Gasly to Replace Alonso at Alpine, De Vries to Join Alpha Tauri

Formula One F1 - Turkish Grand Prix - Intercity Istanbul Park, Istanbul, Türkiye - October 9, 2021 AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly in action during practice REUTERS/Murad Sezer
Formula One F1 - Turkish Grand Prix - Intercity Istanbul Park, Istanbul, Türkiye - October 9, 2021 AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly in action during practice REUTERS/Murad Sezer
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Gasly to Replace Alonso at Alpine, De Vries to Join Alpha Tauri

Formula One F1 - Turkish Grand Prix - Intercity Istanbul Park, Istanbul, Türkiye - October 9, 2021 AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly in action during practice REUTERS/Murad Sezer
Formula One F1 - Turkish Grand Prix - Intercity Istanbul Park, Istanbul, Türkiye - October 9, 2021 AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly in action during practice REUTERS/Murad Sezer

French driver Pierre Gasly will leave Alpha Tauri to replace two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso at Alpine next season, the team announced Saturday.

Dutchman Nyck de Vries, who made his Formula One debut standing in for Williams' Alex Albon at last month's Italian Grand Prix, will replace Gasly at Alpha Tauri.

Gasly, who has been with the Red Bull stable since making his Formula One debut with Toro Rosso in 2017, will line up with countryman Esteban Ocon at Alpine.

Gasly, 26, said it was "emotionally very special" to join the French team, who are locked in a close contest for fourth place with McLaren in this season's constructors' championship.

"What motivated me was the development of Alpine over the past three years, their performance constantly improving," said Gasly, whose only Formula One win came at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix.

"They won their first race last year and this season they have been fighting to be the fourth force. They have a complete package and similar ambitions to mine."

Ocon won last season's Hungarian Grand Prix to give Alpine their first race victory.

Alonso, 41, will leave the team to join Aston Martin on a multi-year contract, taking the seat vacated by the imminent retirement of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Gasly said he was "happy and impatient" to get started with Alpine.

"As a driver, the most important thing is to be in a car that allows you to show your talent to the fullest," he said.

"I think with Alpine, I will have the best chance of being able to perform."

Gasly will be replaced at Alpha Tauri by de Vries, who claimed 13th place at the Italian Grand Prix standing in for Albon, who came down with appendicitis.

The 27-year-old has won world titles in Formula Two and Formula E and said he was "extremely excited" to join Alpha Tauri.

"I've had a lot of chances to experience the 2022 car this year and I think that has put me in a great position for the upcoming season," said de Vries.

"I hope this has helped to prepare me for what is to come."



Lindsey Vonn Back in US Following Crash in Olympic Downhill 

Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Alpine Skiing - Women's Downhill 3rd Official Training - Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, Belluno, Italy - February 07, 2026. Lindsey Vonn of United States in action during training. (Reuters)
Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Alpine Skiing - Women's Downhill 3rd Official Training - Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, Belluno, Italy - February 07, 2026. Lindsey Vonn of United States in action during training. (Reuters)
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Lindsey Vonn Back in US Following Crash in Olympic Downhill 

Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Alpine Skiing - Women's Downhill 3rd Official Training - Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, Belluno, Italy - February 07, 2026. Lindsey Vonn of United States in action during training. (Reuters)
Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Alpine Skiing - Women's Downhill 3rd Official Training - Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, Belluno, Italy - February 07, 2026. Lindsey Vonn of United States in action during training. (Reuters)

Lindsey Vonn is back home in the US following a week of treatment at a hospital in Italy after breaking her left leg in the Olympic downhill at the Milan Cortina Games.

“Haven’t stood on my feet in over a week... been in a hospital bed immobile since my race. And although I’m not yet able to stand, being back on home soil feels amazing,” Vonn posted on X with an American flag emoji. “Huge thank you to everyone in Italy for taking good care of me.”

The 41-year-old Vonn suffered a complex tibia fracture that has already been operated on multiple times following her Feb. 8 crash. She has said she'll need more surgery in the US.

Nine days before her fall in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Vonn ruptured the ACL in her left knee in another crash in Switzerland.

Even before then, all eyes had been on her as the feel-good story heading into the Olympics for her comeback after nearly six years of retirement.


Japan Hails ‘New Chapter’ with First Olympic Pairs Skating Gold 

Gold medalists Japan's Riku Miura and Japan's Ryuichi Kihara pose after the figure skating pair skating free skating final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on February 16, 2026. (AFP)
Gold medalists Japan's Riku Miura and Japan's Ryuichi Kihara pose after the figure skating pair skating free skating final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on February 16, 2026. (AFP)
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Japan Hails ‘New Chapter’ with First Olympic Pairs Skating Gold 

Gold medalists Japan's Riku Miura and Japan's Ryuichi Kihara pose after the figure skating pair skating free skating final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on February 16, 2026. (AFP)
Gold medalists Japan's Riku Miura and Japan's Ryuichi Kihara pose after the figure skating pair skating free skating final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on February 16, 2026. (AFP)

Japan hailed a "new chapter" in the country's figure skating on Tuesday after Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara pulled off a stunning comeback to claim pairs gold at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

Miura and Kihara won Japan's first Olympic pairs gold with the performance of their careers, coming from fifth overnight to land the title with personal best scores.

It was the first time Japan had won an Olympic figure skating pairs medal of any color.

The country's government spokesman Minoru Kihara said their achievement had "moved so many people".

"This triumph is a result of the completeness of their performance, their high technical skill, the expressive power born from their harmony, and above all the bond of trust between the two," the spokesman said.

"I feel it is a remarkable feat that opens a new chapter in the history of Japanese figure skating."

Newspapers rushed to print special editions commemorating the pair's achievement.

Miura and Kihara, popularly known collectively in Japan as "Rikuryu", went into the free skate trailing after errors in their short program.

Kihara said that he had been "feeling really down" and blamed himself for the slip-up, conceding: "We did not think we would win."

Instead, they spectacularly turned things around and topped the podium ahead of Georgia's Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava, who took silver ahead of overnight leaders Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany.

American gymnastics legend Simone Biles was in the arena in Milan to watch the action.

"I'm pretty sure that was perfection," Biles said, according to the official Games website.


Mourinho Says It Won’t Take ‘Miracle’ to Take Down ‘Wounded King’ Real Madrid in Champions League

Benfica's coach Jose Mourinho reacts during a press conference on the eve of their UEFA Champions League knockout round play-off first leg football match against Real Madrid at Benfica Campus in Seixal, outskirts of Lisbon, on February 16, 2026. (AFP)
Benfica's coach Jose Mourinho reacts during a press conference on the eve of their UEFA Champions League knockout round play-off first leg football match against Real Madrid at Benfica Campus in Seixal, outskirts of Lisbon, on February 16, 2026. (AFP)
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Mourinho Says It Won’t Take ‘Miracle’ to Take Down ‘Wounded King’ Real Madrid in Champions League

Benfica's coach Jose Mourinho reacts during a press conference on the eve of their UEFA Champions League knockout round play-off first leg football match against Real Madrid at Benfica Campus in Seixal, outskirts of Lisbon, on February 16, 2026. (AFP)
Benfica's coach Jose Mourinho reacts during a press conference on the eve of their UEFA Champions League knockout round play-off first leg football match against Real Madrid at Benfica Campus in Seixal, outskirts of Lisbon, on February 16, 2026. (AFP)

José Mourinho believes Real Madrid is "wounded" after the shock loss to Benfica and doesn't think it will take a miracle to stun the Spanish giant again in the Champions League.

Benfica defeated Madrid 4-2 in the final round of the league phase to grab the last spot in the playoffs, and in the process dropped the 15-time champion out of the eight automatic qualification places for the round of 16.

Coach Mourinho's Benfica and his former team meet again in Lisbon on Tuesday in the first leg of the knockout stage.

"They are wounded," Mourinho said Monday. "And a wounded king is dangerous. We will play the first leg with our heads, with ambition and confidence. We know what we did to the kings of the Champions League."

Mourinho acknowledged that Madrid remained heavily favored and it would take a near-perfect show for Benfica to advance.

"I don’t think it takes a miracle for Benfica to eliminate Real Madrid. I think we need to be at our highest level. I don’t even say high, I mean maximum, almost bordering on perfection, which does not exist. But not a miracle," he said.

"Real Madrid is Real Madrid, with history, knowledge, ambition. The only comparable thing is that we are two giants. Beyond that, there is nothing else. But football has this power and we can win."

Benfica's dramatic win in Lisbon three weeks ago came thanks to a last-minute header by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, allowing the team to grab the 24th and final spot for the knockout stage on goal difference.

"Trubin won’t be in the attack this time," Mourinho joked.

"I’m very used to these kinds of ties, I’ve been doing it all my life," he said. "People often think you need a certain result in the first leg for this or that reason. I say there is no definitive result."