Olympics

American singer and songwriter Phillip Phillips was 21 years old when he was crowned the "American Idol" season 11 champ back in 2012. Not only did his winning song "Home" become a top-seller in "American Idol" history, but the track was used to cover the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The singer has performed live on "Good Morning America" and "The Today Show", as well as late-night TV shows, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno." He's also opened shows for top players in the music game like John Mayer and Matchbox Twenty.

"Just know you're not alone, 'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home."

Former Team USA track star Tori Bowie was found dead inside her home, TMZ Sports has learned ... after her loved ones told cops they were concerned they hadn't heard from her in several days.

According to the Orange County Sheriff's Office in Florida, officers conducted a well-being check at Bowie's home Tuesday afternoon. When authorities arrived at the residence, they made entry ... and found the three-time Olympic medalist deceased. A preliminary investigation showed no foul play was involved.

A cause and manner of death are not yet known -- the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office tells us they're still investigating the matter.

Bowie's management team said Wednesday they were crushed to learn of her passing.

"We've lost a client, dear friend, daughter and sister," the agency said. "Tori was a champion … a beacon of light that shined so bright! We're truly heartbroken and our prayers are with the family and friends."

Bowie -- a two-time NCAA long jump champion who won three medals at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil -- was just 32 years old.

Tori Bowie, a track and field athlete who won three Olympic medals for Team USA, is dead.

Tori was found deceased Tuesday in Florida, but the cause of death remains unclear.

Her management team released a statement Wednesday morning confirming the tragic news, saying they're "devastated" over her passing.

"We've lost a client, dear friend, daughter and sister," the sports agency said. "Tori was a champion…a beacon of light that shined so bright! We're truly heartbroken and our prayers are with the family and friends."

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, Tori won three medals ... including one gold as a member of the women's 4x100 meter relay team. Tori also earned a silver in the 100-meter dash, plus a bronze in the 200-meter dash.

Before her Team USA triumphs, Tori was a standout track star in college at the University of Southern Mississippi ... where she was a two-time NCAA long jump champion in both indoor and outdoor track.

The year after her three-medal performance at the Rio Olympics, Tori became the world's fastest woman ... winning the 100-meter dash at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London with a blistering time of 10.85 seconds.

In addition to her athletic success, Tori also modeled ... she was featured in a Valentino campaign and also posed for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue.

Tori was 32.

Michael Phelps was swimming in EDM this weekend -- and even though he wasn't in the water ... the dude found a reason to lose his shirt anyway.

The all-time Olympian -- who's got 23 gold medals to his name -- was on hand Saturday night at the XS Nightclub within the Wynn Las Vegas resort ... and he was in partying mood, which was only facilitated further with Diplo in the DJ booth and a packed crowd.

Mike and Diplo bro'd out behind the turntables ... and it looks like MP got so hyped, he ended up going bare-chested amid al the festivities. Maybe he was celebrating a bet on Gervonta Davis -- who won a big boxing match against Ryan Garcia earlier in the night.

Speaking of fighters ... Mr. Conor McGregor was also in attendance, and Phelps got in a battle pose with the guy. He also smiled for the camera alongside Travis Kelce!

There was even more star power in the crowd ... Sabrina Carpenter, Dixie Damelio and Loren Gray -- not to mention Michael B. Jordan, Chace Crawford, David Dobrik and others.

Of course, there were even more A-listers who were front and center for the fight itself ... these are just a handful of celebs who decided to rage after the fact at this particular club.

Bella Mir is just a freshman at Iowa, but she's already a bonafide badass on the wrestling mat, and although it's likely years away, Frank Mir's daughter says she knows where she's going -- the UFC!

19-year-old Mir, already a top 10 ranked wrestler in her weight class, recently showed out at the USA Wrestling national championships in Washington ... securing a spot on the under-20 team.

"Obviously the endgame is to fight and be in the UFC," Bella told us earlier this week.

Mir, while not signed to the UFC, is already in business with Dana White's organization ... the MMA promotion signed Bella to a NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) deal back in January.

Of course, Bella's dad Frank is a 2x UFC heavyweight champ who beat the likes of Brock Lesnar. So, apple, tree.

Although Bella (a 4x state champ in Nevada and 2022 American jiu-jitsu champ) isn't in the UFC just yet, she is fighting MMA professionally, securing a 3-0 record. Two of her fights ended in the first round, while her first fight was won by unanimous decision.

Mir says she was scheduled to fight this summer (on the same card as Dad!) ... but since she's made the Junior USA Wrestling team, Bella now has a choice to make.

"Right now I'm actually in a predicament cause this summer I was supposed to fight twice. One in June, one in August. But now my summer plans have changed a little bit cause I made the world team so now I'm going to worlds, and I'm going to Spain, I'm doing all these camps."

"It's like I actually have to talk to Dad today and talk to him about what my summer looks like cause being a multisport athlete is pretty hard."

We also asked Bella about the Olympics ... and whether gold was something she had her sights set on.

"Of course. I think every girl's dream is wrestling is going to the Olympics, go to Worlds. They're the top 2 dreams. That's always been a dream of mine. Being an Olympian, that's one of a kind. Less than one percent of athletes are Olympians, and of course, that is something I think about all the time."

And, Mir just took a big step towards achieving her lifelong dreams.

Russia's men's basketball team will not be allowed to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the International Basketball Federation ruled Tuesday ... as the killing in Ukraine continues.

FIBA decided to not permit the Russian squad from participating in upcoming qualifying tournaments ... meaning the team will not play in the Olympics.

Bulgaria, the next highest-ranked team, will be given Russia's place.

It's not exactly a shocker ... FIBA suspended Russia from competing shortly after the attack on Ukraine in early 2022, when President Vladimir Putin's forces invaded the sovereign country. The fighting continues to this day.

So, the decision was expected, but nothing was official until today.

FYI, it's not that the Russian women have been granted permission ... they already missed out on qualifying due to their team being suspended over the war.

Despite today's ruling (and similar rulings made by other governing bodies), individual Russian athletes can still compete, but they can't rep Russia (they're essentially neutral -- countryless).

Ultimately, 12 teams will make the Olympic tourney and compete for gold ... but Russia won't be one of those teams.

Lolo Jones has some strong (albeit playful) words for Shaquille O'Neal after the NBA legend called Angel Reese LSU's G.O.A.T. ... telling TMZ Sports Diesel had to be "high" when he made the statement.

Jones -- who starred for LSU's track team before competing in BOTH the Summer and Winter Olympics -- got wind of O'Neal referring to Reese as the greatest athlete to ever come out of Baton Rouge on his 'Big Podcast' this week, and she vehemently disagreed with her fellow Tigers alum.

In fact, she seemed to think Shaq wasn't in his right mind since undergoing surgery last month.

"Shaq knew what he was doing," Jones said. "Shaq's just bored. He's coming off hip surgery. He's chilling at home. I think Shaq, honestly, is high on some pain medicines. The list is so big with LSU."

Jones -- a decorated hurdler and bobsledder -- feels Shaq was trying to stir the pot by saying Reese is LSU's top-ranked athlete ... knowing that it makes for good "water cooler talk."

"So, for Shaq to have the audacity to say 'she's the best ever,'" Jones continued, "I'm like, 'Bro, chill on the pain meds,' because that list is arduous. So long."

Jones -- who won three NCAA titles and earned 11 All-American honors as an LSU Tiger -- said she wouldn't put herself at the top of the list of the university's G.O.A.T. athletes.

But, don't get it twisted -- Lolo told us she isn't disrespecting Reese ... saying, "We're not hating on Angel. We love to see it. She's cooking. Let her keep cooking. But I'm telling you, LSU track and field is the powerhouse for that university."

Before this flexible kiddo was hittin' the splits at the Olympics and one to reckon with in the fashion industry, she was just flippin' around Dallas, Texas with big dreams of becoming Olympic champ one day!

Following in the footsteps of her parents, both world-class gymnasts, this blondie tied her hair back, threw on her favorite pink leotard and owned the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Today, she enjoys all things fashion, being a social media influencer and working on various business ventures.

Need one more clue? Just ask her bestie and fellow Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson.

The romance between Jake Paul and Jutta Leerdam has taken the next step -- the two are now IG official!!

The Dutch speed skater posted three pics of her and the YouTuber-turned-star-boxer in announcing their relationship status ... one of which showed the two holding hands on a boat.

Jake, meanwhile, threw up two photos of the couple on recent dates ... confirming their relationship as well.

"Im Dutch now," Paul wrote in his caption.

"That's it," Jutta said in hers.

Paul also shared a snap of the two on his IG stories Monday -- showing the couple cuddled up on a beach somewhere.

Of course, Paul was most recently linked to model Julia Rose until last year ... and Jutta previously dated fellow speed skater Koen Verweij.

We broke the story, 26-year-old Paul and 24-year-old Leerdam were spotted kissing on a dinner date in Miami last month ... but it was unclear if it was anything more than just two, hot young people enjoying each other's company.

Seems we've now got our answer ... and we're here for all of it!

There's a new lady in Jake Paul's life -- the Problem Child was packing on the PDA with beautiful Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam while on a dinner date on Tuesday ... TMZ Sports has learned.

A witness at the venue tells us the 6-1 boxer and 24-year-old world champion were spotted getting cozy at LPM Restaurant in Miami ... and apparently kissing was on the menu, 'cause the two couldn't keep their lips off each other.

Our sources say 26-year-old Jake and Jutta met through Instagram late last year and began talking over the past couple months ... which evolved to spending a good amount of time together in Florida recently.

In fact, Jutta is slated to appear on the internet superstar's "B.S. With Jake Paul" podcast ... which she teased on social media earlier this week.

If you're not familiar with Leerdam, she's a superstar sprinter on the ice -- she won an Olympic silver medal in the women's 1000m race in Beijing in 2022, and has numerous world championships under her belt as well.

Jutta previously dated fellow speed skater Koen Verweij before splitting in August 2022 ... and Jake was famously tied to model Julia Rose until late last year as well.

It's unclear the current "status" of Jake and Jutta's relationship ... but they're both single, wildly successful and good-looking, so whatever it is -- it seems to be a great match!!!

Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson just revealed her children's school was placed on lockdown as the Nashville shooting went down nearby ... and while her two kids are safe and back home, she's devastated for the families who can't say the same.

The former Team USA star shared the terrifying update on Monday ... saying, "I haven't been able to catch my breath since reading the news and getting a call from our school that they were on lockdown as well given the news. Shaking. Crying. Heartbroken. Horrific."

"Our babies are now home with us. I feel lucky and blessed but still so incredibly sad. No parent or family should ever have to deal with this."

Johnson -- who is married to former NFL player Andrew East -- detailed her chaotic experience ... saying she witnessed ambulances, police cruisers and buses full of kids being taken to safety, as well as frantic parents searching for their loved ones.

"Today has changed me," she added.

Johnson and East have two children together -- 3-year-old Drew and 1-year-old Jett.

At least three children and three adults were killed at The Covenant School in Nashville ... as well as the alleged shooter, who is being described as a 28-year-old woman.

"Praying for the families whose baby won't be coming home from school today and the families who have lost a piece of themselves," Johnson added.

Shaun White and Finneas have Selena Gomez to thank for their bromance ... so says the snowboarding legend himself, who tells TMZ Sports he first met his buddy at the actress/singer's birthday party -- and they've been tight ever since!!

We spoke with White out at LAX this week -- fresh off his snowy adventures on the slopes with Billie Eilish's older bro/music collaborator and their girlfriends -- and he gave us a breakdown of the "Naked" artist's skills following his first time on a snowboard.

"He made turns first day!" White said of Finneas' progress ... joking, "I held his hand a little."

Naturally, we asked how the guys linked up to begin with ... and Shaun admits it was simply bumping into each other at the bar while celebrating Selena's big day (unclear when this interaction went down, but Selena's birthday is July 22).

After that, White invited Finneas to join him for some lessons in the mountains ... and he accepted!!

White says he actually enjoys giving his friends pointers ... 'cause it helps him tune his own skills at the same time!!

Yianni Diakomihalis, 4x NCAA Freestyle Wrestling National Champion, tells TMZ Sports there's a distinct possibility he gets into MMA ... BUT, not before he makes a run at the United States Olympic team, where he's gunning for gold!

23-year-old Diakomihalis is without exaggeration one of the most decorated collegiate wrestlers of all time, becoming just the fifth competitor to win the title four times. The question now has become ... what's next?

"It's a super time, right, coming off a really big milestone in my life and now I have a lot of opportunities presented to me. Obviously, for me, that ultimate goal of being Olympic champ is right in front of me. That's the big thing on my mind right now," Yianni told us.

Diakomihalis continued, explaining the personal importance of the Olympics.

"It's been my dream since I was a little kid like that, and it's something that I don't think I could turn away from and go compete in something else."

FYI, Yianni won the NCAA title at 141 lbs. in 2018 and 2019. After a redshirt season, he won the title at 149 lbs. in 2022 and 2023.

The next Summer Games are in 2024 in France ... where Yianni hopes he'll represent the USA.

We asked him if he was considering transitioning to MMA after the 2024 Games.

"I got a ton of respect for a guy who makes a living getting in there and getting punched in the face. That's an incredibly difficult and tough thing to do. It's one of those things that sounds super cool, sounds like it would be fun to try. I can't imagine not pursuing [the Olympics]. Who knows what's gonna happen in the future, what might change, but right now that's what's really at the forefront of my mind."

Of course, we've seen uber-successful wrestlers like Henry Cejudo (Olympic gold medal winner), Bo Nickal (3x NCAA champ), and others who have successfully transitioned from wrestling to MMA. On the other hand, a wrestling star like Jordan Burroughs opted to never take a punch or kick to the face in a cage.

We also talked to the 4x champ, politics aside, about President Donald Trump attending the NCAA Finals ... and YD believes it's a big plus for the sport, as it's bringing new eyeballs to freestyle wrestling.

Warning, this isn't for the faint of heart! Olympian Lolo Jones showed off a nasty injury after an incident on the track ... which left her shin bone peaking out of her skin!

The 40-year-old hurdler and bobsledder shared videos and a photo with her IG followers on Thursday ... with the caption, "my bone sticking thru my shin."

"Trainers taking me to get X-ray see if I need surgery."

Jones didn't provide much more detail on what caused the gruesome injury except to say she was on the track when it happened, and it's GROSS!

"This hurt more than a bobsled crash," Jones said. "I would take a Bobsled crash at 90 mph over seeing my shin bone again."

There's good news, though, Jones later said she doesn't need surgery. Doctors wrapped the area and gave her a little scooter to ride around during recovery.

Of course, bone-through-skin incidents are not new to sports ... and are some of the most traumatic injuries.

Remember Louisville basketball player Kevin Ware's open fracture during the NCAA Tourney's Elite Eight in 2013?! Then there were Paul George and Gordon Hayward.

In those cases, the players were able to come back. Add to it that Lolo's seems to be far less serious, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see her kickin' ass on the track sometime very soon.

Speedy recovery, Lolo!

Snowboarding stars Shaun White and Toby Miller took a break from shredding the gnar to share their knowledge with a newbie this week -- Finneas -- and by looking at footage of the lessons, he didn't suck!!

The singer-songwriter/Billie Eilish's older bro and his actress girlfriend, Claudia Sulewski, hit the slopes with The Flying Tomato and his girlfriend, Nina Dobrev, while in Aspen this week to celebrate the one year anniversary of Shaun's snowboard company, Whitespace ... and it looked like a helluva time.

The "Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa" crooner only posted one clip from the training session, but he was able to keep his balance as he made his way down a gradual decline ... with Miller spotting him from behind.

"Very ridiculous that my first time snowboarding ever I got to learn from Shaun White and Toby Miller but I am not complaining!!!" Finneas said on Instagram.

No word on if it was Claudia's first time as well ... but she also appeared to be in great spirits throughout the trip.

Finneas has a ton of Grammys and other awards in his trophy case ... but is an X Games medal next??

Tyreek Hill's very fast ... for a football player, according to U.S. track star Christian Coleman who tells us Cheetah's 60-meter run was "impressive," but not world-class.

27-year-old Coleman -- the fastest man to ever run the 60m (6.34 seconds) -- joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... and was asked for a scouting report on 29-year-old Hill's performance at the USA Track Masters Indoor Championship event in Louisville, KY on Saturday.

"In my opinion it was impressive. Major respect for getting out there and actually running," Coleman said, adding ... "I would say for a season opener, 6.70, I don't know when's the last time he actually ran. So, it's pretty impressive to me."

As you can see, Hill easily won the race, though Tyreek wasn't running against elite racers, and that was clear. Ty DUSTED them.

"He knew what he was doing going to a masters event," Coleman said. "Not going up against real pros who might have a chance to beat him."

Tyreek's not exactly a fish out of water on the track. He was a real deal track star in high school, winning 2 state titles as a sprinter. He was even named an All-American. Hill also competed for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, finishing 6th in the 200-meter (20.14) at trials. But, that was 10+ years ago.

It's also worth noting, while only 5'10", Hill's very stocky. Obviously, muscle is heavy, and carrying around weight makes running fast difficult.

We asked Coleman, who set the 60m world record in 2018, what the Dolphin's wide receiver's ceiling would be if he were to concentrate solely on track.

"I think if he kept training and I think if he actually dedicated himself to lifting for track and set himself up to actually peak, I think he can go down to the 6.5 low range for sure."

A respectable time ... but Christian makes it clear, "I don't think he'd ever be able to beat me."

And, Coleman's willing to prove it on the track. The former 2x world champion and former 100-meter king says he's down to run against Cheetah, with proceeds going to charity.

"I would be up for the race. If I was him I wouldn't take the race. I would love to maybe set something up, if we could do something for charity. I would be down for the race," Christian said.

As for the distance ... CC, who once ran a 4.12 40-yard dash -- says Hill can pick.