Former Cal gymnastics assistant Janelle McDonald has been named the new head coach at UCLA.

She replaces Chris Waller, who led the Bruins’ program for three seasons before resigning at the end of the 2022 season. He had replaced Valorie Kondos Field, who led UCLA to seven national championships and 22 NCAA Super Six appearances.

Please welcome to Westwood, our new head coach Janelle McDonald (@Janel2001)! Janelle was a two-time Regional Assistant Coach of the Year at @CalWGym.

ℹ: https://t.co/j5FRvy2nAQ pic.twitter.com/xOYpkyogLX

— UCLA Gymnastics (@uclagymnastics) May 10, 2022

“Janelle has been exemplary at connecting with and developing young people at every level of her coaching career,” athletic director Martin Jarmond said in a statement. “Her enthusiasm and energy is contagious. She understands and respects the Bruin legacy and the commitment to excellence this program deserves as one of the best in the country.”

McDonald joined the Cal staff in 2018 and since then twice has been named Regional Assistant Coach of the Year. She coached individual NCAA champion Maya Bordas, the team’s first.

Under the guidance of McDonald, who specialized in the uneven bars, Cal tied a 17-year-old NCAA record on bars in a meet against UCLA with a 49.825 mark. The Bears finished the 2021 regular season ranked first in the country on uneven bars.

The Bears won their first-ever Pac-12 regular season title in 2022 and matched their highest-ever NCAA finish in 2021 in seventh place.

“My experiences in Berkeley and with the student-athletes on the Cal gymnastics team have pushed me to become a better version of myself and have prepared me to take on this new opportunity,” McDonald said in a statement. “I cannot wait to get started with our team and build with them a culture that will honor and continue the great history of this program.”

Famed UCLA gymnast Katelyn Ohashi, who trained at WOGA where McDonald once coached, called the change “exciting.”

“I’ve known Janelle for quite some time now. It’s been amazing watching her grow as a coach and seeing the way she can add to a college team,” Ohashi said. “Change is always exciting, and so is a new perspective. I can’t wait to see where she leads this team.”

Thursday's Iowa vs USC matchup produced a major upset, as Iowa women's basketball suffered its first Big Ten loss of the season, falling 81-69 at Galen Center in Los Angeles.

The No. 8 Hawkeyes entered the highly anticipated NCAA showdown as the Big Ten's only undefeated team. The Hawkeyes have dominated conference opponents all season, making unranked USC's comprehensive victory even more shocking.

Iowa women's basketball ran the 2025/26 Big Ten table until Thursday's setback against the struggling Trojans. USC lost six of their last seven games prior to the Iowa vs USC clash — and making them an unlikely candidates to hand Iowa women's basketball its first Big Ten loss.

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The game represented a signature opportunity for USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb's squad. The Trojans delivered their most complete performance this year, controlling the contest from start to finish while never allowing foul-afflicted Iowa to establish a rhythm.

Gottlieb praised her team's efforts afterwards, noting that USC has improved considerably and needs to continue demonstrating that consistent growth.

"Obviously a big win for us on so many levels. Iowa was undefeated in conference so far," she said postgame. "I'm so proud of our team. Great performances across the board."

For Iowa women's basketball, the defeat served as a setback to an otherwise dominant campaign. The Hawkeyes will need to regroup quickly, as Big Ten play continues to ramp up ahead of March's conference championship.

While Iowa remains a Top 10 program, the Iowa vs USC outcome will force the Hawkeyes to reassess their approach as they look to pursue a deep postseason run.

A Lindsey Vonn crash during Friday's World Cup downhill in Crans-Montana, Switzerland has cast doubt on the skiing legend's Olympic participation just one week before the opening ceremony in Milan.

The crash occurred when the 41-year-old US skiing legend lost control landing a jump on the upper portion of the course, becoming entangled in safety nets. She was the race's third skier to suffer and injury, as falling snow led to poor visibility.

After receiving approximately five minutes of medical attention on the course, Vonn skied slowly to the finish line, stopping multiple times and clutching her left knee. The crash subsequently canceled the race.

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Medical personnel airlifted Vonn off the slopes, with the skier suspended from a hoist cable. International Ski and Snowboard Federation CEO Urs Lehmann confirmed Vonn injured her knee but said the severity remained unclear.

Before entering the medical tent, Vonn shared an embrace with US teammate Jacqueline Wiles, who was leading when officials halted the competition. Vonn appeared visibly distressed during the emotional moment.

The Lindsey Vonn crash comes in the midst of the veteran skier's comeback season. After nearly six years away from competitive skiing, Vonn returned last season at age 40 with a partial titanium implant in her right knee. This season, she has dominated downhill racing with two victories and seven podium finishes in eight World Cup starts across downhill and super-G events.

Vonn holds the record for most World Cup victories in Olympic host location Cortina d'Ampezzo with 12 wins. Her first Olympic race is scheduled for February 8th, with plans to also compete in the super-G and a new combined team event.

The Lindsey Vonn crash occurred seven days before the Opening Ceremony in Milan-Cortina, raising serious questions about her 2026 Winter Olympics participation.

The contested bronze medal from the 2024 Paris Olympics women's gymnastics floor exercise is heading back to court for fresh examination. The same controversy produced an iconic photograph of Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles honoring gold medalist Rebeca Andrade.

Switzerland's supreme court announced Thursday that judges have returned the gymnastics case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to review new evidence in what they termed highly exceptional circumstances. The ruling offers Jordan Chiles renewed hope of reclaiming the bronze medal initially awarded to her in Paris.

The issue centers on whether Team USA submitted a scoring appeal within the required one-minute deadline. Afterwards, Biles and Chiles created a celebrated Olympic moment at the gymnastics medal ceremony when both kneeled to honor Brazil's Andrade as she stepped onto the podium's top position.

Days after, Romania successfully appealed to CAS. The bronze medal was subsequently reassigned to Ana Maria Barbosu and presented to her in Bucharest, with the decision hinging on the US team's challenge.

The Swiss Federal Tribunal now wants CAS to examine recordings from the August 5th event that demonstrate the appeal meeting the deadline. The court indicated this evidence could likely sway the ruling in favor of Chiles.

Chiles' lawyer Maurice M. Suh expressed satisfaction with the decision, stating the video evidence conclusively supports his client's claim to the gymnastics bronze medal. He confirmed Chiles will vigorously defend her position during the review process, which could take at least one year to complete.

The 24-year-old UCLA gymnast has moved forward despite facing online criticism, some racially motivated, following the initial controversy. Chiles returned to the mat for UCLA while embracing opportunities with Dancing with the Stars, Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue, and NWSL side Angel City.

Alexandra Eala saw her dream of capturing a first WTA title on home soil end Thursday, as the Filipino tennis star fell to Camila Osorio 6-4, 6-4 in the inaugural Philippine Women's Open quarterfinals.

The matchup pitted the former US Open junior champions against each other in their first professional meeting. However, Alexandra Eala proved unable to overcome the Colombian, as the world No. 49 struggled to find her rhythm against the No. 84.

The opening set saw three double-faults from each competitor, as both had difficulty finding consistency in their serves. Osorio later broke through in the seventh game of the first set, then held serve to build a 5-3 advantage. Alexandra Eala could not recover, dropping the opening frame 6-4.

The second set remained competitive through the first eight games, with the score deadlocked at 4-4 after multiple service breaks by both players. However, Osorio elevated her performance at the crucial moment, breaking Alexandra Eala's serve in the ninth game before closing out the match in the 10th.

Statistical analysis revealed tight margins between the players. Both converted second-serve points at an identical 50% rate. The difference emerged on first serves, where Osorio's 59% conversion rate surpassed Alexandra Eala's 51% efficiency, proving decisive in the straight-sets victory.

"I think it was an overall good week," Eala said postmatch.

"Of course, I'm disappointed about today. I definitely think I've had better days, but it's just how it is. I have to accept it, and there’s always next week."

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What's next for Alexandra Eala

Alexandra Eala now shifts her focus to the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open, set to kick off January 31st. The tournament presents yet another opportunity for the rising Filipina talent to pursue her breakthrough WTA title.

How to watch the Philippine Women's Open semifinals

Meanwhile, fifth-seeded Osorio advances to Friday's semifinal against Solana Sierra as she continues her quest for the Philippine Women's Open championship.

All matches stream live on WTA Unlocked's 125Live.