Sports
Virgil van Dijk: Xavi Simons wasn’t trying to hurt me in red card challenge
Virgil van Dijk has revealed he has spoken with Xavi Simons after the midfielder’s red card challenge in Liverpool‘s 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur and insisted his international teammate did not intend to hurt him.
Simons was dismissed in the first half of Tottenham’s clash with Arne Slot’s side after a VAR review showed the 22-year-old had raked his studs down the back of Van Dijk’s calf. His dismissal opened the door for Liverpool to secure a win that moves them up to fifth in the Premier League table, while Spurs dropped to 13th.
“I don’t think there was any intention to hurt me but obviously he hurt me and then the referee and the VAR made the decision to send him off,” Van Dijk said. “I spoke to him. It’s a chat that no-one needs to know.”
Liverpool’s victory came at a price, with forward Alexander Isak being forced off the pitch just moments after scoring the visitors’ opening goal in north London. The 26-year-old looked in a great deal of pain following a coming together with Spurs defender Micky van de Ven, and the Reds now face an anxious wait to discover the extent of his injury.
“Injuries unfortunately are part of football and hopefully with Alex it’s not too bad,” Van Dijk said. “He scored a great goal. It’s too soon after the game to know [the extent of it]. He will need to be assessed.
“We all saw how bad it looked with Alex but hopefully it won’t be too bad.”
Liverpool are now unbeaten in six games in all competitions but came close to conceding a last-minute equaliser against nine-men Spurs, who finished the game strongly.
Reflecting on the performance, Van Dijk said: “The immediate reaction coming off was that it was a chaotic last five to 10 minutes. It wasn’t great but to get the three points is massive. There was nothing wrong up to us conceding a goal. We need to analyse the last part but personally I’m very pleased and it’s on to the next one.
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“When you concede a goal and their fans get behind them like they did, it’s never easy to make the right decisions and find the right solutions. That’s something we can improve but I don’t think it’s worrying. It’s a transition and we need to keep getting better.”
The Dutchman added: “Winning more, getting results, is always positive. Losing games, especially at a club like Liverpool, is always bad. For us it’s about staying calm. Taking each game as it comes.
“Today we won. Now we have a couple of days off. We will recover and then we will focus on Wolves. It will be a tough game. I saw their game against Spurs. Wolves will make it difficult for us and we have to be ready for that.
“First we have Christmas. Being with your family and being healthy are the most important things in life.”
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American skier Hunter Hess appeared to backtrack on the “mixed emotions” he said he had about representing the U.S. at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Hess drew backlash from President Donald Trump and others when he made his initial comments to reporters last week. But after a few days, Hess made clear about wearing the red, white and blue on one of the biggest stages in sports.
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Hunter Hess of the United States reacts while competing in the Men’s Freeski Halfpipe Final during the Toyota US Grand Prix 2025 at Copper Mountain on Dec. 20, 2025 in Copper Mountain, Colorado. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
“I love my country,” he wrote with an American flag emoji. “There is so much that is great about America, but there are always things that could be better.
“One of the many things that makes this country so amazing is that we have the right and the freedom to point that out. The best part of the Olympics is that it brings people together, and when so many of us are divided we need that more than ever. I cannot wait to represent Team USA next week when I compete.”
Hess’ comments came as the Trump administration faced backlash over the use of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in immigration enforcement operations. An incident with ICE agents in January left Renee Good dead in Minnesota. Border Patrol agents also had a deadly encounter with Alex Pretti.
Hunter Hess of Team United States reacts after competing in the Men’s Ski Superpipe Final on day two of the Dew Tour at Copper Mountain on Feb. 25, 2023 in Copper Mountain, Colorado. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
OLYMPIC SKI STAR AMPS UP ICE CRITICISM AFTER POSTING GRAPHIC PHOTO
Those incidents were apparently used as the catalyst for the comments from Hess and his teammate Chris Lillis. Hess said he had “mixed emotions” about representing the U.S.
“It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think. It’s a little hard. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t,” Hess said.
“I think, for me, it’s more I’m representing my friends and family back home, the people that represented it before me, all the things that I believe are good about the U.S. If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.
President Donald Trump arrives to speak about the economy at a rally Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Clive, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo)
“I just kind of want to do it for my friends and my family and the people that support me getting here.”
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Trump ripped Hess for the comments, calling him a “real loser.”
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Track the Milan Cortina Olympic medal counts country by country and see who won gold, silver or bronze in each event.
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Sports
Dutch speedskating star Jutta Leerdam, fiancée of Jake Paul, sets Winter Olympics record in gold medal win
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Dutch female speedskater Jutta Leerdam lived up to the high expectations that were set for her on Monday and captured the gold medal in 1,000-meter speedskating at the Winter Olympics.
Leerdam, the fiancée of boxer Jake Paul, set an Olympic record with a time of 1:12.31. She eclipsed the record that was set by her Dutch teammate Femke Kok just moments before she hit the ice.
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Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands celebrates winning the gold medal in the women’s 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
The 27-year-old speedskating star was in tears as she skated around the track, waving to her friends and family in the stands. Paul was in tears as he celebrated with her family. It’s Leerdam’s first Olympic gold medal and second Olympic medal overall.
She came all the way from nearly missing making the Olympic team altogether to call herself a champion.
SANDERS CALLS OLYMPIC SKIER ‘PROUD AMERICAN’ DESPITE HAVING ‘MIXED EMOTIONS’ ABOUT REPRESENTING US
Jake Paul of the U.S., center, cries after his fiancé Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands won the gold medal in the women’s 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Kok blazed a trail right before her with a time of 1:12.59. She picked up the silver medal and is expected to be in contention for a gold medal at the 500-meter race later in the Games.
Japan’s Miho Takagi finished in third place with a time of 1:39.59.
American Erin Jackson was sitting in first place before the rest of the pairs began. But her time of 1:15.00 even quickly fell. Her teammate Brittany Bowe finished in fourth just behind Takagi with a time of 1:14.55.
Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands in shock after winning the gold medal in the women’s 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
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Team USA has only two medals so far during the Winter Olympics – both gold.
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