AP National Sports

BEIJING (AP) — The doping case of 15-year-old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has dominated the conversation at the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Doping and other controversies involving Russian athletes have played a significant role at recent Olympics.

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer BEIJING (AP) — Sui Wenjing and Han Cong are in a most familiar place atop the pairs competition at the Olympics. They plan to hold onto the spot this time. Four years after a shaky free skate dropped the two-time world champions to the silver medal in Pyeongchang, Sui

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer Lewis Hamilton took nearly two months to emotionally recover from the controversial Formula One finale that cost him a record an eighth championship. The Mercedes driver insists he never considered quitting F1 in protest. Once he accepted the results Hamilton put the debacle behind him and began preparation

By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Australian tennis player Alex de Minaur has denied wrongdoing after being linked to a Spanish police investigation of people suspected of paying for false COVID-19 vaccination certificates. De Minaur says he has “a completely valid, accurate and true vaccination record.” Spanish media reported that De Minaur

By JIM VERTUNO AP Sports Writer AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Formula One has announced a new five-year contract with the Circuit of the Americas to keep the United States Grand Prix at the Texas track through 2026. The 2022 U.S. Grand Prix is scheduled for Oct. 23 and has been on F1’s official calendar without

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer BEIJING (AP) — A worldwide wave of sympathy has flowed to Kamila Valieva for the ordeal she endured at the Beijing Olympics.  IOC President Thomas Bach joined on Friday, giving a rare rebuke to the Russian coaches. It was a change in tone for Bach, who has defended Russian

By JOHN WAWROW AP Hockey Writer BEIJING (AP) — Another Olympic women’s hockey tournament is over and very little appears to have changed. Canada and the United States met in the final for the sixth time in seven Olympics and there remain concerns about how to grow the sport globally. U.S. captain Kendall Coyne Schofield

By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Auto Racing Writer Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is “optimistic” that new steps put in place to improve Formula One race management will prove successful, though he remains unhappy about how Lewis Hamilton lost the title last season. Wolff was speaking at the launch of the Mercedes W13 car a day

By MARTHA BELLISLE Associated Press ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — Johannes Thingnes Boe dominated from the start and held his composure through four shooting stages to win the Olympic gold medal in the biathlon mass start race. Martin Ponsiluoma of Sweden took silver and Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen of Norway got bronze. Justine Braisaz-Bouchet of France won

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP National Writer BEIJING (AP) — Reigning world champion Kai Verbij backed off on the final crossover straight in speedskating’s 1,000 meters, a split-second bit of sportsmanship that cost the Dutch star any chance at a medal. Verbij knew he didn’t have quite enough speed to get in front of Canada’s Laurent

By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer BEIJING (AP) — Finland advanced to the men’s hockey gold medal game by beating surprise semifinalist Slovakia 2-0. Tournament MVP candidate Sakari Manninen scored his fourth goal of the Olympics. Former Florida Panthers goaltender Harri Sateri made 28 saves for the shutout. The Finns will play the winner of

By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer BEIJING (AP) — Sixteen years after he won the Olympic curling gold medal, Brad Gushue is going back to Canada with bronze. The Canadians capitalized on a missed final shot by American John Shuster in the second-to-last end that turned a one-point edge into an insurmountable 8-5 lead. Gushue

By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — Freestyle skier’s fill their world with “double corks” and “Japan grabs” in the halfpipe but it’s often the music that helps sync it all together. Those AirPods are almost as important as the bindings on their skis. New Zealand’s Nico Porteous plans to crank up

By MARTHA BELLISLE Associated Press ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — Johannes Thingnes Boe dominated from the start and held his composure through four shooting stages to win the Olympic gold medal in the biathlon mass start race. Martin Ponsiluoma of Sweden took silver and Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen of Norway got bronze. Justine Braisaz-Bouchet of France won

By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — Eileen Gu captured Olympic gold in the women’s ski halfpipe final to become the first action-sports athlete to pick up three medals at the same Winter Games. She warmed up with a 93.25 on her first pass before going even higher and bigger to post