16:16 Uhr
Ukraine-Krieg: Russische Soldaten dürfen bei Paralympics starten
Soldiers wounded in the Ukraine war will be allowed to compete for Russia at the Paralympic Games. International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons confirmed this Friday in an interview with the BBC. “Many countries recruit athletes from the military. So if Russia does this, it wouldn’t be the only country,” the Brazilian stated. Parsons emphasized that the IPC General Assembly’s decision to readmit Russia and Belarus under their own flags meant they would be “treated like any other National Paralympic Committee.”
The IPC President too highlighted the historical roots of the Paralympics. “We must not forget where we come from. Our movement began after World War II, especially with injured military personnel,” Parsons said: “We are against any war, any conflict, but what we offer is an opportunity for those injured in war to reintegrate into society through sport.”
Reports indicate that at least 70 soldiers wounded in the conflict in Ukraine are already part of Russian national teams, with another 700 members of regional teams.
15:54 Uhr
Iraner reist nicht zu Paralympics: “Gefahr für Leben zu groß”
Iran will not participate in the Paralympic Winter Games in Northern Italy. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced that the country’s sole athlete – cross-country skier Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei – could not safely travel to Europe given the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. This also means the Iranian flag will be absent from Friday evening’s opening ceremony.
“This is a disappointment for the sporting world and especially for Aboulfazl,” said IPC President Andrew Parsons: “Since the conflict began, the IPC and the organizers of Milan and Cortina 2026 have been working behind the scenes with the Iranian Paralympic Committee and the national ski federation to find an alternative route for the safe passage of the Iranian delegation. the danger to human life is too great.”
Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei was scheduled to compete in the classic sprint on Tuesday and over 10 kilometers on Wednesday, marking his third Paralympic appearance after Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022. With Iran’s withdrawal, 55 nations are now represented in Italy.
15:29 Uhr
Trump nutzt Treffen mit Messi für Todesdrohung an Iraner
What was intended to be a celebration of soccer took an unexpected turn as Lionel Messi experienced a different kind of reveal at the White House: President Donald Trump used the honor of Inter Miami and the superstar for political messages and self-praise. Messi stood politely smiling behind the US President.
14:40 Uhr
Bundesliga-Rekordhalter Robert Lewandowski überrascht mit Aussagen über Harry Kane
Robert Lewandowski believes he could have scored even more goals in the Bundesliga, but was denied the opportunity. He set the single-season record with 41 goals in 2020/2021, despite a ligament injury between matchdays 27, and 30. The record was thought to be untouchable, but it could be challenged within five years. For now, Lewandowski is enjoying watching Harry Kane’s pursuit. “Thanks to Kane, I can now be even prouder of my record,” the Polish striker said in an interview with Sky.
Kane is certainly making a strong case, having scored 30 goals in 24 Bundesliga matches. Despite being sidelined for today’s game against Borussia Mönchengladbach, Kane has played in all 24 possible league games this season.
“Harry Kane scores so many goals, he’s playing really well and doing a great job,” Lewandowski acknowledged. But he added a note about his own record: “I did it in 29 games.” That leads to one conclusion: “If I had played 34 games, I think I could have scored even more goals.”
14:05 Uhr
Hitlergruß: UEFA bestraft Real Madrid
UEFA has sanctioned Real Madrid for “racist and/or discriminatory behavior by its supporters.” The European football governing body announced Friday a fine of €15,000 after a fan was seen performing the Hitler salute.
the UEFA Disciplinary Committee ordered a partial closure of 500 seats – however, this is suspended for one year. The incident occurred before the Champions League playoff return leg against Benfica Lisbon on February 25. The fan in question was removed from the stadium.
The first leg between Real and Benfica was also marred by a racism incident: Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni allegedly insulted Real Madrid’s Vinicius Júnior after the latter’s goal, covering his mouth during the exchange. UEFA subsequently banned Prestianni for the return leg in Madrid. Real Madrid advanced through the playoff round and will face Manchester City in the round of 16 (March 11/17).
13:32 Uhr
“Machtloses” F1-Team: Aston Martin hofft, dass “alle Energie saugendes” Problem bald gelöst ist
Adrian Newey sees no quick fix for the significant problems at Aston Martin. Whereas engine partner Honda is taking “very clear measures to reduce the vibrations coming from the power unit,” the team principal said after the first practice sessions at the Australian Grand Prix (Sunday, 5 AM EST/Sky and live ticker on ntv.de): “That won’t be a quick solution. I can’t say how quickly they’ll manage it, but that has to be the main concern.”
Because the source of the problems lies with Honda, he feels “powerless,” Newey admitted. The difficulties with the new engine are “sucking all the energy” out of the team. Only when a solution is found can the focus shift to the car’s performance.
The team already acknowledged major issues with the power unit on Thursday, with the strong vibrations potentially leading to nerve damage in the drivers’ hands.
13:06 Uhr
Zu viele Stürze: Snowboardcross-Training abgebrochen
The Paralympic Games are shaping up to be an unpredictable journey for German snowboard pioneer Christian Schmiedt. Unlike in Beijing, the Para-athletes in Cortina d’Ampezzo will compete on a course built specifically for them and cannot rely on the experiences of the Olympians who competed in Livigno. “It’s impressive what has been built just for the Paralympics,” Schmiedt said after his first run down the slope.
However, training time was limited. Several falls, some serious, occurred during the slope runs, forcing a halt to the session. This happened right before Schmiedt’s run, preventing him from completing a training lap.
11:53 Uhr
“Sehr schade”: Deutsche Fahnenträgerin kritisiert Veranstalter
Monoskier Anna-Lena Forster is critical of the organizers’ handling of Para-athletes at the opening ceremony in Verona. “It’s a shame that they weren’t able to do it like they did at the Olympics, where there was a parade in the villages at the same time as the opening ceremony. A lot is lost that way,” the four-time gold medalist said at the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS) press conference.
Forster and ice hockey veteran Jörg Wedde will carry the German flag at the Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Germany will boycott the ceremony, however, and volunteers will seize their place in the parade.
Forster and Wedde will only appear in recordings that were filmed earlier this week in a studio at the respective venues.
11:00 Uhr
Wilde Gerüchte um Bayern-Star
At 21 years old, Aleksandar Pavlović has established himself as a key player in Bayern Munich’s defensive midfield, recently earning praise from national team coach Julian Nagelsmann and raising hopes for a significant role in the 2026 World Cup. No wonder the young talent has attracted attention from other clubs.
According to a report from the English portal “CaughtOffside,” Manchester City has at least made informal contact with Pavlović to explore the possibility of a transfer. The youngster, however, reportedly prioritizes staying with his boyhood club.
Should Pavlović’s time at Bayern ever come to an end, he won’t be short of potential suitors. “CaughtOffside” also reports that Chelsea is showing interest. However, the Blues are not considered to have a strong chance of landing the midfielder.
More on the rumors here at sport.de
09:51 Uhr
Zehn Tage Welttournee: Gestrandeter Olympia-Star verlässt Dubai
An odyssey comes to an end: Japan’s stranded ski jumping star Ren Nikaido can finally depart Dubai after nearly a week and plans to compete in the World Cup in Lahti starting Saturday. If everything goes smoothly this time – which hasn’t been the case during his roughly ten-day “world tour.” “Finally,” Nikaido wrote on a farewell picture from Dubai, the provisional dead end on his way to Europe. The three-time medalist from Predazzo originally intended to spend a few relaxing days in his homeland after his highly successful Olympic Games and was traveling from Italy to Japan.
That’s when almost everything went wrong: When Nikaido tried to return to Europe for the Ski Flying World Cup in Subpar Mitterndorf/Austria last week, the technology on the plane first failed. Nikaido had to get off the plane and reschedule for the next day due to the night-start ban at Narita Airport in Tokyo.
Unfortunately, he chose a route via the United Arab Emirates. There, he arrived without luggage and then got stuck at the stopover last Saturday because the airspace was closed due to the conflict in the region. He has been stranded in Dubai ever since – until Friday, when he finally received the proceed-ahead: From Dubai, the route is via Istanbul and Warsaw to Helsinki and then on to Lahti. He will then compete in the classic sprint on Tuesday and over 10 kilometers on Wednesday at the World Cup venue in 2029, if everything goes well.
09:19 Uhr
Ski-Star ist nicht aufzuhalten: Lindsey Vonn traut sich nach brutalem Sturz an Gewichte
At the Olympic Games, the world witnesses Lindsey Vonn, already injured, suffer a severe crash shortly after the start of her downhill run. The athlete is so badly injured that amputation is even considered at one point. Just 25 days later, the 41-year-old surprises everyone with a training video.
08:30 Uhr
“Sehr schade”: Deutsche Fahnenträgerin kritisiert Veranstalter
The treatment of Para-athletes at the opening ceremony in Verona is causing concern for monoskiier Anna-Lena Forster. “It’s a shame that they weren’t able to do it like they did at the Olympics, where there was a parade in the villages at the same time as the opening ceremony. A lot is lost that way,” the four-time gold medalist said at the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS) press conference.
Forster and ice hockey veteran Jörg Wedde will carry the German flag at the Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Germany will boycott the ceremony, however, and volunteers will take their place in the parade.
Forster and Wedde will only appear in recordings that were filmed earlier this week in a studio at the respective venues.
07:40 Uhr
“Vielleicht bist du besser als Pelé”: Trump lobt Messi bei Besuch im Weißen Haus
US President Donald Trump hosted soccer superstar Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami CF team at the White House, celebrating their MLS Cup 2025 victory. Messi stood with coach Javier Mascherano and club co-owner Jorge Mas as Trump praised the Argentine’s role in the team’s success.
Trump, who opened the event with comments on the military operation in the Middle East, also used the reception for political messages and self-praise. “I shouldn’t say this because I’m old, but I saw Pelé play,” Trump said: “I don’t know, maybe you’re better than Pelé. Pelé was pretty good.”
He said he had seen many great players come into the world of sports. “They come to the Yankees or the Dodgers … and there’s a huge uproar. Everything is great, but they don’t win. This man here has won,” he said, pointing to Messi: “Leo, you came and you won.”
06:48 Uhr
Düsseldorf-Trainer Markus Anfang kämpft mit den Tränen
Former Bundesliga goalkeeper Georg Koch passed away on Wednesday after a long battle with cancer. Fortuna coach Markus Anfang, a friend and former teammate of Koch, fought back tears during a press conference before Saturday’s second-division game in Nuremberg – and thought especially of the deceased’s children.
06:25 Uhr
Marokko feuert kurz vor WM Erfolgstrainer
Morocco’s football national team must cope with a coaching change just over three months before their World Cup appearance. The federation announced the separation from Walid Regragui after weeks of debate about the coach and appointed Mohamed Ouahbi as the new head coach of the “Atlas Lions.”
Regragui himself, however, presented his dismissal as a resignation. “I submit my resignation with loyalty, gratitude and the certainty of having served my country,” the 50-year-old explained almost simultaneously with his former employer’s announcement in a live TV broadcast on Moroccan television. Already since Morocco’s final defeat at the Africa Cup in their own country against Senegal, the former national player had been controversial.
Regragui took over the coaching position in Morocco in the summer of 2022. At the end of the same year, he led his team to the semi-finals at the World Cup finals in Qatar.
05:52 Uhr
Alle deutlich langsamer: Ferrari setzt erste Bestzeit einer neuen Ära
Charles Leclerc leads the way as Ferrari makes a strong impression to start the new electric era of Formula 1. Leclerc set the fastest time of 1:20.267 in his final lap, beating record world champion Lewis Hamilton by nearly five tenths of a second.
Red Bull with Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar were the second-fastest. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli were only in the midfield. World champion Lando Norris completed only seven laps due to gearbox problems.
the new cars, in which performance is now almost half from an electric motor, were about three seconds slower than in Australia’s first practice session last year – which was expected after the impressions from the test drives.
