Olympics

The Olympics are really pushing gender equality when the Games come to Los Angeles ... with the organization announcing men and women will compete together in even more team events in 2028 -- including golf, track and gymnastics.

The International Olympic Committee revealed the plans this week ... saying after seeing other sports successfully pull it off, it was time to expand.

IOC sports director Kit McConnell spoke about the move on Wednesday ... saying, "The mixed events are a real true embodiment of gender equality -- men and women competing in the same team, on the same field of play for their country."

If Caitlin Clark really wants to play flag football at the 2028 Olympics, she won't be getting any superstar treatment to get a spot on the team -- so say the organization's CEO!!

The WNBA superstar recently mentioned at the NFL Annual League Meeting she always dreamed of playing football as a kid ... and even tossed out the idea of suiting up for the Red, White and Blue on the gridiron when the Games come around in a few years.

"Maybe LA 2028, maybe I'll do two sports," Clark said at the meeting. "Or if basketball doesn't work out, I'll head over to flag football."

Jake Paul's fiancée Jutta Leerdam made a splash in more ways than one at an indoor water park on Friday -- turnin' heads with her surfin' skills ... and teeny bikini!

The couple seemingly took a break from filming their new reality show, "Paul American" (we see no TV cameras in sight) ... and hit up the DreamWorks Water Park in East Rutherford, NJ to catch some waves at Skudin Surf.

Leerdam -- an Olympic speed skater -- went solo, proudly filming his boo as she rode the waves, showcasing her incredible athleticism, and drop-dead gorgeous body!

Olympic skier Berkin Usta was tragically killed on Thursday after a fire erupted at a ski resort hotel in Turkey.

He was only 24.

The fatal incident occurred at the Kervansaray Hotel in Uludag, Bursa, when flames engulfed the structure in the early morning, destroying the ski resort.

Skateboarding star Nyjah Huston took a brutal hit to the family jewels while attempting a move this week ... and the impact was so bad, he was left pissing blood.

But, don't panic -- he said his dick isn't broken!!

The Olympic medalist shared photos with his 5.2 million Instagram followers on Wednesday of himself in the hospital ... and a toilet filled with blood.

Jade Carey is officially boo'd up ... the Team USA gymnast revealed her new girlfriend on Instagram, and her teammates, including Simone Biles, showed love after the announcement!

Carey -- a member of the "Golden Girls" Olympic team -- hard launched the relationship on Wednesday with a bunch of photos of her and Aimee Sinacola, writing in the caption, "Happy 🤍🔐✨💌."

Her fans were stoked about the new romance, including Biles, who commented "freaking cuuuuuute❤️" under the post.

A former Olympian has traded in snowboard competitions for a spot on the FBI's 10 most-wanted fugitives list in connection with allegedly running a transnational narcotics ring.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced Thursday Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved a $10 million reward for the capture of Ryan Wedding, who was on Canada's snowboarding team in the 2002 Winter Olympics.

At a press conference, Akil Davis -- the chief of the FBI's L.A. office --  said Wedding "routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California, to Canada and other locations in the United States."

It's finally happening ... Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles and blazing-fast NFL star Tyreek Hill are set to settle their beef on the track -- with the two agreeing to race each other this offseason to determine who has the better wheels!

Speaking with People, the guys announced the race would take place sometime before the U.S. Championships begin in July, where Lyles will be competing. It remains unclear where they'll race.

"This has been an ongoing thing for, quite some time now, and I mean, everybody's seen the back and forth on social media," Hill told the outlet. "I've been very adamant to show people what real, true speed looks like."

Donald Trump just took a huge step toward barring biological men from competing in women's sports ... signing an executive order Wednesday that he said will end the era of watching "men beat and batter female athletes."

POTUS put his pen to the "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" mandate at a ceremony at the White House ... promising it will stop transgender athletes from competing against females going forward.

"It's going to end, and it's ending right now," Trump said emphatically to a room full of his supporters as he signed the document. "And nobody's going to be able to do a damn thing about it, because when I speak -- we speak with authority."

Dick Button, America's first Olympic gold medalist in figure skating, is dead, and the legend's passing comes on what was already a dark day for the sport.

Button died Thursday in the Upstate New York town of North Salem ... according to his children, who first confirmed his death in the Washington Post.

Perhaps no one in history's had more of an impact on U.S. figure skating than DB, who first dominated as a competitor in the 1940s and 1950s ... and then became a longtime broadcaster covering the sport around the world.

Nancy Kerrigan was unable to contain her emotions while speaking about the tragic American Airlines crash that claimed the lives of nearly 70 people, including a contingency of U.S. ice skaters who just wrapped up a big competition in the Midwest.

The U.S. ice skating legend spoke Thursday during a press event at the Skating Club of Boston -- where some of the late skaters trained -- and Kerrigan was clearly heartbroken.

"We’ve been through tragedies before as Americans, as people, and we are strong," Nancy said. "I guess it’s how we respond to it, and my response is to be with people I care about and love, and I needed support."

Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson and her husband, former NFL player Andrew East, may be in retirement, but they're proving they've still got it ... one acrobatic challenge at a time.

The former athletes put their fit frames on display for a number of videos uploaded to social media, where they've tapped into their competitive spirit to pull off a series of acrobatic stunts.

Check it out ... a shirtless Andrew effortlessly lifts Shawn into the air ... just as she contorts her body and turns a full 360 degrees. It's flipping adorable, if we do say so ourselves!!!

Legendary swimmer Michael Phelps is grieving over the death of Brian Campbell ... sharing a heartfelt tribute to the longtime Olympic swimming staffer.

Team USA Swimming announced Campbell's passing on Monday ... saying the massage therapist -- who also worked for UCLA -- died at the age of 68.

"He served American swimmers for decades on the pool decks of numerous Olympic Games and World Championships," the organization said.

Olympic kite surfer Bruno Lobo -- who just competed at the Paris Games in August -- heroically saved a drowning swimmer last week ... and the dramatic rescue was all captured on video.

Lobo posted the footage to his Instagram page over the weekend ... explaining to his thousands of followers the scene played out on Jan. 10 -- as he was testing some new gear during a surf sesh off a coast in Brazil.

The vid shows as Lobo was making his way through the waves ... a young woman appeared to be in serious distress as she was swimming through some choppy waters.

Former Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr. says fleeing from the L.A. wildfires this week was a horrifying experience -- as he had only seconds to get out -- and it's clear he's disappointed he couldn't save his Games medals as he hastily evacuated.

The 50-year-old -- who earned 10 pieces of hardware in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics -- sat down with Harvey and Charles on Thursday's "TMZ Live" to detail how he escaped the flames that have been ravaging L.A. this week ... and he said it was everything but easy.

Hall Jr. says the blaze came on him and his house so quickly -- he only had "probably tops of three minutes" to get some belongings and get out.

Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr.'s home was destroyed in the devastating Los Angeles wildfires this week ... along with the many medals he won throughout his career.

The athlete's father, Gary Sr. -- also an Olympic swimmer -- shared the news on social media ... saying his son fled his Pacific Palisades estate amid the blaze.

He evacuated the home with only his dog, Puddles, insulin and some paintings -- including one of his grandfather.