Canada dethroned the USA women's flag football team at the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Sunday. The 27-20 result snapped a 12-year gold medal drought for the Canadians and denied the US a repeat world title.
The US opened quickly, but couldn't hold onto the lead. Caroline Moquin-Joubert hauled in a Sara Parker pass just before halftime to level the score at 14-14.
Parker then hit Frederique Morneau early in the second half, and Canada seized control from there. Team USA had one last chance on fourth down, yards from the goal line with three seconds left. But that final play didn't convert.
Canada, Mexico Women's Flag Football Qualify for 2028 Olympics
Despite the result, the US had already secured its women's flag football Olympics berth as host of the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Canada joined them on the qualified list by capturing gold. World No. 1 Mexico rounded out the podium after erasing a 13-point halftime deficit to slip past Great Britain 20-19 in the bronze medal game.
Three international spots remain up for grabs before LA28. Those will be decided at Olympic Q-Series events in Montréal and Orlando in 2028, jus before the Games kick off.
Contenders shut out in Düsseldorf, including Great Britain, will get one more shot at the six-team field through that route.
Manila Esposito arrives in Zagreb, Croatia this week chasing a third straight all-around gold at the 2026 European Gymnastics Championships ahead of Olympic gymnastics qualifiers for LA 28.
2026 European Gymnastics Championships Kick Off in Croatia
The 19-year-old Italian already owns the 2024 and 2025 continental crowns. But on Thursday, she opens competition in pursuit of one more at Arena Zagreb, which hosts the meet for the first time this year.
Her toughest test will be reigning world all-around champion Angelina Melnikova. The Russian's start was in doubt after Croatia initially denied visas to nine members of her delegation. Melnikova and Anna Kalmykova cleared that hurdle this week after diplomatic talks. Olympic champion Viktoria Listunova was unable to secure a reversal of her visa denial.
Still, the rest of the European field runs deep.
Esposito's Italian teammate Alice D'Amato, the Paris 2024 balance beam champion, is entered along with Britain's Becky Downie. Downie, 34, returns to international competition for the first time since Paris after injuries sidelined her the past few years. And France's Elena Colas also debuts at the senior continental level this week.
European Gymnastics Championships Previews LA 28
The tournament is scheduled to move quickly with Thursday's senior all-around and team qualification giving way to Saturday's apparatus finals and Sunday's senior team final. Eurovision Sports will stream all senior finals.
Beyond the medals, Zagreb offers an early read on the LA 28 pecking order. Another European crown would cement Esposito as the continent's top all-around contender heading into the next Olympic gymnastics cycle.
Some of the most promising names in USA Gymnastics head to Phoenix this week for the 2026 US Gymnastics Championships. Over 100 athletes are slated to compete August 6-9, chasing both national titles and Worlds roster spots ahead of the 2028 LA Olympics.
The Road to LA28 Starts in Phoenix
Jade Carey headlines the women's field in her hometown.
The Oregon State alum hasn't competed at nationals since 2024, but she brings Olympic floor gold from Tokyo 2020 and a team gold medal from Paris 2024. A US all-around title is the one thing missing, and this year's competition may be her best shot.
Who's Competing for the USA Gymnastics All-Around Title?
Her biggest competition, defending champion Hezly Rivera, arrives with a fitness question mark. She pulled out of June's Pan American Championships with a hamstring issue after her first vault. When healthy, the 18-year-old holds four of five individual titles from 2025. But injury limitations could open the door for her peers.
And Skye Blakely is first in line.
The Florida gymnast took bars and beam at last month's US Classic and will go all-around at nationals for the first time since an Achilles injury ended her Paris Olympics bid. Claire Pease and Reese Esponda round out the contenders, with Pan Am and US Classic all-around wins between them.
The meet doubles as a qualifier for October's Worlds in Rotterdam, and with LA28 under two years out, every routine counts toward the next Olympics roster.
Fans can stream most of the competition live on Peacock.
Junelle Lyles is done with the track. The 28-year-old Jamaican sprinter confirmed her retirement from competitive running on Thursday's episode of PEOPLE's 'WAG World' series, closing the door on a career that took her to two Olympics.
Why Junelle Lyles is Stepping Away from the Track
Lyles won bronze in the women's 4x400-meter relay at the 2020 Tokyo Games. However, the moment she'd chased since childhood fell flat.
"This was a dream that I've been chasing since I was eight," she told host Skyler Caruso. "I got there at age 22, and for some reason it did not feel fulfilling."
That emptiness drove her back for one more try. Junelle Lyles earned an individual spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 400-meter dash. Even then, the feeling didn't change.
"I don't think this was really my dream anymore," she added.
The personal toll ran deeper than competition. Her mother was diagnosed with cancer and died in 2021, while Lyles was preparing for Tokyo. Weekend hospital visits were all she could manage.
With Junelle Lyles' retirement from track now official, she's channeling her energy into creative work, saying "I find it very interesting to bring something new to life."
Simone Biles made the ESPY 2026 Awards her runway on Wednesday night in New York City. The 29-year-old arrived at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater in a champagne high-low gown styled by Marc Desir.
Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens Make Statement on ESPYs 2026 Red Carpet
The cut was paired with strappy heels, soft glam makeup, flowing curls, and a statement necklace to complete the red carpet look. Beside her, husband Indianapolis Colts safety Jonathan Owens coordinated in an all-brown suit as the two posed for photographs hand-in-hand.
Once inside, Biles swapped her gown for a black body-hugging dress with a deep-plunge neckline and gold embellishments. She then took the stage to present Best Team, naming the New York Knicks as the winner.
An Olympic Legend Returns to the Spotlight After Health Scare
The outing came just weeks after Biles posted about a medical emergency she called one of the "scariest experiences" of her life.
"Almost dying wasn't on my bingo card earlier this week," Biles shared on her Instagram story, promising she'd share more updates when she was ready.
The incident happened while Owens was away at offseason practice for the Colts. She's kept a lower profile since. Still, the record-setting gymnast appeared at ease all evening during last night's ESPY Awards.
Olympics superstar Alysa Liu won the Best Breakthrough Athlete award at the 2026 ESPYs on Wednesday night. The US figure skating star, 20, beat out a field that included Macklin Celebrini, Drake Maye, and Fernando Mendoza.
Alysa Liu's 2026 Olympics US Figure Skating Comeback
Her award caps a two-year return to competitive skating. Liu, one of the youngest skaters to land a triple Axel, competed at the 2022 Beijing Olympics when she was just 16. She retired shortly after and enrolled at UCLA. After nearly two years away, she returned to the ice in 2024.
That decision paid off at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Liu's skate to Laufey's "Promise" went viral as she used the routine to tell her story of coming back to the sport. The performance won the women's singles gold, ending a 24-year US drought as she became the first US woman to take the title since Sarah Hughes in 2002.
Alysa Liu Discusses Her 2026 ESPYs Breakthrough Win
Accepting the ESPY at Lincoln Center in New York City, Liu reflected on her path back to the Olympics.
"I've been in my sport since I was 5 years old, and I had some really rough times in it, and I took two years off," Liu said. "So, for me, it really feels like I broke through in my own way, for myself and for my sport."
Suni Lee is shooting for another Olympic run, as the decorated gymnast is officially rejoining USA Gymnastics ahead of LA28.
The 23-year-old Auburn alum has won six Olympic medals. Her collection includes all-around gold in Tokyo and team gold in Paris.
Lee’s return caps a remarkable arc. A 2023 chronic kidney disease diagnosis nearly ended her gymnastics career and forced her to step away from collegiate competition.
After entering remission in 2024, Lee will chronicle her comeback in a forthcoming documentary produced by Fanatics Studios.
“I know there’s more in me, and this is my chance to challenge myself, test my limits, and see what I’m truly capable of,” she said.
Janja Garnbret has added another milestone to her climbing resume. On June 6th, the two-time Olympic gold medalist completed the first women's cliber to scale Bibliographie in Céüse, France.
The 35-meter limestone route carries a 9b+ difficulty rating — just one step below the hardest grade on Earth. Garnbret is now only the second woman to complete a confirmed 9b+ climb, joining Brooke Raboutou who reached the mark in 2025.
Still, the grade alone doesn't capture what makes Bibliographie so punishing.
How Bibliographie Tested Climber Janja Garnbret
The route demands more than 80 high-resistance moves on steep, smooth limestone. The outdoor rock brings even more challenges, including shifting weather, mountain winds, and limited attempts per trip.
Garnbret made five separate visits over two years before finally finishing the climb. The 27-year-old said the project forced her to slow down.
"This route taught me that with a calm mind and with patience, anything can happen," Garnbret said after the climb.
With the ascent, she becomes jut the fifth professional climber to make it to the top of Bibliographie.
Next, Garnbret returns to the IFSC World Cup circuit in Innsbruck, where she'll chase another record: her 50th career victory.
Simone Biles is resting at home after a medical emergency she described as a near-death experience brought her to the hospital. The 29-year-old Olympic gymnast shared details of the health scare on her Instagram Stories earlier this week.
"Almost dying wasn't on my bingo card earlier this week," Biles wrote, calling it one of the scariest experiences of her life.
The crisis happened while her husband, Indianapolis Colts safety Jonathan Owens, was away at offseason NFL practice.
USA Olympic Legend Shares Recovery Update After Hospital
Despite the severity of the scare, Biles assured fans she is safely back home. She posted photos of herself resting in bed alongside her two French bulldogs, Lilo and Rambo.
Friends and family quickly filled her room with bouquets to show support.
Biles has not yet disclosed what caused the emergency. Still, she promised to share more information once she fully recovers. For now, the most decorated gymnast in USA Olympic and World Championship history is focused on rest.
Simone Biles's Summer Olympics Future Remains Uncertain
The health scare adds another layer of uncertainty to Biles's Olympic gymnastics future. Even before this week's emergency, her status for the 2028 LA Games remained unclear.
"Whether on the apparatus or in the stands, I still don't know that," she told French sports outlet L'Equipe in April 2025. "But 2028 seems so far away, and my body is aging. I felt it in Paris."
Biles continued her noncommittal stance during a January 2026 appearance on TODAY.
"If I have to say anything, I'm just like, 'Give me a little bit more time to recover, mentally, physically,'" she said. "We got a little bit more things to do and then we'll see."
For now, fans worldwide are sending well-wishes as she heals.
Alysha Newman has been handed a 20-month suspension after missing multiple anti-doping controls, according to the Athletics Integrity Unit.
The Canadian pole vaulter — who won bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics — is responsible for three "whereabouts" failures within a 12-month span. This qualifies as an anti-doping violation under global athletics rules.
In a post on Instagram, Newman shared a message alongside a photo celebrating her Olympic bronze medal.
“You can bind up my leg, but not even Zeus has the power to break my freedom of choice — Epictetus,” Newman wrote.
Under international anti-doping rules, athletes must maintain a daily one-hour period for surprise testing.
According to the AIU, Newman missed one test in February and two in August. During the third incident, officials said Newman told a doping control officer she had to leave to film a television game show.
After the third violation in February 2026, Newman subsequently received a provisional suspension.
“The Athlete has accepted the above Consequences for her Anti-Doping Rule Violation and has expressly waived her right to have those Consequences determined by the Disciplinary Tribunal at a hearing,” the AIU said in a statement.
Newman's ban runs through August 2027.
The standard penalty for whereabouts violations is typically two years. However, investigators reduced the suspension after accepting that Newman has decided to end her pole vaulting career. The AIU described that as a "sufficiently unique/exceptional factor" in determining the sanction.
The 31-year-old last competed in Diamond League events in Qatar and Morocco in 2025. However, she became one of Canada's most recognizable track and field athletes during the Paris Olympics, where her 4.85 meter-vault set a national record. She additionally became the first Canadian woman to medal in Olympic pole vault.