Human rights and civil liberties
Ukraine team members climb on the Olympic Rings to pose for photo in the Olympic Village at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 14, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. Backers of Sapporo, Japan, to hold the 2030 Winter Olympics have gotten together to promote their bid. The Japanese city is competing with Salt Lake City, Vancouver, and a Spanish group that wants to return the Olympics to Barcelona. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
All-Japan committee meets to promote Sapporo Olympic bid

By Stephen Wade And Yuri Kageyama May. 10, 2022 02:41 AM EDT

Russian seeks to keep senior role at skating federation

By Graham Dunbar Apr. 27, 2022 01:14 PM EDT
GENEVA (AP) — A Russian official was among the candidates announced Wednesday for the International Skating Union’s elections in June, if he is allowed to stand to...

FILE - A silhouette of a snowboarder in action in a heat during the FIS World Cup snowboarding big air competition at the Battersea Power Station in London, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008. When former members of the U.S. snowboarding team sought to report sex-abuse allegations against a longtime coach, they received conflicting information that left them unsure of where to turn — or whether they wanted to pursue the cases at all. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File)
Sex abuse case in snowboarding exposes flaws in reporting

By Eddie Pells Apr. 14, 2022 12:50 PM EDT

USA Bobsled coach Mike Kohn resigns, citing family reasons

By Tim Reynolds Apr. 08, 2022 04:54 PM EDT
USA Bobsled coach Mike Kohn has stepped down after four seasons, though he may remain with the national team in a different capacity. Kohn, an Olympic...

FILE - American swimmer Lea Maurer from Crestwood, NY., jubilates after winning the womens 100 meter backstroke final at the World Swimming Championships in Perth, Australia, on Jan 14, 1998. Two-time Olympic medalist Maurer was named head coach of Southern California's men's and women's swimming teams Friday, April 1, 2022, making her the first woman to lead both programs. (AP Photo/Rick Stevens, File)
Lea Maurer becomes 1st woman to lead USC swim programs

Apr. 01, 2022 02:35 PM EDT

Maryland hires Skinn as assistant for Willard's staff

Mar. 24, 2022 05:55 PM EDT
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Maryland hired Tony Skinn as an assistant for new basketball coach Kevin Willard's staff. The school announced the move...

University of Pennsylvania transgender athlete Lia Thomas competes in the 500-yard freestyle finals at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, Thursday, March 17, 2022, at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Column: Lia Thomas sparks all sorts of conflicting thoughts

By Paul Newberry Mar. 18, 2022 04:34 PM EDT

Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in the launch of a new ferry via a conference call at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 4, 2022. (Andrei Gorshkov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Column: Russian sports ban unlikely to stop Putin's war

By Paul Newberry Mar. 04, 2022 05:03 PM EST

A screen shows support to Ukraine before the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Manchester City at Goodison Park in Liverpool, England, Feb. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Russia ready again for urgent court case over World Cup ban

By Graham Dunbar Mar. 04, 2022 12:40 AM EST

FILE - A Russian flag is held above the Olympic Rings at Adler Arena Skating Center during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia on Feb. 18, 2014. The International Olympic Committee has made a sweeping move to isolate and condemn Russia over the country’s invasion of Ukraine. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
COLUMN: Will sports ever stop cozying up to strongmen?

By Jim Litke Mar. 03, 2022 07:05 PM EST

FILE- Nils van der Poel of Sweden reacts after breaking his own world record in the men's speedskating 10,000-meter race at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, in Beijing. Back in Sweden with his two gold medals in speedskating, the speedskater told the Aftonbladet newspaper that although he had “a very nice experience behind the scenes,” hosting the Games in China was “terrible.” He drew parallels with the 1936 Summer Olympics in Nazi Germany and Russia hosting the Sochi Olympics before seizing control of the Crimean peninsula in 2014. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
Swedish Olympic champion gives medal to man held in China

Feb. 25, 2022 08:41 AM EST

FILE - Chinese President Xi Jinping waves during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics on Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing. The just-concluded Winter Olympics weren’t China's big event of the year, internally, at least. For the Communist Party, that comes this fall at a major meeting that will likely cement Xi Jinping's position as one of the nation's most powerful leaders in its seven decades of Communist rule. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
For Chinese leaders, Olympics weren't 2022's big-ticket item

By Ken Moritsugu Feb. 21, 2022 09:19 PM EST

FILE- Brittany Bowe of the United States reacts after her heat in the women's speedskating 1,500-meter race at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Beijing. “Nothing short of amazing,” said the U.S. speedskating bronze-medal winner, praising her China experience. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Human rights? China won that Winter Olympics battle. Almost.

By John Leicester Feb. 20, 2022 09:55 PM EST

The Olympic Rings are seen during the closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Olympics Live: Flame extinguished to end Beijing Games

Feb. 19, 2022 10:09 PM EST

Li Chunjian, Ding Song, Ye Jielong and She Hao, of China, slide during the 4-man heat 1 at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)
Behind China's Olympics, the saga of a chained woman unfolds

By Huizhong Wu Feb. 19, 2022 02:12 AM EST

Li Chunjian, Ding Song, Ye Jielong and She Hao, of China, slide during the 4-man heat 1 at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)
Behind China's Olympics, the saga of a chained woman unfolds

By Huizhong Wu Feb. 19, 2022 12:53 AM EST

China's He Binghan competes during the men's halfpipe qualification at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Beijing Olympics get political with Taiwan, Uyghur questions

By Stephen Wade And Graham Dunbar Feb. 17, 2022 02:18 AM EST

FILE - Gus Kenworthy competes in the men's ski superpipe finals on Jan. 23, 2022, in Aspen, Colo. Kenworthy will compete in the men's halfpipe at the 2022 Winter Olympics, which starts Thursday, Feb. 17. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times via AP, File)
Gus Kenworthy's final Olympics in a land he'd rather avoid

By Eddie Pells Feb. 16, 2022 05:29 AM EST

Shannon Abeda, of Eritrea passes a gate during the first run of the men's giant slalom at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
After dip in Beijing, Olympians ask: What about Africa?

By John Leicester Feb. 16, 2022 02:27 AM EST

Prayer flags festoon a structure by Hailuogou Glacier in Chagsam County, in southwestern China's Sichuan province on Sept. 7, 2020. Ahead of the Beijing summer Olympics 14 years ago, Tibet was on fire. Deadly clashes between Tibetans and security forces in Lhasa made global headlines, and for weeks, monks and herders battled bullets and batons. But today, Tibet has fallen silent, even as the Olympic games come to Beijing for a second time. (AP Photo/Dake Kang)
This time, Tibet stands silent as Olympics return to China

By Dake Kang And Sam Mcneil Feb. 16, 2022 12:25 AM EST