عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Yuma Kagiyama Wins Despite Errors at Finlandia Trophy in Figure Skating Grand Prix Series

Figure Skating - ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating - Finlandia Trophy 2024 - Helsinki Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finland - November 16, 2024 Japan's Yuma Kagiyama performs during the men's free skating Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva via Reuters
Figure Skating - ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating - Finlandia Trophy 2024 - Helsinki Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finland - November 16, 2024 Japan's Yuma Kagiyama performs during the men's free skating Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva via Reuters
TT
TT

Yuma Kagiyama Wins Despite Errors at Finlandia Trophy in Figure Skating Grand Prix Series

Figure Skating - ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating - Finlandia Trophy 2024 - Helsinki Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finland - November 16, 2024 Japan's Yuma Kagiyama performs during the men's free skating Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva via Reuters
Figure Skating - ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating - Finlandia Trophy 2024 - Helsinki Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finland - November 16, 2024 Japan's Yuma Kagiyama performs during the men's free skating Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva via Reuters

Yuma Kagiyama skated what he thought might be his “worst program” of the season but still won the Finlandia Trophy figure skating Grand Prix on Saturday, securing his place at next month's Grand Prix Final.

The Olympic silver medalist from Japan had a big lead from Friday's short program. He needed it. Kagiyama bailed out of his opening quadruple flip and had to put a foot down to steady himself on the landing of his second quad jump.

Kagiyama credited the crowd with helping him stabilize the skate, landing two more quads and finishing with a total score of 263.09 to win by less than four points from France’s Kevin Aymoz, who had been nearly 19 adrift following the short program.

“More than the feeling of being happy, I have regrets of how I skated in the free skate and I think it may have been the worst program that I’ve done this season,” Kagiyama said through an interpreter. “I regret not having been able to bring my best to you all here today.”

Kagiyama joins Ilia Malinin of the United States on two Grand Prix wins this season. Kagiyama won his titles back-to-back a week apart on opposite sides of the world after victory at the NHK Trophy in Japan last week.

Aymoz picked up his fourth career Grand Prix silver medal and second of this season — he has yet to win a gold in the series — after some problems of his own. Aymoz fell on his opening quad toeloop but recovered for a total 259.15, narrowly beating Italy's Daniel Grassl on 258.55.

Grassl had been sixth in the short program and rose to a podium place in the free skate for the second week running after improving from fifth to second at the NHK Trophy.

The 2023 world championship silver medalist Cha Jun-hwan of South Korea withdrew from the event overnight with an unspecified injury after placing seventh in the short program.

Hana Yoshida shrugged off a fall on her opening triple axel to become the third Japanese skater to win a women's Grand Prix this season. She won by the tightest of margins.

Yoshida's score of 199.46 was only ahead of fellow Japanese skater Rino Matsuike on 199.20 because Matsuike was given a one-point deduction for a time violation.

“I’m really happy that I got to win a gold medal but I wanted to land the triple axel, so I think I could do better. But I’m happy because I didn’t give up until the last second,” Yoshida said.

The field for the competition had been depleted by the withdrawals last week of world silver medalist Isabeau Levito of the United States and European champion Loena Hendrickx of Belgium.

Italy's Lara Naki Gutmann wasn't even meant to be in the competition, but those withdrawals handed her a spot and she turned it into her first career Grand Prix medal with bronze on 198.49, denying Sarah Everhardt of the United States a podium spot.

Gutmann is the only skater not from the US or Japan to win a women's medal in a Grand Prix this season. The ice dance event begins with the rhythm dance later Saturday.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Tennis Australia Defends Prize Money amid Player Complaints

USA's Coco Gauff waits to receive serve from Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova during their women's singles match on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 19, 2026. (AFP)
USA's Coco Gauff waits to receive serve from Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova during their women's singles match on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 19, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Tennis Australia Defends Prize Money amid Player Complaints

USA's Coco Gauff waits to receive serve from Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova during their women's singles match on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 19, 2026. (AFP)
USA's Coco Gauff waits to receive serve from Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova during their women's singles match on day two of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 19, 2026. (AFP)

Governing body Tennis Australia (TA) has defended the amount of prize money on offer at the Australian Open as twice Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff warned that ​players would raise the pressure if their demands were not met.

The Australian Open hiked prize money to A$111.5 million ($74.56 million) for the current tournament, bringing it ahead of last year's French Open ($65.42 million) and Wimbledon ($71.60 million) but short of the US Open's purse ($90 million).

The world's top players wrote to the Grand Slams calling for significant improvements in prize money in ‌April last year, ‌and a number have expressed dissatisfaction ‌with ⁠the ​situation ‌at Melbourne Park in recent days.

Tournament director Craig Tiley, however, said no players had approached him with any complaints about the Australian Open.

"I've also spoken to the players directly, not through third agents, and they are very happy with the Australian Open," Tiley told the Australian Financial Review (AFR).

"Not one of them has shown any ⁠dissatisfaction to me about what we are doing. And I’m not really concerned ‌with what’s said because I know the ‍facts.

"As I said from the ‍beginning, I believe the players should continue to be ‍paid more and more players paid more, we have 128 in the main draw and 128 qualifying (men and women), so we are supporting over 500 players financially each Grand Slam."

The AFR reported that agents of ​the world's top 10 men's and women's players had met in Melbourne over the weekend and agreed ⁠to take further action seeking a bigger share of the Australian Open revenue.

American world number three Gauff told reporters on Monday she had not heard concrete plans for action over pay but said players would raise the pressure if their demands went unmet.

"I feel like that will have to be a collective decision that we would all have to talk about," she said after her 6-2 6-3 win in the first round over Kamilla Rakhimova.

"I do know players are going to put more pressure on ‌the Slams if certain things aren't being met to where we see it."

Sports

Warhorse Wawrinka Stays Alive at Farewell Australian Open

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Laslo Djere of Serbia in their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP)
Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Laslo Djere of Serbia in their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP)
TT
TT

Warhorse Wawrinka Stays Alive at Farewell Australian Open

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Laslo Djere of Serbia in their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP)
Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after defeating Laslo Djere of Serbia in their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP)

Former champion Stan Wawrinka lived to fight another day with a gutsy four-set victory to kick off his final Australian Open campaign on Monday.

The three-time Grand Slam winner, 40, is playing his last season before retiring and gave his all to down Serbia's Laslo Djere 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in front of a Kia Arena crowd willing him to victory.

But he made life hard for himself, working 18 break points but only converting three of them in a draining 3hr 20min battle.

"It was amazing today, so thank you so much," said Wawrinka, who made his debut at Melbourne Park in 2006.

"It is my last year. It's been too long that I'm coming back, but the passion is still intact.
"But I'm not young any more, so I need to be careful also.

"It's my last time and I'm trying to enjoy it," he added. "But in the same time as I'm trying to compete. I'm always going to fight."

The Swiss stalwart, ranked 139, bounced back from losing the opening set to overwhelm the 92nd-ranked Djere in the second.

Defying his age, he then took the third before an energy-sapping fourth went to a tiebreak where the veteran's experience came into play.

"He's a great player. Last time we met, he beat me so I expected a tough match today," he said.

"But I'm happy with the discipline I put on myself, to keep staying with him, to keep fighting, trying to be a bit more aggressive, trying to find a way."

Wawrinka won the first of his majors at Melbourne in 2014, a season during which he peaked at world number three, and reached two other semi-finals.

Along with that title, he won the French Open a year later and the US Open in 2016.

The triumphs all came at a time when Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were dominating men's tennis.

Wawrinka has 16 career ATP titles although the last came in Geneva in 2017.

He won Olympic gold in doubles alongside Federer at Beijing in 2008 and helped deliver a first Davis Cup triumph for Switzerland in 2014.

Sports

Mane Leaves Cup of Nations Stage at the Top

Sadio Mane of Senegal celebrates holding the trophy after winning the CAF Africa Cup of Nations after the final match between Senegal and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco, 18 January 2026. (EPA)
Sadio Mane of Senegal celebrates holding the trophy after winning the CAF Africa Cup of Nations after the final match between Senegal and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco, 18 January 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT

Mane Leaves Cup of Nations Stage at the Top

Sadio Mane of Senegal celebrates holding the trophy after winning the CAF Africa Cup of Nations after the final match between Senegal and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco, 18 January 2026. (EPA)
Sadio Mane of Senegal celebrates holding the trophy after winning the CAF Africa Cup of Nations after the final match between Senegal and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco, 18 January 2026. (EPA)

Senegal talisman Sadio Mane emerged with more than ​just the Player of the Tournament award after Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final, earning widespread respect for persuading his aggrieved side to complete the match against Morocco.

It was Mane who convinced teammates to return to the pitch in Rabat after their coach Pape Bouna Thiaw ordered them off in protest at a penalty awarded against them deep in stoppage time.

The decision, after the referee had consulted ‌VAR, handed Morocco ‌a last-gasp chance to win their first ‌title ⁠in ​50 years ‌but was squandered by Brahim Diaz after a 14-minute delay.

Senegal went on to win 1-0 in extra time for a second Cup of Nations title in the last three editions, after which Mane said it was his last African championship.

"My last Afcon? Yes, I think I've said it, I'll stop here,” the 33-year-old told reporters. “I think the next generation is ⁠ready, they'll do the job, I'll be their 12th man."

The two-time African Footballer of the ‌Year looked reluctant to leave when his ‍coach angrily stormed onto the pitch ‍and gestured for his players to leave.

Amid arguing from both camps, ‍Mane spoke to French coach Claude Le Roy, a veteran of a record nine Cup of Nations, who was pitchside working for French television.

"Sadio came to ask me what I would do in his place, and I told ​him quite simply, 'I would ask your teammates to come back',” said Le Roy, who had previously coached Senegal.

WORLD CUP MAY ⁠BE MANE'S FINAL BOW

Mane has played in six Cup of Nations with two winners’ medals in 2021 - when he was also named best player - and on Sunday. He was also a runner-up in 2019.

In total, he has scored 11 goals in 29 finals appearances.

Mane is widely expected to quit international football altogether after Senegal compete in the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the US in June.

But before Sunday’s final, his coach insisted Mane might stay on.

"The decision is not his to make," Thiaw said in a press conference. "The people want to see him continue, ‌and I think he made a rash decision. The country doesn't agree, and as the coach, I don't agree."