Olympics

The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame unveiled its honorees for 2022, a group that includes 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps and 2010 Winter Olympics gold medalist Lindsey Vonn.

Here's the full Class of 2022:

• Natalie Coughlin (Swimming) 
• Muffy Davis (Para alpine skiing; Para-cycling) 
• Mia Hamm (Soccer) 
• David Kiley (Para alpine skiing, Para track and field; wheelchair basketball) 
• Michelle Kwan (Figure skating) 
• Michael Phelps (Swimming) 
• Lindsey Vonn (Alpine skiing) 
• Trischa Zorn-Hudson (Para swimming) 
• 1976 Women's 4x100 Freestyle Relay Swimming Team 2002 
• Paralympic Sled Hockey Team 
• Gretchen Fraser (Alpine skiing) 
• Roger Kingdom (Track and field) 
• Pat Summitt (Basketball) 
• Billie Jean King (Special contributor)

Phelps' gold-medal haul is the most ever for a single athlete. He made his Olympic debut in 2004 and represented Team USA again in 2008, 2012 and 2016. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, the 36-year-old set a record with eight gold medals.

Although she didn't dominate across multiple Olympics like Phelps did, Vonn is arguably the greatest American skier ever. In addition to her victory in the downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics, she was the 2009 world champion in the downhill and super-G.

Were it not for her numerous injuries, Vonn almost assuredly would've added to her Winter Olympics account.

Phelps isn't the only decorated swimmer in the 2022 class.

Natalie Coughlin won gold medals in the 100-meter backstroke and 4x200-meter freestyle at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She successfully defended her 100-meter backstroke crown four years later in Beijing. Her 12 medals are tied for the most by an American female athlete.

Like Vonn, Mia Hamm is perhaps known more for her exploits outside of the Olympics while still compiling quite the resume at the Summer Games.

Hamm was a member of the women's national team when the United States claimed gold in 1996 and 2004. The 50-year-old is also a two-time World Cup winner. The 1999 World Cup squad was an era-defining squad that laid the groundwork for the growth of soccer across the country.

The Special Olympics announced Thursday it would lift its vaccine requirement for the 2022 USA Games in Orlando based on a demand from Florida government officials.

"For 54 years, Special Olympics has been brave in the attempt. We don't want to fight. We want to play," the organization's statement said.

Jay O'Brien of ABC News reported Friday the state of Florida alerted the Special Olympics it would face a $27.5 million fine if it held the event with a vaccine requirement:

In November, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed sweeping legislation that banned vaccine mandates for the state's governmental, educational and private entities.

The law allowed the state to issue fines up to $10,000 per employee for small businesses and $50,000 each for medium or large corporations. The letter sent to the Special Olympics pledged to fine the organization for 5,500 violations if the mandate was enforced.

"This will be a relief to a lot of the athletes," DeSantis, a Republican, told reporters Friday. "There's a significant number of them who were in limbo up until this week."

It's unclear whether the requirement forced the Special Olympics to remove vaccine requirements for all diseases or just those related to COVID-19.

The Special Olympics' USA Games are scheduled to feature 5,000 athletes from all 50 states and the Caribbean. The Opening Ceremony is scheduled for Sunday followed by six days of competition beginning on Monday.

Founded in 1968, the Special Olympics feature athletes with intellectual and physical disabilities who are provided with year-round training and competition.

Another event, the 2022 Unified Cup, is scheduled to take place in Detroit beginning July 31.

Former Penn swimmer Lia Thomas pushed back on critics of transgender women competing in women's sports, saying there is no evidence of any major advantage gained.

"Trans women competing in women's sports does not threaten women's sports as a whole," Thomas told Katie Barnes of ESPN. "Trans women are a very small minority of all athletes. The NCAA rules regarding trans women competing in women's sports have been around for 10-plus years. And we haven't seen any massive wave of trans women dominating."

Thomas became the center of the debate surrounding transgender women competing in cisgender women's sports as she soared to stardom in the pool for Penn. She became the first transgender woman to win an NCAA championship in March, taking home the 500-meter freestyle. Thomas finished fifth in the 200 freestyle and eighth in the 100 free at NCAA championships.

Thomas previously competed on the men's team during her first three years at Penn. She began transitioning in 2019 ahead of her junior season, and she remained on the men's team while undergoing hormone therapy.

After the 2020-21 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thomas joined the women's team in 2021-22. She became one of the nation's best women's swimmers, sending the sport into a polarized debate in the process.

"The biggest misconception, I think, is the reason I transitioned," Thomas said. "People will say, 'Oh, she just transitioned so she would have an advantage, so she could win.' I transitioned to be happy, to be true to myself."

Thomas fared better against women than men in every event and defeated Olympic silver medalist Emma Weyant by 1.75 seconds in her 500-meter freestyle win at the NCAA Championships. However, Thomas followed every NCAA guideline regarding transgender athletes and saw dips in her times compared to when she was competing against men.

The NCAA has since adjusted its rules to follow those set by sports' national governing bodies. USA Swimming announced a requirement of 36 months of testosterone suppression for transgender women in February. The previous NCAA policy required only 12 months of hormone therapy; Thomas had undergone 30 months when her senior season began.

"It's not taking away opportunities from cis women really," Thomas said. "Trans women are women, so it's still a woman who is getting that scholarship or that opportunity."

Some predominantly Republican states have adopted restrictive policies on transgender women and girls competing on teams that match their gender identity in recent years, with some outright banning trans women and girls from women's and girls' sports.

FBI agents who mishandled the investigation against former United States women's gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar won't be charged. 

The United States Justice Department announced on Thursday it won't pursue criminal charges against the agents who failed to quickly investigate after learning in 2015 that Nassar was accused of sexually assaulting female gymnasts. 

"This does not in any way reflect a view that the investigation of Nassar was handled as it should have been, nor in any way reflects approval or disregard of the conduct of the former agents," the department said.

Per CNN's Evan Perez, this marks the third time the Justice Department has declined to bring charges against Michael Langeman and W. Jay Abbott, the two FBI agents who were accused of mishandling the Nassar inquiry. 

In July, a report from a Justice Department inspector general found gross failures on the part of the FBI after receiving complaints from multiple gymnasts in 2015 about Nassar's abuse. 

According to Perez, the inspector general's report noted agents at the FBI Indianapolis field office failed to respond to the allegations "with the utmost seriousness and urgency that they deserved and required, made numerous and fundamental errors when they did respond, and violated multiple FBI policies when undertaking their investigative activity."

U.S. gymnastics officials first notified the FBI about abuse allegations against Nassar in July 2015, but a formal investigation didn't begin until September 2016. 

Thirteen women who were victims of sexual assault by Nassar filed a lawsuit against the FBI last month seeking $10 million each, arguing the delay in the investigation allowed Nassar to commit further abuse. 

U.S. Olympic gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols and Aly Raisman testified before Congress in September to detail their experience with the FBI when they brought forth allegations of abuse against Nassar. 

Maroney said, "They allowed a child molester to go free for more than a year," while Biles told the court she felt the FBI had "turned a blind eye" when presented with allegations against Nassar.

The FBI fired Langeman following the release of the Justice Department's report on the investigation; Abbott retired in 2018. 

Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison after pleading guilty to 10 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. He is also serving a separate 60-year sentence on child pornography charges. 

At least 265 women have come forward to say Nassar abused them.     

One runner in the Brooklyn Half Marathon died and another five were hospitalized Saturday amid temperatures that were expected to hit 90 degrees in New York City.

The New York Times' Matthew Haag reported a 30-year-old man collapsed near the finish line of the 13.1-mile race. He was pronounced dead at Coney Island Hospital.

A spokesperson for the New York City Fire Department said it's unclear whether the runner's death is connected to the hot temperatures in the city.

The five people who were hospitalized were considered to be in "serious" but not life-threatening condition.

According to Haag, the first half marathon got underway when the temperatures were in the low 60s. The temperature rose to the low 70s by 11 a.m. ET and could get as high as 93 degrees based on forecasts.

On Friday, Mayor Eric Adams warned New Yorkers that exceptionally hot weather could be headed for the Big Apple:

New York Road Runners also cautioned any participants in the marathon to "expect high temperatures" and pointed to its tips and advice for running in warm weather.

In 2014, a 31-year-old man collapsed at the finish line of the Brooklyn Half Marathon and later died at Coney Island Hospital.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill believes he is faster than the fastest man on earth. 

Appearing on Kevin Hart's YouTube series Cold as Balls (starts at 11:20 mark), Hill said "of course I am" when asked if he was faster than Usain Bolt. 

Hill and Bolt have had some good-natured fun over the years about who is the faster runner. 

Bolt told TMZ Sports in August he would put up one of his eight Olympic gold medals if Hill wagered his Super Bowl ring in a one-on-one race. Hill responded three months later by accepting the challenge when he spoke to TMZ. 

Thus far, nothing has come of their online back-and-forth. 

Bolt, who retired from competition in 2017, holds individual world records in the 100 meters (9.58 seconds) and 200 meters (19.19 seconds). He was also part of the Jamaican team that set the 4x100m world record at the 2012 Olympics. 

Prior to Super Bowl LIII in February 2019, two years after his retirement, Bolt ran an unofficial 4.22-second 40-yard dash. 

If that time is accurate, it's .07 seconds faster than Hill ran at his pro day (4.29 seconds) in 2016. 

Per WorldAthletics.org, Hill's fastest recorded time in the 100 meters is 10.19 seconds. 

Hopefully, one day we will get to see them settle the debate once and for all. Until that happens, though, fans will have to keep speculating about what might happen in a race between Hill and Bolt. 

The mother of a two-time Olympian was shot and killed by a stray bullet inside her home in Waterbury, Connecticut, on Saturday, via Dave Collins of the Associated Press.

Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said there was a drug-related dispute outside the home of Mabel Martinez, which led to the open firing of more than 20 gunshots. The 56-year-old was shot in the head as an unintended victim.

One man involved in the dispute was shot in the hip but survived.

Martinez was the mother of Yarimar Mercado Martinez, who represented Puerto Rico in the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics in rifle shooting. She finished 28th in the 50-meter rifle competition in Tokyo last summer.

"There are so many things I still needed to learn from you," she wrote in Spanish in a Facebook post (via CBS News). "I was so far away without being able to do anything, I couldn't even say goodbye to you."

The athlete was in Brazil preparing for an international competition, but she flew back to Connecticut on Sunday. 

Several Russian Olympic athletes are facing criticism after appearing at a rally in support of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Swimmer Evgeny Rylov, figure skaters Victoria Sinitsina, Nikita Katsalapov, Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov cross-country skier Alexander Bolshunov and rhythmic gymnasts Dina and Arina Averina were among the athletes identified as being in attendance at the rally, per the Associated Press. 

Rylov, who won two gold medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics, lost a sponsorship with Speedo and is under investigation by FINA, swimming's governing body. 

"The FINA Executive confirmed that the FINA Disciplinary Panel has opened a procedure against Russian swimmer Evgeny Rylov for a potential violation of the FINA rules following his alleged participation in a pro-war rally at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow," FINA said in a statement. "The FINA Executive has requested that the panel’s proceedings be expedited."

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 and has been waging war for nearly a month, leading to the death of at least 977 civilians, the displacement of millions and massive destruction across the country. The invasion is considered the largest war in Europe since the end of World War II.

Putin's actions have led to significant sanctions from countries across the world, including on Russian athletes. The IOC has recommended a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes across all international competitions.

While there have been several anti-war demonstrations across Russia, many in the country—including those in attendance at the rally—seemingly support his war efforts. 

Former United States Ski and Snowboard head coach Peter Foley has been accused of sexual assault and misconduct by three former athletes and a former employee. 

Per ESPN's Alyssa Roenigk and Tisha Thompson, the four women lodged complaints against Foley with the U.S. Center for SafeSport last week.

In interviews with Roegnigk and Thompson, the women alleged they "had to tolerate sexual misconduct because Foley controlled which athletes were selected to go to the Olympics and they feared he would retaliate by withholding Olympic opportunities or ending their employment."

One Olympic gold medalist told Roegnigk and Thompson that her complained filed with SafeSport "includes an allegation that Foley sexually assaulted her while she participated in a U.S. training camp he ran when she was 19."

At the end of training camp, she said Foley told the athletes they would be sleeping in the same room together before taking a flight the next day. 

The athlete said at one point when she was asleep she felt Foley "sneak in behind me in the bed" and he "reached his left arm over my body and put his fingers inside me."

She went on to say she just laid "there in shock" and he eventually "just stopped and he got up and left."

Lindsey Sine Nikola, a U.S. Ski and Snowboard employee from 2006-10, said she filed a report with SafeSport last week alleging that Foley "coerced her into taking nude photos and later sexually assaulted her at a World Cup ski race in December 2008."

Nikola also alleged Foley said he "wants to do something physical with me" after he crawled into her bed and asked to rub her back, which she initially consented to after initially feeling uncomfortable.

"I am stunned because my gut was trying to tell me all along that I should remove myself from the situation and I was telling myself I was overreacting," Nikola explained. "But I wasn't. I said 'no.' I said, 'Listen. No. You're married. There's a million reasons why this isn't going to happen, but no.'"

She said Foley eventually touched her breasts and genitals without her consent. 

Allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior by Foley became public last month when Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, a member of the 2010 U.S. Olympic snowboard team, wrote a series of posts on Instagram accusing him of taking naked pictures of athletes for more than a decade and making inappropriate and racist comments to athletes. 

Erin O'Malley, former U.S. snowboarder, alleged Foley pinned her against a wall and tried to kiss her after a postrace event. 

"What I can see in my mind is Peter's body pressed against me and my back against the wall of the elevator," O'Malley said. "From there I remember thinking 'Oh s---, Peter is following us to our room.'"

U.S. Ski and Snowboard announced Sunday that Foley was no longer employed by the organization. Rob Fagen has taken over as interim head coach. 

The U.S. Center for SafeSport announced a temporary suspension for Foley on March 18 pending a formal investigation into the allegations of sexual misconduct. 

Foley spent 27 years as head coach of the United States snowboard team since its inception in 1994.

Ukrainian biathlete Anastasiia Laletina withdrew from the 2022 Beijing Paralympics and did not participate in Tuesday's scheduled race because her father, who is a soldier in the Ukrainian army, was captured by Russian troops as part of their military's invasion into her home country.

Team spokesperson Nataliia Harach confirmed as much to Chris Bumbaca of USA Today and said, "They beat him."

Harach also said the house of an assistant coach was bombed in Kharkiv.

What's more, Ukrainian biathlete Dmytro Suiarko won the bronze medal in the middle distance vision impaired after his house was destroyed by Russian shelling.

Only China (27) has won more medals than Ukraine's 17 at the 2022 Paralympics. Ukraine took home nine of the 18 possible medals in Tuesday's biathlon events alone.

Bumbaca noted the International Paralympic Committee banned athletes from Russia and Belarus from competing as one of a number of responses to the Russian military's invasion of Ukraine from across the sporting world.

Matias Grez, Patrick Sung and Wayne Sterling of CNN have a live tracker of all the responses in sports.

Notably, FIFA and UEFA suspended Russian international and club team competitions, which could leave the nation out of the upcoming men's World Cup. The World Motor Sport Council ruled that drivers from Russia and Belarus cannot compete using the countries' flags and anthems, while races will not be held in the two countries.

The International Ice Hockey Federation also banned Russia's and Belarus' international and club teams from competing in events.