks in the conversation in 2013, and they were ranked No. 2 for much of the season. This time, a loss to Stanford and a loss to Arizona late in the year derailed their hopes, leaving the Ducks with a spot in the Alamo Bowl. 2014 — No. 3 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 2 (Week 3-6, Final) Season Record: 13-2 Bowl Game Result: 59-20 Win over Florida State in Rose Bowl // 42-20 Loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Analysis: Another year near the top of the polls for Oregon. The Ducks made it into the first College Football Playoff, beating the defending champion Florida State Seminoles in the Rose Bowl before falling to Ohio State in the championship game. 2015 — No. 7 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 7 (Week 1) Season Record: 9-4 Bowl Game Result: 47-41 3OT Loss to TCU in Alamo Bowl Analysis: The transition out of the Marcus Mariota era was difficult, but Vernon Adams did a really good job of trying to make the offense work. Unfortunately, an early-season injury derailed things. The Ducks finished strongly until the second half of the Alamo Bowl, in which they blew a 31-point lead and lost in triple-overtime. 2016 — No. 24 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 24 (Week 1) Season Record: 4-8 Bowl Game Result: No Bowl Analysis: Not much to remember about the 2016 season other than it being the year that Mark Helfrich got fired. No bowl game for the Ducks, and a season largely spent outside of the rankings. 2017 — Unranked Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 24 (Week 4) Season Record: 7-6 Bowl Game Result: 38-28 Loss vs. Boise State in Las Vegas Bowl Analysis: Oregon sniffed the top 25 in 2017, cracking it once after beating Nebraska in a thriller, but this was still one of the down years for the Ducks over the last decade. 2018 — No. 24 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 12 (Week 8) Season Record: 9-4 Bowl Game Result: 7-6 Win over Michigan State in Redbox Bowl Analysis: The Mario Cristobal era started strong, and Oregon was solid throughout the year, maintaining a respectable ranking for a team back on the rise. 2019 — No. 11 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 5 (Final) Season Record: 12-2 Bowl Game Result: 28-27 Win over Wisconsin in Rose Bowl Analysis: Oregon was getting decent respect going into Justin Herbert's final year, and it did well to improve those expectations by reaching No. 5 in the rankings before going on to beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. 2020 — No. 9 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 9 (Week 1, 9) Season Record: 4-3 Bowl Game Result: 34-17 Loss to Iowa State in Fiesta Bowl Analysis: 2020 was a strange year, obviously, with a shortened schedule due to COVID-19. The Ducks rose to No. 9 in the rankings before winning the Pac-12 championship. They ended the wild year with a loss to Iowa State in the Fiesta Bowl. 2021 — No. 11 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 3 (Weeks 4-5) Season Record: 10-4 Bowl Game Result: 47-32 Loss to Oklahoma in Alamo Bowl Analysis: The year that Oregon beat Ohio State at long last. The Ducks used that victory to get up to No. 3 in the rankings, but threw it all away shortly after with a loss to Stanford on the road. The season culminated in Mario Cristobal leaving for Miami after a loss in the Pac-12 Championship game. 2022 — No. 11 Highest Mid-Season AP Ranking: No. 6 (Week 11) Season Record: 10-3 Bowl Game Result: 28-27 Win over North Carolina in Holiday Bowl Analysis: Dan Lanning's debut with Oregon saw the Ducks ranked 11th going into the year, but they quickly fell to 25th after getting blown out by Georgia in Week 1. Oregon battled back to No. 6 by season's end, but a pair of losses to Oregon State and Washington left everyone with a sour taste. 2023 — No. 15 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 5 (Week 14) Season Record: 12-2 Bowl Game Result: 45-6 Win over Liberty in Fiesta Bowl Analysis: Oregon had a really strong 2023 season. If not for a pair of losses to Washington, it could have been in the College Football Playoff. 2024 — No. 3 Highest Midseason AP Ranking: No. 1 (Weeks 9-16) Season Record: 13-1 Bowl Game Result: 41-21 Loss to Ohio State in Rose Bowl Analysis: What was a historic season for the Ducks finished with a rough game against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal, but that shouldn't take away from the success that Oregon found throughout the year. The Ducks went undefeated in the regular season and won the Big Ten Conference in their first year as league members, going into the CFP as the No. 1 overall seed. 2025 — No. 7 Analysis: The Ducks are replacing nearly their entire starting lineup going into the 2025 season, with just four returning starters on both sides of the ball. Despite that turnover, there are still high expectations once again, with endless talent and depth on the roster built up over the years. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
NBC News
30 minutes ago
- NBC News
Thunder-Rockets, Lakers-Warriors headline 'NBA Tip-Off' on NBC
Reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder will take on Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets on NBC to tip off the NBA season on Oct. 21, NBC Sports and the NBA announced Tuesday. The matchup between the Thunder and Rockets will be followed up by the latest chapter in the rivalry between LeBron James and Stephen Curry, as the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors also face off on opening night. The two games will not only mark the beginning of a new season, they will also be the first NBA games to air on NBC since the 2002 finals. Mike Tirico, Reggie Miller, Jamal Crawford and Zora Stephenson will call the game between Oklahoma City and Houston, which tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET. Noah Eagle, Grant Hill and Ashley ShahAhmadi will call the second game from Los Angeles, which, in addition to James and Curry, will feature Luka Doncic and Jimmy Butler. The season will begin with a matchup of teams expected to be two of the best in the West. The Thunder, who have finished first in the conference in back-to-back seasons, are returning the majority of the team that won the 2025 finals in seven games. The Rockets, meanwhile, added a future Hall of Famer in Durant to a young core that includes center Alperen Sengun and wingman Amen Thompson. The nightcap will feature foes-turned-friends in James and Curry, who played each other in four straight championship series from 2015 to 2018, then teamed up at the Paris Olympics in 2024 to capture gold for the United States. Doncic and Butler will be joining the fray, as both will be starting their first full seasons with their respective teams. Shortly after the "NBA Tip-Off" games, "Peacock NBA Monday" will debut on Oct. 27 with its own doubleheader starting at 7 p.m. ET. The first game that night will feature the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Detroit Pistons, while Western Conference rivals the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets will battle after. NBC Sports and the NBA also announced the first-ever Martin Luther King Jr. Day quadrupleheader, which will take place on Jan. 19, 2026, across NBC and Peacock.
Newsweek
30 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Ryder Cup Rosters Come Into Focus With Six Auto Bids Already Locked in
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Ryder Cup is just over a month away, and fans can barely wait for the tee-off. Excitement mounts as the teams' announcement approaches, even more so now that the first six qualifiers, three from each team, are officially known. Scottie Scheffler for the American team and Rory McIlroy for the European side were the first to mathematically qualify. Scheffler achieved his qualifier in early June, following his victory at the Memorial Tournament, while McIlroy secured his spot after participating in the US Open. Scottie Scheffler of Team United States celebrates on the 17th green during the Friday afternoon fourball matches of the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club on September 29, 2023 in Rome, Italy. Scottie Scheffler of Team United States celebrates on the 17th green during the Friday afternoon fourball matches of the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club on September 29, 2023 in Rome, completing the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first tournament of the PGA Tour playoffs, four more players secured their spots on the team. JJ Spaun and Xander Schauffele among the Americans, and Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood among the Europeans. Rose and Fleetwood are two Ryder Cup veterans with extraordinary performances under their belts. Schauffele will be making his third appearance in the event, while Spaun will be making his full debut wearing the red, white and blue. Three direct spots remain to be filled on each team. On the American side, there's a six-man race. Russell Henley, Bryson DeChambeau, and Harris English are currently hold spots Nos. 4-6, but Justin Thomas (seventh), Collin Morikawa (eighth), and Ben Griffin (10th) could overtake them, depending on what happens at the BMW Championship. Reporting for duty Captain! 🇪🇺 — Justin ROSE (@JustinRose99) August 11, 2025 The players ranked 10th-13th -- Keegan Bradley, Maverick McNealy, Andrew Novak and Brian Harman -- also have a chance to crack the top six, but would need a strong finish, or even a title, at the BMW Championship. The competition is just as tight on the European side. Robert MacIntyre (fourth), Tyrrell Hatton (fifth), and Sepp Straka (sixth) are just a few points ahead of Shane Lowry (seventh), Rasmus Højgaard (eighth), and Ludvig Aberg (ninth). Straka and Hojgaard are in the worst situation: Straka will miss the BMW Championship due to a family matter, and Hojgaard will miss it because he failed to qualify. However, the Dane will have the opportunity to earn points in his homeland, as he will be playing in the DP World Tour's Danish Golf Championship. Once the final direct qualifiers have been determined, captains Bradley and Luke Donald must select the remaining six members of their teams. This will be another stage that is sure to keep all fans on the edge of their seats. More Golf: FedEx Cup: Five Players Who Crumbled at St. Jude Championship
