Sports News Roundup: Olympics-Figure skating-Canada's Messing on his way to Beijing after COVID-19 delay; Olympics-Biathlon-Blustery winds and shooting woes level the field and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Olympics-Figure skating-Canada's Messing on his way to Beijing after COVID-19 delay

Canadian figure skater Keegan Messing has been cleared to travel to Beijing for the Winter Games and is due to land on Monday morning after he had been delayed awaiting results of his COVID-19 tests, the Canadian Olympic Committee said. The 30-year-old, who finished 12th at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, is the Canadian national champion and was unable to compete in the team event that started on Friday.

Olympics-Figure skating-Valieva shines as Russians roll into team event lead

Kamila Valieva delivered a flawless short programme to put the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in the lead before the final phase of the figure skating team event at the Beijing Olympics on Sunday. The 15-year-old, who won the European championships last month in a Russian podium sweep, scored 90.18 points, 0.27 short of her own world record with tight spins and used the central part of the rink as she played to the judges.

Olympics-Figureskating-China's U.S.-born Zhu inconsolable after team event flop

A tearful Zhu Yi was inconsolable after nerves and pressure got the better of the U.S.-born Chinese figure skater, whose last-place performance knocked China to fifth place from third in the Beijing Games' team event on Saturday. Skating to The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black", Zhu tumbled on her first combination triple flip-triple toeloop jump, crashing into the wall, and bungled her triple loop later, scoring 47.03.

Olympics-Biathlon-Blustery winds and shooting woes level the field

Blustery conditions at the National Biathlon Centre have blown the competition wide open at the Beijing Olympics, with some unexpected misses on the firing range levelling the playing field and putting some unlikely competitors in contention. Norway went from being leaders to also-rans and back again after Johannes Thingnes Boe turned things around in stunning fashion to win Saturday's mixed relay, ahead of France and athletes representing the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC).

NBC's Olympics opening ceremony coverage draws nearly 14 million U.S. TV viewers

NBC's coverage of the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympic Games averaged close to 14 million U.S. television viewers, according to preliminary data provided by NBCUniversal on Saturday, about half the TV audience for the last Winter Games opening ceremony four years ago.Across all platforms, including the USA Network, NBC Sports app and Peacock streaming service, NBC's average audience reached nearly 16 million people, the company said in an email. The opening ceremony for the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games, which historically attracts a bigger audience than the Winter Games, drew 16.7 million TV viewers. Across all platforms, 17 million people watched the ceremony.

NFL-Progress on head coach diversity 'unacceptable', commissioner Goodell tells teams

The NFL will reevaluate its policies relating to diversity, equity and inclusion, commissioner Roger Goodell told the clubs on Saturday, days after former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the league. Flores, who is Black, was fired by the Dolphins last month after back-to-back seasons with winning records, saying it was emblematic of the treatment of Black coaches, who comprise a fraction of team staff positions while 70% of NFL players are Black.

Tennis-Del Potro close to retirement as injuries take their toll

Argentine tennis player Juan Martin Del Potro is considering an imminent retirement from the sport, saying recurring injuries mean two tournaments in Argentina and Brazil this month will "possibly" be his last. "This is one of the hardest messages I've ever had to face up to and communicate," Del Potro told reporters in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

Olympics-Snowboarding-"Proud Kiwi" Sadowski-Synnott bags New Zealand's first Winter Games gold

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand said she was a "proud Kiwi" after winning gold in the women's slopestyle event at the Beijing Olympics on Sunday, snagging the nation's first-ever Winter Games gold medal. Rival snowboarders said the 20-year old's final run pushed the women's field to the next level and called it a giant leap for the sport.

Olympics-Curling-Australia end mixed doubles campaign after Gill tests positive for COVID

Australian curler Tahli Gill has tested positive for COVID-19, the country's Olympic committee (AOC) said on Sunday, bringing an end to her and Dean Hewitt's winless mixed doubles campaign at the Winter Games in Beijing. Gill returned a series of positive tests late on Saturday and has been placed in isolation ahead of her return to Australia.

Motor racing-Hamilton breaks silence with social media post

Seven-times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton broke his silence on Saturday with his first social media post since last year's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Briton, who hadn't spoken publicly since a broadcast interview immediately after he lost the title in controversial circumstances to Red Bull rival Max Verstappen, put up a post on his Instagram account after a near two-month hiatus.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)