General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 14, 2026, 9:58 AM ET
Formula One
Mercedes showed first signs of vulnerability bbc.com in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, though the team still secured a front-row lock-out to underline their superiority over the field at the start of this season. Lewis Hamilton said Ferrari espn.com was losing "a lot of time" to Mercedes primarily due to power unit deficits after qualifying fourth for Saturday's sprint race. Hamilton explored "every way" espn.com to attend Sunday's Oscars ceremony following the Chinese Grand Prix but ultimately decided it was impossible to arrive on time despite "F1" nominations.
Cycling
Snow made a summit finish in Paris-Nice unfeasible bbc.com as organisers abandoned plans for the Auron stage on Saturday, the penultimate day of the race. In the Alpine skiing events at the Winter Paralympics, Britain's Neil Simpson was left bitterly disappointed bbc.com after he and guide Rob Poth failed to finish their opening giant slalom run in the men's visually impaired event in Milan-Cortina.
Tennis
Aryna Sabalenka will meet Elena Rybakina in a final bbc.com for the third time in four months at Indian Wells on Sunday after both won their respective semifinals. Sabalenka beat "future Grand Slam champion" bbc.com Victoria Mboko at Indian Wells, while world number three Elena Rybakina eliminated Iga Swiatek bbc.com from the tournament. Britain's Sonay Kartal said it was "one match too many" bbc.com as a back injury forced her retirement from a fourth-round Indian Wells match against Rybakina.
Basketball
Kawhi Leonard scored at least 20 points bbc.com for the 44th consecutive game to equal a 51-year-old franchise record for the Los Angeles Clippers. UCLA star Tyler Bilodeau suffered a right leg injury espn.com that will likely sideline him for at least one game, but the Bruins held off No. 8 Michigan State espn.com 88-84 to advance to the Big Ten tournament semifinals. Jaden Bradley hit a fallaway jumper at the buzzer espn.com to send No. 2 Arizona to the Big 12 tournament final with an 82-80 win over Iowa State. Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson strained a muscle while slipping espn.com on the new glass floor at the Big 12 tournament during Iowa State's 75-53 win over the Red Raiders on Thursday.
College Basketball
Miami (Ohio) suffered its first defeat espn.com with a shocking 87-83 loss to UMass in its first game of the Mid-American Conference tournament Thursday. The MAC commissioner expressed confidence espn.com his conference will get two teams into the NCAA tournament for the first time in 27 years despite Miami (Ohio)'s loss. Auburn coach Steven Pearl lobbied for his team's NCAA tournament chances espn.com after blowing a double-digit second-half lead to Tennessee in the SEC tournament quarterfinals Thursday. Tennessee star freshman Nate Ament, out the past two games with a leg injury, is expected to play espn.com in the SEC quarterfinals against Auburn.
Football
The Big Ten sent a letter to the NCAA espn.com asking the organization to suspend investigations and enforcement related to tampering, and modernize its rules. Cincinnati has fired men's basketball coach Wes Miller espn.com after five seasons, sources told ESPN. Syracuse has fired men's basketball coach Adrian Autry espn.com after the Orange did not make the NCAA tournament in his three seasons at the helm. Arizona State will not renew the contract espn.com of men's basketball coach Bobby Hurley, the school announced Wednesday, hours after it was eliminated from the Big 12 tournament in a blowout loss to Iowa State.
Rugby Union
England head coach Steve Borthwick needs a performance that gives compelling proof bbc.com of the direction of his team against France. Scotland spent decades staring in the window as Ireland and Wales partied in the Six Nations, but in Dublin on Saturday, they finally have a shot at glory bbc.com. Ireland lock James Ryan is ruled out bbc.com as head coach Andy Farrell makes four changes for Saturday's Six Nations Triple Crown decider against Scotland in Dublin. Ireland are "desperate" for Triple Crown bbc.com as Ryan's absence forces tactical adjustments.
Rugby League
Wakefield Trinity fought back to beat Leeds Rhinos bbc.com 24-14 and Wigan Warriors overpowered Bradford Bulls bbc.com 30-6 in the Challenge Cup. A superb second-half performance earned Ulster a bonus-point victory bbc.com at Edinburgh in the URC and damaged the hosts' top-eight hopes. Five-try Connacht beat Scarlets in Galway bbc.com to move within striking distance of the United Rugby Championship play-offs. Prop Tom McAllister makes his senior Ulster debut bbc.com in Friday's rescheduled United Rugby Championship trip to Edinburgh.
Netball
AO Manchester Thunder triumphed as Dragons' winless run continues bbc.com in round three of the Netball Super League. England pair Ellie Kildunne and Sadia Kabeya returned for their teams bbc.com as Loughborough Lightning beat Harlequins 43-33 in Premiership Women's Rugby.
Horse Racing
Gaelic Warrior won the Cheltenham Gold Cup bbc.com in supreme fashion as Harry Redknapp-owned Jukebox Man finished eighth. Heart Wood triumphed in the Ryanair Chase bbc.com on day three as Henry de Bromhead celebrated his first winner of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival. Il Etait Temps powered over the line in the Queen Mother Champion Chase bbc.com to earn trainer Willie Mullins his third win of day two at the Cheltenham Festival. Two more horses died on the final day of Cheltenham bbc.com as Envoi Allen and Saint Le Fort both died on Friday.
Motorsport
Graeme McDowell created LIV Golf history bbc.com by becoming the first player to hit a second hole-in-one on the tour. The Big 12 will transition back to a traditional hardwood court espn.com for the remainder of its conference tournament at T-Mobile Center after the innovative LED glass court it was using led to some slipping issues.
Winter Paralympics
Davy Zyw, the first athlete with MND to compete at a Winter Paralympics, says he will cherish the joy bbc.com from his Milan-Cortina experience for the rest of his life. Great Britain's Hester Poole is setting her sights on Saturday's slalom bbc.com after crashing out of the giant slalom on her Paralympic debut. Cross-country skier Jake Adicoff becomes the first out gay man bbc.com to win an individual Paralympic gold medal. Sixteen years ago, Ralf Etienne lost his leg in an earthquake bbc.com that devastated Haiti. Now he is his nation's first Winter Paralympian.
Combat Sports
Sean Strickland will challenge Khamzat Chimaev bbc.com for the UFC middleweight title in May. Super featherweight boxer Ryan Garner says he has his eye on bbc.com the winner of Saturday night's world title clash between James Dickens and Anthony Cacasse. Jonny Clayton struggled with gout but still won bbc.com night six of the Premier League in Nottingham by crushing Luke Humphries 6-1 in the final.
Other Sports
Britain's Colin Dorgan, the high school hockey player who lost three family members in a mass shooting at a Rhode Island rink last month, scored on a breakaway in double overtime espn.com to lift his Blackstone Valley club team. Triple gold medallist Tom Dean, who uprooted his life to move to Stirling last year, has the 2028 Olympics in his sights bbc.com. Sammi Kinghorn revealed pregnancy means she will not compete bbc.com at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Will Capon, denied the charge when he appeared at court bbc.com on Friday on a rape charge.