Sports

Sports

Saturday sports: COVID is knocking out the competition in skating, tennis and the NBA

9:54am January 08, 2022

by Tom Goldman

Promising figure skaters dropped out of this week's U.S. championships due to COVID-19. Plus: Novak Djokovic is stranded in Australia, and NBA retirees get a second chance.

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Protesters and fans of Novak Djokovic gather outside the Park Hotel, used as an immigration detention hotel where Djokovic is confined in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday.

Djokovic's lawyers say he had COVID last month, grounds for vaccination exemption

9:49am January 08, 2022

by The Associated Press

If he fails to have his visa cancellation overturned and gets deported, Novak Djokovic risks missing more than one Australian Open and could be barred for up to three years.

Anna Hoffmann soars during the women's ski jumping competition for placement on the 2022 U.S. Olympic team at the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex on Dec. 25 in Lake Placid, N.Y.

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U.S. women's ski jumpers won't compete in the Beijing Olympics. They failed to qualify

8:59am January 07, 2022

by Brian Mann

Women's ski jumpers fought for more than a decade to compete in the Olympics. Now the U.S. women's team has failed to qualify for Beijing.

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Novak Djokovic pictured at a tournament in Italy in November 2021.

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How tennis star Novak Djokovic ended up in Australian immigration detention

6:44pm January 06, 2022

by Becky Sullivan

After months of speculation over whether the vaccine-skeptical star would take part in the Australian Open, Djokovic seemed set to play — then border officials revoked his visa, leaving him in limbo.

Sports leagues are scrambling during omicron

6:09pm January 06, 2022

NPR's Mary Louise talks with Christine Brennan from USA Today about sports and vaccines, as sports leagues everywhere are scrambling to find enough healthy athletes to fill out rosters during omicron.

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Antonio Brown, shown here during a game earlier this month in New Jersey, has officially been released from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers release Antonio Brown after Sunday's mid-game walkout

3:05pm January 06, 2022

by Jaclyn Diaz

After Sunday's game, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians told media that Antonio Brown was "no longer a Buc," due to his third-quarter walkout in the team's game against the New York Jets.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a backhand against Marin Cilic of Croatia during the Davis Cup Semi Final match between Croatia and Serbia at Madrid Arena pavilion in December in Madrid, Spain.

Australia cancels Novak Djokovic's visa after his earlier COVID vaccine exemption

5:49pm January 05, 2022

by Bill Chappell

The Australian Border Force said the top-ranked tennis player "failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements to Australia, and his visa has been subsequently cancelled."

Reigning Australian Open men's champion denied entry into Australia to defend title

4:53pm January 05, 2022

The reigning Australian Open men's champion Novak Djokovic — who is famously skeptical about the COVID vaccine and received a medical exemption from being vaccinated — was not admitted to the country.

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A frozen section of the Ross Sea at Scott Base in Antarctica on Nov. 12, 2016. Britain's Preet Chandi made history by trekking 700 miles from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole in an unsupported expedition.

Preet Chandi is the first woman of color to complete a solo expedition in Antarctica

9:00pm January 04, 2022

by Rachel Treisman

Chandi skied 700 miles to the South Pole in just 40 days. The British Sikh army officer aims to inspire others to push boundaries and is also raising funds to start an adventure grant for women.

Washington Football Team fans cheer during a game against the Falcons in Atlanta in October 2021.

The Washington Football Team will have a new name next month

12:44pm January 04, 2022

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

Two fan favorites have been ruled out: Team president Jason Wright says that anything involving "Wolves" or "Red Wolves" isn't possible, because of trademark conflicts.