Latest news with #USOlympics
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
‘Welcome prayers' – UFC icon and Jake Paul rival Ben Askren ‘unresponsive' in hospital as wife reveals ‘severe' illness
The 40-year-old has not competed since losing to Paul almost four years ago BEN SHOCK 'Welcome prayers' – UFC icon and Jake Paul rival Ben Askren 'unresponsive' in hospital as wife reveals 'severe' illness MMA icon Ben Askren is "unresponsive" in hospital after being struck down by severe pneumonia. The former MMA and wrestling star infamously came out of retirement to face Jake Paul in a boxing match in 2021. Advertisement 4 Ben Askren (left) is currently on hospital battling pneumonia Credit: Instagram @triller 4 The former MMA star took on Jake Paul in a 2021 boxing match Credit: Getty Images - Getty 4 Askren made his name in wrestling and appeared at the 2008 Olympics Credit: Getty 4 He would go on to record 19 career wins in MMA Credit: Getty Askren, a former Olympian, was active in MMA for over a decade. News of his hospitalisation broke during UFC 316 in New Jersey on Saturday night. Funky has not been active in the squared circle since his exhibition with Paul almost four years ago. But he is fondly remembered in wrestling circles as one of the greatest grapplers of all time. Advertisement Askren, 40, is currently battling "a sudden and severe onset of pneumonia". His wife Amy penned a heartfelt update on her husband's condition. She wrote on Facebook: "You may have heard that my husband Ben is going through something. "He developed severe pneumonia, which came on very suddenly. Advertisement BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK "He's currently in the hospital and unable to respond to anything at this time. "We welcome all prayers for healing and for peace. Jake Paul reveals 'hefty' six-man hit-list of opponents for next fight including Anthony Joshua and world champ "We are trying to keep life as normal as possible for our children currently and doing our best to support them thoughtfully, so please refrain from discussing it with them for now." Advertisement Fans were quick to send their well wishes to the Askren family. Former UFC champ Henry Cejudo wrote on X: "Pray for Ben Askren." One fan wrote: "You got this Ben, keep fighting." While another commented: "Wishing the best for Ben Askren and his family. Ben was an innovative and creative wrestler in his prime and now he builds up some of the best wrestlers America has ever seen. The wrestling world owes a debt of gratitude to a man like him." Advertisement He's currently in the hospital and unable to respond to anything at this time. Amy Askren Askren began wrestling at the age of just 6. He competed for the Missouri Tigers in college, twice becoming a D1 national champion. Askren was a member of the 2008 US Olympics wrestling team, where he lost in the quarterfinals to Cuba's Ivan Fundora on points. Following his Olympic adventure, the Iowa-native transitioned into MMA. Advertisement He boasted 19 wins from 22 MMA pro fights, with his first loss coming in an infamous flying kick KO by Jorge Masvidal five seconds into their bout at UFC 239. Askren's highly publicised boxing bout with YouTuber Paul saw 500,000 PPV buys. Paul, then aged 24, won the bout via TKO in one minute and 59 seconds of the first round.
Reuters
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Reuters
Lindsey Vonn 'feels amazing' as she eyes Olympic comeback at 40
LOS ANGELES, May 21 (Reuters) - Lindsey Vonn, the American skier making a bid to get back to the Olympics at age 40, said Wednesday that her body felt better than it did seven years earlier when she last competed at the Games. Vonn said a partial knee replacement last year had helped her overall fitness and enabled her to seek a spot on the U.S. ski team for the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February 2026. "My body feels amazing," Vonn said at an event hosted by U.S. Olympics broadcaster NBCUniversal. "Now that my knee is good again, I don't have any of the other problems," she added. "So my back's great. My body feels good. I feel better than I did in the last Olympics, by a lot actually." Vonn, who boasts 82 World Cup wins and counts one gold among her three Olympic medals, had retired in February 2019. In November 2024, Vonn announced she planned a comeback. She earned a second-place finish in the super-G at the Women's World Cup Finals in March. "I have done everything I wanted to do in my career. This is not something that I ever expected," Vonn said of seeking to compete at the next Olympics. "I'm going in looking to enjoy the experience, looking to be at a place that I love, that I've had a lot of success at," she added. Climate change has prompted concerns about whether the Italian ski town of Cortina will have enough snow during the Games. Vonn said she was not worried about the conditions. "Cortina has historically been so good at making a perfect racetrack, whether it's man-made or natural snow," she said. "No matter what the condition, it will be pristine. I am 100% sure of that." American snowboarder Chloe Kim, who is chasing a third gold medal, also said she was preparing to handle any conditions. "I've competed in blizzards, no snow, too much snow, windy, too warm where the snow gets really slushy and grippy," Kim said. "I've been doing this since I was four years old. Hopefully those skills will get me through."
