Norway has etched its name deeper into Winter Olympics history, becoming the first nation to win 17 gold medals at a single edition of the Games after Johannes Dale-Skjevdal claimed victory in the men’s 15km biathlon mass start at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

The landmark win surpasses Norway’s previous record of 16 gold medals set at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, underlining the Scandinavian nation’s continued dominance in winter sports.

Competing in challenging conditions at the biathlon venue in Anterselva, Italy, Dale-Skjevdal delivered a flawless shooting performance, hitting all 20 targets, a rare and decisive achievement in the sport while skiing aggressively across five laps in newly packed snow and gusty winds. He finished in 39 minutes, 17.1 seconds, to secure his first Olympic gold medal.

“It’s quite a good ending to my first Olympics, and it is also my first time shooting 20 out of 20,” Dale-Skjevdal said after the race. “What a day to do it on. It’s real, and I can’t find the words.”

His teammate, Sturla Holm Laegreid, narrowly missed perfection, hitting 19 of 20 targets to take silver, finishing 10.5 seconds behind Dale-Skjevdal. The medal marked Laegreid’s fifth of the Milan-Cortina Games; three silvers and two bronzes, cementing his status as one of Norway’s standout performers at the event. Celebrating his 29th birthday on race day, Laegreid described the race as physically and mentally demanding.

“It was a tough race. The snow is very slow, and the conditions on the range are windy,” he said. “Today I was in fighter mode, so it suited me well.”

Germany’s Philipp Horn briefly occupied third position after missing just one target in his final shooting bout. However, France’s Quentin Fillon Maillet surged past him on a steep uphill section despite missing four targets overall, clinching bronze 25.6 seconds behind Dale-Skjevdal.

The record-breaking performance adds to Norway’s long-standing reputation as a powerhouse in winter sports, particularly in biathlon, cross-country skiing, and Nordic combined events. Since making its Winter Olympics debut in 1924, Norway has consistently ranked among the top medal-winning nations, with biathlon serving as one of its strongest disciplines.

With events still ongoing in Milan and Cortina, Norway’s medal tally could yet increase, further widening the gap between it and rival winter sports nations.

Türkçe’si için, buraya tıkla.

Nobody should know my name.

The fact that you’re reading this is proof of God’s grace.

My mother died when I was 2 or 3. Too young to remember anything except her holding me. Me and my 6 siblings lived in a one-room apartment in a shanty town in Lagos. It’s called Olusosun. You may have heard of it. It’s next to the biggest landfill in Africa. People say they drop off 10,000 tons of garbage a day there. Chemical waste. Broken TVs. Anything you can imagine.

That was my backyard.

When I started playing football and I wanted boots, I’d just go out into the dump with my friends and search.

“Hey, I found a broken Nike. Left foot! Size 8!”

(An hour later…….)

“Hey, I found a Puma!!!! Right foot!!!! Size 9!!!!!”

That was a lucky day. We had a pair of boots to share between us all.

Most of the families in our neighborhood re-sold scraps from the landfill, but my father was a driver when I was little. After my mom died, he lost his job and started washing dishes in a police department kitchen. It was not enough money to pay our rent. I remember one night when I was about 12, the landlord had enough. He cut off the power to our apartment. We were sitting in the dark in one room — all 7 of us — no TV. Nothing. I went outside and I sat down next to this gutter — literally, a gutter — and I started crying.

I looked up into the sky and I asked God, “What kind of life is this for a child???”

Around that time, I stopped playing football completely. I had to help my family put food on the table, you know? My sisters, they sold oranges. Not at a market, but on the street. In Lagos, there’s a lot of traffic, so you can make money waiting by the side of the road and running between the cars with food. I was really fast, so I was good at selling bottled water. I’d put a box of 12 on my head and wait for someone to beep for me. Then I’d sprint over to the car before the light turned green again.

I thought, “I’m going to be the fastest kid they’ve ever seen.”

I actually took pleasure in it. It was almost like training.

Some days I would come home so tired that I’d ask my sisters, “Can I just sell oranges with you tomorrow?”

My older brother Andrew, he actually had the hardest job. He would get up at 3 o’clock in the morning and sell the sports newspaper on the street. Sometimes he would bring home a paper and I’d see Drogba or Zlatan on the cover, and I would be in awe of them. It felt like they lived in another world. For me, football was just something I did when I was not working. Unfortunately, I was always working.

(more…)

Real Madrid CF say they have supplied all available evidence to UEFA as the governing body investigates allegations of racism made by forward Vinícius Júnior.

The Brazil international said he reported racial abuse by a Benfica player to referee Francois Letexier during Tuesday’s Champions League knockout round play-off tie in Lisbon. Real Madrid identified the player in question as Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni.

UEFA confirmed on Wednesday, February 19, that it had opened a disciplinary investigation into events at the match. Real Madrid subsequently issued a statement outlining their cooperation.

“Real Madrid CF announces that it has today provided UEFA with all available evidence regarding the incidents that occurred on Tuesday, Feb. 17, during the Champions League match that our team played in Lisbon against SL Benfica,” the statement read.

“Our club has actively co-operated with the investigation opened by UEFA following the unacceptable episodes of racism experienced during that match.

“Real Madrid is grateful for the unanimous support and affection that our player Vinicius Jr. has received from all sectors of the global football community. Real Madrid will continue working, in collaboration with all institutions, to eradicate racism, violence and hatred in sport and in society.”

The match was temporarily paused in line with UEFA protocols after Vinícius alleged he had been abused following his goal celebration. Play was halted for approximately 10 minutes before resuming, with the forward completing the full game.

After the match, Vinícius wrote on his Instagram story in Portuguese: “Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts in their mouths to demonstrate how weak they are.

“But they have protection from others who, theoretically, have the obligation to punish. Nothing that happened today is new in my life and my family’s. I received a yellow card for celebrating a goal. Still not understanding why. On the other side, just a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose.”

Prestianni denied making any racist comment in a post on Instagram, while SL Benfica criticised what it described as a smear campaign against their player.

Benfica head coach Jose Mourinho has also faced criticism from anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out, which labelled his post-match remarks as gaslighting.

Mourinho told Amazon Prime: “I told Vinicius, when you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back. They Vinicius and Prestianni told me different things. But I don’t believe in one or another. I want to be an independent.”

He added that something happens, always, in matches where Vinícius plays. UEFA’s investigation into the incident remains ongoing.