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American Samoa led by Taulia Tagovailoa stuns U.S. at Flag Football World Championships

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American Samoa's Tai Natani-Othoniel Tiedemann (right) and Taulia Tagovailoa celebrate during the men's match against the U.S.

American Samoa’s Taulia Tagovailoa (left) threw five touchdowns in the team’s win over the U.S. and celebrates with Tai Natani-Othoniel Tiedemann. Ina Fassbender / Getty Images

American Samoa, led by Taulia Tagovailoa, stunned during group play at the IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Düsseldorf, Germany, handing the U.S. its first loss at the event since 2012.

Tagovailoa, the 26-year-old former Maryland quarterback and younger brother of NFL quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, threw five touchdowns and completed 29 of 36 passes for 213 yards in the 38-32 win Friday. The loss ended a 14-year undefeated streak for the men’s U.S. flag football team at the world championships, when Austria defeated the Americans in the final.

The U.S scored the game’s opening touchdown less than two minutes into the first half, but American Samoa answered with two consecutive touchdowns to take a one-score lead. Later in the half, the U.S. took a 13-12 lead after a touchdown and successful two-point conversion. However, American Samoa returned the favor — and then some. It closed the half with a touchdown and two-point conversion, then scored an early second-half touchdown to take a 26-13 lead, its largest of the game after a successful two-point try with 15 minutes remaining.

The U.S. responded with a touchdown on its ensuing possession, but Tagovailoa unleashed two more deep balls that resulted in TDs, sealing the win despite one final U.S. touchdown.

The U.S. bounced back later Friday with a dominating 40-7 win over Australia to advance to the quarterfinals in its final group-play game. The U.S. women, who’ve won the previous three world titles, are 3-0 in group play and will face Germany on Saturday in the quarterfinals.

Flag football will make its Olympic debut at the LA28 Games. The U.S. has already secured two spots as Olympic hosts, so if the U.S. places in the top two in either the men’s or women’s, the bronze-medal-winning team will automatically receive a bid.

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European Athletics Championships 2026: Keely Hodgkinson takes 800m silver behind Swiss rival Audrey Werro

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Keely Hodgkinson was forced to settle for European silver as Switzerland’s Audrey Werro denied the Briton a third consecutive title in a thrilling women’s 800m final in Birmingham.

The most eagerly anticipated event of the championships culminated in the expected three-way battle for supremacy between Hodgkinson, Swiss 22-year-old Werro and Dutch star Femke Broeders-Bol in front of a captivated sellout crowd of 23,000 inside Alexander Stadium.

Seeking to reassert her dominance in the event, Olympic champion Hodgkinson was roared on in pursuit of Werro by her home support but was unable to overhaul her new rival in the closing stages.

Having this season become the fastest athlete since the world record was set 43 years ago, Werro finished strong to land her first major international title in a championship record one minute 54.81 seconds.

While not the medal Hodgkinson had hoped for, silver represented the 24-year-old’s 12th senior international medal since she claimed her first as a teenager at the European Indoor Championships five years ago.

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Werro beats Hodgkinson to win 800m gold

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Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson is unable to defend her 800m European title taking silver behind Switzerland’s Audrey Werro who has too much in the tank down the back straight.

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Hughes takes silver as Ansah wins 200m gold

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Germany’s Owen Ansah wins 200m gold in a time of 19.95 seconds, ahead of Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes who takes silver.

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