Olympics

Sad news ... South Korean hockey player Cho Min-ho -- who scored the first-ever goal for the country's Olympic team in 2018 -- has passed away after battling cancer.

He was only 35.

The International Ice Hockey Federation confirmed Min-Ho's passing in a statement on Wednesday -- saying the forward died at a Seoul hospital after an eight-month battle with lung cancer.

"The Korean ice hockey family will remember him not only as a great player," IIHF officials said, "but also as a great human and leader on and off the ice."

Min-ho started playing for South Korea's national team in 2008 -- and became a hero during the PyeongChang Olympics.

Within the first few minutes of the team's preliminary round game against the Czech Republic, Min-ho scored ... making him the first-ever Korean player to hit the back of the net in Olympic men's ice hockey history.

In total, Min-ho competed in 11 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship tournaments ... and was named the team captain for the South Korean national team at the Final Olympic Qualification for the 2022 Olympics in 2021.

A seventh member of Haiti's Special Olympics delegation is now missing in Florida.

Just days after six Haitians -- who were in town to participate in a soccer competition at the 2022 Special Olympics Games -- disappeared in the Kissimmee area, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office announced that 25-year-old Louis Jacques Wilguens has vanished as well.

In a statement, the sheriff's office said Wilguens was last seen getting off a bus at Disney's All-Star Sports Resort in Lake Buena Vista on Saturday at around 4:30 PM.

Police say Wilguens was wearing blue jeans and a Special Olympics shirt with "Haiti" written on it, and had been scheduled to fly back to Haiti on Sunday, but apparently didn't make the flight.

Police are urging anyone who sees Wilguens to "check his well-being" and immediately get in touch with authorities.

Last week, police said the other 6 Haitians, whose ages range from 18-32, had disappeared after turning in their room keys and leaving behind their personal items. Police said at the time they did not suspect foul play.

The Sheriff's Office said in a statement they had been in communication with Walt Disney World and the Special Olympics over the disappearances.

Six Haitians who were in Florida for the Special Olympics this month have mysteriously vanished ... and now, an active search is underway to find them.

The Osceola County Sheriff's Office announced this week that Oriol Jean, 18, Anderson Petit-Frère, 18, Peter Mianovich Berlus, 19, Nicholson Fontilus, 20, Steevenson Jacquet, 24, and Antione Joseph Mithon, 32 all disappeared on June 6.

According to cops, the six -- members of Haiti's Special Olympics delegation who were competing in the soccer competition -- were last seen at around 2:30 PM in Kissimmee. All of them, police say, turned in their hotel room keys, left their personal belongings and then vanished.

The sheriff's office said it's now investigating it all as a "missing person's case."

"We are in communication with Walt Disney World, Special Olympics, and our Law Enforcement and Federal partners," cops said in a statement. "At this time, we believe this is an isolated event and do not suspect foul play."

The Special Olympics event began on June 5 in the Orlando area and is slated to run through the end of this week. According to organizers, it's set to feature around 5,500 athletes and coaches -- with roughly 120,000 people expected to tune in at the venues.

One of the missing Haitian Olympians, Petit-Frère, wrote in a social media post just last week that he was excited for the event ... and called it an "honor" to be a part of the team.

Simone Biles and nearly 100 other women are going after the FBI ... seeking $1 billion from the org. after it allegedly mishandled its investigation into the sexual abuse allegations against Larry Nassar.

Attorneys representing the Olympic gold medalist -- as well as gymnastics stars Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, and approximately 90 other women -- announced Wednesday morning their intentions to file lawsuits against the FBI.

According to the women and their lawyers, if FBI agents had properly intervened when they were first alerted to Nassar's behavior in 2015, they could have prevented him from targeting more women. The women are now seeking damages that'll exceed $1 billion.

"My fellow survivors and I were betrayed by every institution that was supposed to protect us -- the US Olympic Committee, USA Gymnastics, the FBI and now the Department of Justice," Maroney said in a statement.

"I had some hope that they would keep their word and hold the FBI accountable after we poured out our hearts to the US Senate Judiciary Committee and begged for justice. It is clear that the only path to justice and healing is through the legal process."

Nassar, who was eventually arrested over the allegations in 2016 and pled guilty in 2017, was ultimately sentenced to decades behind bars for his crimes.

In December, Biles and the other survivors reached a $380 million agreement to settle the lawsuits they had against the USA Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics.

John Manly, the gymnasts' attorney, said at the time the settlement was the result of bravery ... commending the women for refusing to stay silent.

Nancy Hogshead-Makar, 3x Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer and civil rights attorney, wholeheartedly disagrees with Lia Thomas ... insisting trans athletes have a significant advantage over biological women.

Hogshead joined "TMZ Live" on Tuesday ... and addressed statements Thomas made earlier in the day when she joined Good Morning America for her first interview, telling Juju Chang ... "Trans women are not a threat to women's sport."

But, Nancy, who also runs a female advocacy organization called Champion Women, told Harvey and Charles that Lia is just wrong.

"After somebody has been through male puberty, you cannot roll that back. So, it isn't fair," the former Olympian said, citing several experts.

"We're hoping that we can get sports governing bodies and legislatures and others to care more about fairness than any other conclusion."

It's not that Nancy isn't supportive of Lia Thomas -- she says she is -- everywhere except the swimming pool.

"I affirm who [Lia] wants to be for all of her life. Whether it's employment, the classroom, or anyplace else. But when it comes to sports, sports is not based on identity. It is based on biology. That is why we have the women's sports category."

FYI, the UPenn swimmer, an NCAA champ in the 500m freestyle event, is done with college athletics after recently graduating. However, Lia isn't done competing ... she's made it clear she wishes to compete in the Summer Olympics in 2024.

And, Hogshead believes the future of women's sports is literally on the line.

"If sport is not based on sex segregation, and if gender identity equals sex discrimination, we might lose the right as woman athletes to be able to have separate sex sports."

That's something Nancy is intent on preventing from happening.

"I am not going to allow this generation of women to have to be gracious losers to somebody that has a biological advantage that you can't train for, you can't eat better, you can't find better coaching," Hogshead said.

Cody Simpson can add elite swimmer to his already impressive accomplishments, 'cause the 25-year-old just earned a spot on the Australian swim team ... and will compete against some of the world's fastest in the pool at the Commonwealth Games.

Simpson -- musician, actor, and former teen heartthrob -- competed against his fellow countrymates down under on Wednesday ... finishing 3rd in the 100-meter butterfly at the Australian Championships.

And, no shame in finishing behind the first and second place athletes ... both guys are Olympians.

It's not a total shock that Cody performed as well as he did. In fact, as a teenager, Simpson was a top-level swimmer. However, after his music career took off and he became a bonafide celebrity, he took a big step back from the sport.

However, Simpson got the itch to swim again ... and rededicated himself to the craft about two years ago.

Fast forward until today ... and Simpson -- who recently dated Miley Cyrus -- will compete against over 70 other nations this summer.

The Commonwealth Games were first held in 1930, and in addition to swimming, also feature a bunch of other sports like archery, basketball, beach volleyball, hockey, rowing, and weight lifting, amongst others.

Simpson is clearly getting better in a hurry. During last year's Olympic trials, he swam the 100m butterfly in 52.94 seconds. He was nearly one second faster during Wednesday's finals.

Perhaps it shouldn't be too shocking that Cody's kicking ass -- he reportedly has Michael Phelps in his corner, coaching him up as he continues to make a splash in the swimming world.

Speaking of the man with 23 Olympic gold medals ... the 2024 Summer Games in Paris are quickly approaching.

Matt Hamilton's famous locks are no more -- the U.S. curling legend just chopped them off ... but, don't worry, he got the cut for a VERY good cause!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... Hamilton -- who won a gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics -- hit up a Great Clips salon in Madison, Wisc. on Friday in order to cut his luscious hair and donate it to kids who have experienced hair loss due to medical issues.

It's a sizeable donation from Hamilton ... considering Matt's had the long hair for FOUR years. And, we're told as of chopping time, it had reached over a foot in length!!

Hamilton also got the cut to help raise awareness and money for brain cancer research.

As for how the good deed turned out aesthetically ... check out the before and after -- Hamilton sure looks good to us!

Team USA swimming superstar, Caeleb Dressel, was truly down on himself just months before winning 5 gold medals at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo ... revealing the severely harsh criticism he wrote in his practice journals prior to trials.

The 25-year-old Olympic hero opened up about the dark side of his swimming experience on "In Depth With Graham Bensinger" this week ... listing off the negative reactions to workouts he wrote in his notebooks before trials.

"Yeah, F*** me, f***ing terrible. My body is done,'" Caeleb read from his log during the interview. "Oh jeez ... I know I'm laughing a little bit, but when you're writing this, this isn't as a joke. This is good information."

"'F*** me. F*** my body. F*** swimming,'" he continued. "Jeez. Yeah, there's a totally different side of the sport that a lot of people don't see ... I try to be as honest with myself as I can in these books, 'cause these aren't for -- well until now -- these aren't really for anybody else's eyes."

As it turns out, Caeleb has battled panic attacks and depression as a result of his swimming career ... including when he first became prominently known as one of the best in the country during his senior year of high school.

"I didn't want to do anything," Caeleb said. "Wasn't going to school, wasn't swimming. [I] was pretty much just laying in bed for all hours of the day, for a couple months."

Dressel went on to compete in two Olympic games -- racking up 7 golds.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim is taking a break from competitive snowboarding -- saying she needs time to "reset" and focus on her mental health.

Kim -- who started snowboarding at 4 years old -- is coming off a huge victory in the 2022 Winter Olympics ... winning a gold medal in the halfpipe event.

The 22-year-old says it was fun but exhausting ... and will take this season off to get herself right.

"I will be taking a full season off of competition just for my mental health," Kim said on Cheddar News last week.

"Just want to reset. Don't want to get right back into after such a fun but draining year at the same time."

This isn't the first time Kim has taken a break from boarding ... after winning the gold medal in the 2018 Winter Olympics, she took the following season off and went to Princeton University to study anthropology.

Kim says going to the prestigious school was "refreshing," and being around people who weren't snowboarders or athletes helped.

"It was nice to know I can make friends with people that weren't snowboarders or in the industry," she said. "It's just nice to have that separation and to get away from the thought of working."

Kim does plan on returning for the 2026 Games in Italy -- saying, "I just want to enjoy this moment, take it all in and then get back to it when I feel like I'm ready."

"As of now, the plan is most definitely to go after a third medal."

Besides the two Olympic gold medals, Kim is also a six-time X Games gold medalist and is the first to win the championship in all four major events (World, Olympic, Youth Olympic and X Games).

Paralympian Jen Lee's three Paralympic gold medals were stolen from his car over the weekend -- and JL asked for the public's help by sharing footage of the alleged thief in action.

And, it worked ... 'cause the medals have been found!

The incident happened Saturday when the U.S. hockey sled player says someone broke into his Tesla as it was parked in his San Antonio garage.

"First time for everything," Lee said via Instagram.

"Got my car broken into, and all my Paralympic gold medals stolen. Not 1, not two, but 🥇🥇🥇☹😭"

The 35-year-old athlete shared surveillance video of the alleged suspect in action -- and you can see a man in a black Levi's shirt, shorts and tan cap walk up to Lee's vehicle.

He then started breaking into the back passenger side window with the help of a tool that he used to break the glass.

Once it shattered, the man is seen running off with Lee's "USA" backpack that contained his three gold medals from the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Winter Paralympics.

Lee -- whose left leg was amputated (above the knee) after a motorcycle crash in 2009 -- was the starting goalie in this year's games.

"Just want to share this as I’m seeking for help," Lee said, "and see how I can get my gold medals back."

Well, great news ... the medals were found at a local fire dept. station.

"The Officers were able to confirm that the three gold medals were the same medals that had been stolen a day prior and were in immediate contact with the victim - Jen Lee," a San Antonio PD rep told us on Monday.

"It is unknown who dropped off the medals at the fire station."

Despite Jason receiving his medals, SAPD says they're still actively investigating the alleged theft.

NFL tight end Zach Ertz and his wife, Julie, just shared some exciting news on Monday -- the married couple is having a baby!!

The Arizona Cardinals and USWNT stars dropped the news on Instagram ... with the two posting photos of Julie's baby bump, and Zach kissing her growing tummy.

"Adding to our starting lineup ... Baby Ertz!" Zach captioned the pics.

The 10-year NFL veteran has been with the U.S. women's national team defender for nearly a decade ... and tied the knot in March 2017.

Of course, Julie was there to celebrate with Zach after Super Bowl LVII, which he won as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Ertz had one of the key plays in the game when he caught what proved to be the go-ahead touchdown from Nick Foles ... propelling Philly over New England in the end.

Julie is a star in her own right -- the two-time Olympian and one-time Olympic gold medalist is one of the most decorated in her position.

Although the baby isn't here yet, having a football and soccer star as parents means the sky is the limit when it comes to sports ... if that's what the youngin' is into, of course.

Hope Solo, U.S. soccer legend, was arrested Thursday in North Carolina for driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest ... and cops say her two children were in the car when she was busted.

The 40-year-old retired goalkeeper -- a 2x Olympic gold medalist and World Cup winner -- was taken into custody in a Walmart parking lot off Parkway Village Circle in Winston-Salem, North Carolina ... and was taken to the Forsyth County jail for processing.

Officials tell us Solo was booked for impaired driving (DWI), resisting arrest, and misdemeanor child abuse.

It's not the first time Hope, who was arguably the best goalkeeper in the world during her time with the USWNT, has been in trouble with the law.

Solo has previously been arrested for domestic violence. She was accused of berating a police officer in 2014, and threatening to "kick his ass." She was also busted for allegedly getting into a physical confrontation with her teenage nephew.

Solo is married to ex-NFL player Jerramy Stevens. Hope and JS have two young kids together, twins, who just celebrated their 2nd birthday. It's unclear if the kids in the car were Jerramy's ... but it seems likely.

If Solo is ultimately convicted, she could face time behind bars.

Team USA superstar Caeleb Dressel just put on another gold-medal performance -- this time, the Olympic swimmer did a drum cover of "Good 4 U" by Olivia Rodrigo ... and the dude's got skills!!

Of course, the 7-time gold medalist LOVES to bang on his drums all day (when he's not training his ass off) ... and has previously opened up about how he uses the beats per minute from his drum riffs to help with his stroke rate in the pool.

The 25-year-old showed off his talents with the sticks on Monday by playing along to OR's Billboard-topping hit track ... and we are impressed!!

"Well good 4 u," Dressel captioned the video.

The superstar swimmer also shared his new drum kit setups at his home ... and you can tell he's pumped about his toys.

Dressel learned how to play when his dad got him a drum set as a kid ... and it's been nothing but rocking ever since.

Olympic legend Florence Griffith Joyner -- AKA Flo-Jo -- had her priceless memorabilia returned to Olympic gold medalist and husband Al Joyner ... and it's all thanks to "Storage Wars" Star Rene Nezhoda!

Rene tells TMZ ... after our story broke about his acquired collection, family members and friends of Flo-Jo started reaching out to him, including Al, hoping to buy it back.

Rene and Al met up in San Diego to strike a deal, with Rene making a profit much smaller than he could've snagged on the open market. Rene says the important thing was restoring the gold to the fam.

The item that held the most value to Al was her weight belt, something they'd use together working out. The belt was going in the trash after the locker -- originally owned by Al -- was picked through. Luckily, the piece was saved and it's back in Al's hands.

As we reported, Rene bought a ton of Flo-Jo's belongings and collectibles off of his pal George, who purchased Al's lockers at auction. Inside were Olympic jackets, autographed Flo-Jo Barbie dolls, and signed track shoes -- the same ones worn while breaking the world record!

It was in 1998 when Flo-Jo unexpectedly died of suffocation in her sleep after suffering an epileptic fit.

Carli Lloyd might be retired from football, but she could find another career in American football -- 'cause the U.S. soccer superstar tells TMZ Sports she's open to the idea of playing in the NFL!!

Of course, the 39-year-old World Cup champ and Olympic gold medalist went viral in 2019 ... when she was spotted nailing 55-yard field goals while hanging out with the Philadelphia Eagles.

We spoke with the soccer legend -- just a few months after she decided to hang up her cleats -- and she told us thanks to the free time she has now, an NFL push could be in her future.

Lloyd believes one position women can play in the NFL is kicker, and her confidence in that belief was reinforced after her experience with the Eagles.

"Yeah that was wild how that all unfolded," Lloyd said. "Something I never would've predicted would have happened. It was a cool day to go out there and just hit some field goals."

Lloyd said had it not been for her Olympic journey, she would have seriously entertained the idea of being an NFL kicker.

We also spoke with Lloyd about being the first female ambassador for USA Teqball (think Ping-Pong for soccer) ... and she attributes the pandemic -- as well as seeing guys like Beckham, Messi, and Ronaldinho playing the game for sparking her interest.

"I'm thrilled because it keeps me somewhat around the game in a little bit of a different fashion, but its a really, pretty amazing sport," Lloyd said.

Shaun White is starting off retirement with a bang ... the legendary snowboarder took a trip to Costa Rica with his girlfriend, Nina Dobrev, and judging from the pics, life's good. Very, very good.

"It means no worries….🦁 #retired," Shaun wrote on an Instagram post of himself on vacay.

White -- a five-time Olympian and three-time gold medalist -- retired last month after competing in his final Winter Olympics. The 35-year-old was overcome with emotion as he concluded his final Games ... crying in front of the media.

In a recent interview with NBC in Boston, White told the outlet "Yeah, I'm retired, that's the last of it. Every step of the way has been great. I’ll finally have the time to do some things I’ve always wanted to, take some vacations, ride some powder."

Shaun kept true to his word ... going on a vacation with his famous GF. The two went to Costa Rica ... taking in sights on the beautiful islands at Hacienda Altagracia -- a local luxury resort.

White and Dobrev -- star from the hit  TV show "The Vampire Diaries" -- have been dating for years ... and announced they made it official while quarantining together during the early stages of the pandemic.

Nina considers herself an avid lover of snowboarding -- and, well, her boyfriend happens to be one of the greatest snowboarders in the sport's history.