FROM 12TH PLACE TO FINALS: VALENTINO GUSELI REWRITES HIS 2026 OLYMPIC STORY
Valentino Guseli snatched a last-minute spot in the 2026 Olympic Big Air final with a miracle 1980 jump in Milano.
Valentino Guseli pulled off something wild at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. He grabbed a last-second chance and somehow turned it into a spot in the men’s snowboard big air final—when, honestly, he wasn’t even supposed to be there.
This 20-year-old Aussie only qualified for the halfpipe. Big air? He figured he’d just be watching. Then, out of nowhere, Canada’s Mark McMorris crashed in training, and suddenly the door swung open. Guseli found out the night before that he might get the call-up. By Thursday evening, he stood at the top of the ramp, everything on the line.
“I was hoping I’d be riding tonight,” Guseli said. “I found out last night there was a chance, and unfortunately, Mark had a bit of a spill and couldn’t compete.”
So there he was. Two qualification runs—73.25 and 71.50. Not bad, but not enough. He needed to break into the top 12, and time was running out. Everything rested on one last shot.
What happened next? It’s the kind of thing you replay in your head for years. Guseli launched himself off the jump, spun a switch backside 1980 with a tailgrab—five and a half dizzying rotations, locked in and soaring. He stomped the landing. The scoreboard flashed 91.50, tying the second-best score of the night.
He couldn’t quite believe it. Arms in the air, snowboard tossed sky-high, teammates lifting him as the news came through: 12th place, the last ticket to the finals. A commentator called it a “miracle in Milano”, and honestly, that pretty much nailed it.
Afterwards, Guseli tried to describe what went through his mind in midair. “I reached a state I haven’t been in for a while—flow state. It all just happened for me,” he said. “Sometimes you drop in, and it’s like you don’t even have to try. The trick just works. I got to the bottom and, like, snapped back into reality. It was pretty crazy.”
His journey hasn’t been easy. Back in Beijing in 2022, he finished sixth in the halfpipe at just 16. He won the FIS Park and Pipe Crystal Globe in both 2023 and 202,4 but then tore his ACL late in 2024. That injury knocked him out of action for almost a year, costing him early qualification chances in big air and slopestyle.
He barely had time to practise this Olympic jump. “By the time I did my last jump, I’d only hit this jump 10 times,” he said. “Usually, you’ve hit it 50 or 60 times before you compete. So to make finals now—I’m just so stoked. Definitely one of the top moments of my life.”
Right before that final run, there was a moment of doubt. His dad—who’s also his coach—suggested he might need to go even bigger to get the score. For a second, Guseli hesitated. “I thought, ‘I’m not going to try a Hail Mary and get destroyed,’” he admitted. “Then I thought, ‘It’s the Olympics, man.’”
Now he’s into Saturday’s big air final, rewriting his own Olympic story. He’ll also compete in the halfpipe, where he’s a real medal threat alongside Scotty James.
And there’s something special about doing all this in Italy—his father’s homeland. “Out of all the Olympics I’ll do, this is the one I want to do best in,” Guseli said earlier. “It’s the closest thing to a home Olympics I’ll ever have.”
GILBERT ARENAS RIPS LAKERS AFTER "DISAPPOINTING" LUKE KENNARD TRADE DEADLINE MOVE
Gilbert Arenas slams the Lakers' trade for Luke Kennard as JJ Redick prepares to unleash the 50% shooter in a new 2026 rotation.
On Thursday, February 5, the Lakers made a move and brought in Luke Kennard. He’s known for his shooting, and honestly, they need the extra floor spacing in JJ Redick’s rotation.
Right after the news broke, Gilbert Arenas didn’t hold back on social media. He sounded off about the trade, almost like he’d had enough.
“At this point, I’m just going to take matters into my own hands. Every hooper that can still hoop, we’re going to go down to Crypto Centre and just try out because at this point they’re allowing anybody on the team,” Arenas said. “What happened to the names? The names made the Lakers… He was a Clipper before! “Fuck him!”
Arenas probably wanted a bigger, flashier move at the deadline—he’s not alone. A lot of Lakers fans felt the same. Even so, Kennard does make the team better. The Lakers have been struggling from deep all year, and Kennard’s shooting should help.
After 50 games, the Lakers rank 21st in three-point percentage, hitting 34.9% on nearly 34 attempts a night. Kennard isn’t just a shooter, either. He can handle the ball a bit, maybe open up the offence with some playmaking, which the Lakers could use when the first option breaks down.
Redick seemed genuinely excited after the Lakers’ 119-115 win over the Sixers. At the postgame press conference, he talked about what Kennard brings.
“I’m excited about Luke,” Redick said. “I’ve known him for about 12 years now, and I think he’s one of the best shooters in the NBA. I’m going to highly encourage him to shoot more and not turn down shots.”
He went on: “One of the underrated parts of his game is his ability to move and create second actions—move the basketball. You’ve seen that at different spots he’s been. You can start the offence with off-ball movement, and he’ll make the right play. He gets the offence moving.”
Kennard played 46 games with the Hawks this season, averaging 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He’s been lights out from three—almost 50% on 3.2 attempts per game. With Redick pushing him to shoot even more, expect that number to go up.
Now that the trade deadline has passed, the Lakers are looking at the buyout market. Haywood Highsmith’s name has come up as a possible target.
Edwin Garcia from Silver Screen and Roll sees Highsmith as a perfect fit. Highsmith had knee surgery after getting traded to the Nets last offseason, had a setback, and hasn’t played this year. The Nets just waived him Thursday morning, but he’s reportedly playing 5-on-5 again and drawing interest. Last season, he averaged 6.5 points and shot 38% from three with the Heat. Shooting like that doesn’t come around often in the buyout market, so if Highsmith’s healthy, he’s interesting.
Rob Pelinka will check out all the options, of course. But on paper, Highsmith could fill a lot of the three-and-d gaps the Lakers have right now.
AARON JONES PUBLICLY RECRUITS AARON RODGERS TO MINNESOTA VIKINGS FOR 2026
Aaron Jones is recruiting Aaron Rodgers to the Vikings, but with Minnesota’s cap issues, will the veteran RB even be there in 2026?
Aaron Jones isn’t hiding it—he’d love to play with Aaron Rodgers again. When someone asked him about Rodgers’ future, Jones just said, “I like him in Minnesota.” That’s straight from VikingzFanPage.
Let’s be real, Jones doesn’t sound too sold on J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings’ current quarterback. Last year, McCarthy threw more picks than touchdowns—12 interceptions to just 11 TDs. Not exactly inspiring confidence.
If you’re a Packers fan, you’ve seen a version of this before. Brett Favre left Green Bay and landed in Minnesota, and back then, that was a big deal. But with Rodgers, it just doesn’t feel the same. The idea of him in purple isn’t really scary.
Here’s the thing: Jones is probably trying to recruit Rodgers to a team he won’t even play for. The Vikings could save $8 million in cap space by cutting Jones, who’s 31 now. Minnesota’s strapped for cash—only one team has less cap space—so nobody should be shocked if they move on from him this offseason.
Even if by some twist Jones stays and Rodgers joins, don’t expect a magical Packers reunion in Minnesota. Rodgers just wrapped up a pretty average season with the Steelers—3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, seven picks, and a 94.8 passer rating. That’s a far cry from the MVP Rodgers we remember in Green Bay. Honestly, the Packers made the right call when they moved on.
With or without Rodgers, the Vikings are still the least threatening team in the NFC North for Green Bay. The Bears just won the division. The Lions are stacked. Even if Minnesota keeps Jones and somehow brings in Rodgers, it doesn’t change much for the Packers. At this stage in their careers, nobody’s losing sleep over it.
If Rodgers ever comes back to the NFC North, it should only be for a one-day deal so he can retire as a Packer. He brought so much to Green Bay, including that Super Bowl win in 2010. Seeing him in another NFC North jersey? Just wrong.
But if Jones gets his wish and Rodgers ends up in Minnesota, the Packers shouldn’t even flinch. Rodgers and Jones aren’t what they used to be. Their joining forces in Minnesota would just feel desperate, nothing more.