Stephanie Venier gave host nation Austria its first gold medal of the Alpine skiing world championships by beating the pre-race favorites in the women’s super-G which Lindsey Vonn didn’t finish after hooking a gate on Thursday in Saalbach-Hinterglemm.

Federica Brignone of Italy was 0.10 seconds behind to take the silver medal, and Lauren Macuga of the United States and Kajsa Vickhoff Lie of Norway shared bronzes, 0.24 off the lead.

On a course set by U.S. ski team coach Alex Hoedlmoser, Vonn posted the 16th fastest time at the first split when she hooked a gate with her right arm. She avoided falling and was able to stop but then grasped her arm in apparent pain.

“I am OK, I hit my nerve somehow and I hit the gate and lost feeling in my arm but it’s coming back slowly,” Vonn said after her first appearance at the worlds in six years.

The American said a day before the race she was feeling sick with a cold or the flu.

“I’m sick, I’m a little banged up. I know I skied the top well, I thought. Been playing with my material, my boots ... just I was a little too aggressive to the gate and then it happened.”

She stayed out to join American teammate Macuga in the medal celebrations.

“I am really excited for Lauren, she skied amazing, I’m really proud of her,” Vonn said.

GOLF

Wyndham Clark saved par after hitting his tee shot into the water on the par-4 17th hole and shot a bogey-free 7-under 64 to take a one-shot lead in the first round of the Phoenix Open .

Players were greeted with perfect weather a year after rain turned TPC Scottsdale into a soggy, wild mess.

Clark was the best of the bunch, opening with a birdie and adding four straight starting on No. 8 on a day win in which 24 players shot 68 or better before play was suspended by darkness.

Lee Hodges had two eagles on the back nine — his front — and added three straight birdies starting at No. 1 to shoot 65. He was tied with Taylor Moore, who eagled the par-5 third hole to cap a 7-under stretch in seven holes.

Justin Thomas had six birdies and was among six players who shot 66.

Jennifer Kupcho found more joy in golf in 2024 and she carried that into her first LPGA event this season, shooting a 6-under 65 to share the first-round lead with Nanna Koerstz Madsen at the Founders Cup in Bradenton, Fla..

Kupcho made the turn at 2 under and shot a bogey-free 4-under 31 on the back nine at Bradenton Country Club. She won three times in 2022, including a major at the Chevron Championship, and is winless since. Still, she feels like last season was her most consistent.

A 13-year-old shot 3-over 75 in the first round of the Qatar Masters to give himself a chance of making the weekend in just his second appearance in a European tour event.

Daniil Sokolov, a Russian national who represents Qatar and was in the field courtesy of an invitation, was 2 under after four holes but picked up four bogeys and a double to drop into a tie for 105th when play was suspended at Doha Golf Club with 12 players yet to finish their round.

Sokolov also played the Qatar Masters last year at 12, shooting rounds of 78 and 82 to miss the cut.

In 2013, Chinese player Ye Wo-cheng became the youngest male to compete in a European tour event, at age 12, at the China Open.

Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and Brandon Robinson Thompson were tied for the lead on 6-under par.

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said he met with President Donald Trump at the White House this week as the tour moves closer to finalizing a long-sought investment deal with the Saudi Arabian backers of rival LIV Golf. Monahan said in a statement he and Adam Scott, one of the player directors on the PGA Tour board, met with Trump and asked him to get involved in the negotiations “for the good of the game, the good of the country, and for all the countries involved.”

MLB

Baseball owners voted to install John Seidler, the oldest brother of the late former Padres chairman Peter Seidler, as the team’s control person.

“We’re looking forward to continued stewardship of the Padres by a member of the Seidler family,” Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “And that is really noncontroversial.”

John Seidler is not yet the trustee of Peter Seidler’s trust; such a move is expected in the coming weeks. But the move by MLB owners does come amid controversy — a lawsuit brought by Peter Seidler’s wife.

Sheel Seidler sued brothers-in-law Matthew and Robert Seidler last month, trying to prevent John Seidler from taking control of the team. Sheel Seidler alleged Peter Seidler, who died at 63 on Nov. 14, 2023, wanted her to succeed him as the team’s control person.

Matthew Seidler appointed John Seidler as the control person earlier this offseason, and now that decision has MLB approval.

Outfielder Tommy Pham, who turns 37 next month, joined his 10th major league team, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates worth $4,025,000.

Pham split the 2024 season among the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals, hitting .248 with 20 doubles, nine home runs and 39 RBIs.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Ohio State coach Ryan Day, who led the Buckeyes to the national championship just more than two weeks ago, agreed in principle to a seven-year contract valued at $12.5 million a year, the school announced.

The contract, pending approval by the university’s Board of Trustees, runs through the 2031 season and would make Day the second highest-paid coach in the country behind Georgia’s Kirby Smart. Smart makes $13.3 million per year.

Ryan Grubb is reuniting with Kalen DeBoer as Alabama’s offensive coordinator after they worked together to get Washington to a College Football Playoff title game. Grubb had been the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on DeBoer’s Washington staff from 2022-23.

Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels, a Lawndale native and Lawndale high alum, recently underwent knee surgery and will be limited in spring practice, the school said. Daniels has started 33 games for the Jayhawks and will be returning for his sixth season.

WNBA

The Las Vegas Aces added frontcourt help for MVP A’ja Wilson, signing forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus.

The 6-foot-4 Parker-Tyus was an All-Star with the Atlanta Dream two seasons ago and averaged 15 points and 6.7 rebounds. Her season last year was cut short because of an injured left ankle.

The Golden State Valkyries have their first big free agent signing with Tiffany Hayes joining the expansion franchise. She’s the reigning WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year. Hayes, 35, averaged 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists during her 12-year career, playing with Atlanta, Connecticut and Las Vegas.

The Indiana Fever signed free agent guard Sydney Colson, adding yet another WNBA champion to play behind All-Star point guard Caitlin Clark. Colson spent the last three seasons in Las Vegas, the franchise that has won the last two league titles. She also was a key player on the 2011 NCAA champion Texas A&M Aggies.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Bruce Thornton banked in a 3-pointer from the wing with 7.4 seconds left and Ohio State overcame a 17-point deficit to top No. 18 Maryland 73-70 in Columbus, Ohio. Thornton had 31 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds for the Buckeyes (14-9, 6-6 Big Ten). Julian Reese had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Maryland (17-6, 7-5).

In a women’s game:

NO. 18 TENNESSEE 80, NO. 5 CONNECTICUT 76: Zee Spearman scored 18 points, including a basket with 12 seconds left, to lead the Voluteers (17-5) over the visiting Huskies (21-3).

MISCELLANY

Florida women’s volleyball coach Mary Wise, who has the fourth-most wins in NCAA Division I history, announced her retirement.

Wise, 65, formally ended a 34-year tenure in Gainesville during which she led the Gators to the NCAA Tournament every season. Florida made the Final Four eight times under Wise, including two runner-up finishes and won a league-leading 25 SEC championships.

Howard Twilley, a key receiver for the Miami Dolphins during the team’s perfect 1972 season and a Heisman Trophy runner-up at the Tulsa, has died. He was 81. Twilley died Wednesday, according to a Tulsa spokesperson, who confirmed the death with his family. No cause of death was given.