Olympics

Mattress Mack is hoping his family's generous contribution toward Mary Lou Retton's medical expenses leads to more donations for the Olympics legend ... telling TMZ Sports it's the least they could do.

Mack -- real name Jim McIngvale -- and his wife, Linda, wrote a check for $50,000 to assist with the gold medalist's hospital bills as she remains in the ICU with a rare form of pneumonia.

We spoke with Mack -- who owns Gallery Furniture in Texas -- about his family's decision to step up in such a big way ... and he said they have been fans since before she became a household name at the 1984 Olympic Games.

"We followed Mary Lou since her career in Houston," Mack said. "My wife and I have always been a huge support of Béla and Márta Károlyi's gymnastics team. My son worked out with them on the team for years, my daughter did as well."

"Mary Lou was always a shining point of light, as George Bush would say, and we pray for Mary Lou's recovery and the $50,000 is the least we could do to help an American icon get better."

In fact, Mack said Linda went through a similar health scare when she suffered a severe lung infection from pneumonia a year ago ... and now that she's doing much better, he hopes the same happens for Mary Lou.

"My parents taught me, and I try to teach my children, and Linda certainly lives that life, that the essence of living is giving," Mack added. "People get in a hard spot, let's help 'em out because one of these days, all of us will be in a hard spot. We're thrilled to help our Mary Lou, we pray for her speedy recovery and, again, I've lived my life by that motto -- 'the essence of living is giving.'"

2:44 PM PT -- La hija de Mary Lou Retton, McKenna Kelley, acaba de actualizar a sus fans sobre su madre a través de Instagram, diciendo que ella todavía está en la UCI y sigue luchando. "¡Ella está recibiendo una atención médica increíble! Gracias a todos los médicos y enfermeras".

Kelley, junto con sus tres hermanas Skyla, Shayla y Emma, también agradecieron a todos por su amor y apoyo. "Pedimos que continúen las oraciones y los pensamientos positivos para nuestra mamá".

¡El SpotFundMe también ha aumentado a más de $285k!

9:29 AM PT -- La recaudación de fondos para Mary Lou Retton ha llegado a un cuarto de millón de dólares, gracias a la donación de Linda, la esposa del famoso empresario de Texas, Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, quien aportó la asombrosa suma de $50.000.

La leyenda de los Juegos Olímpicos, Mary Lou Retton, está recibiendo un tremendo apoyo financiero para hacer frente a un grave problema de salud. La ex deportista lleva recaudados más de $181k en donaciones.

Como informamos anteriormente, la medallista de oro ha estado luchando por su vida en la UCI, en donde está siendo tratada por una "forma muy rara de neumonía", según informa su hija. Actualmente, ella es incapaz de respirar por sí misma.

Teniendo en cuenta que Mary Lou, de 55 años, no tiene seguro médico, la familia abrió una página en SpotFund para ayudar con las facturas médicas, y poco después de que la recaudación de fondos se pusiera en marcha superó su objetivo de 50.000 dólares.

De hecho, hasta el miércoles por la mañana, la causa había recaudado más del triple de su objetivo inicial y solo sigue aumentando.

Hasta el momento, más de 3.900 personas han donado para ayudar con los gastos de Retton, y muchos han compartido palabras de apoyo hacia la gimnasta y su familia.

Retton es una de las gimnastas olímpicas estadounidenses más populares de los años 80. En 1984 ganó la medalla de oro en el all-around (que considera la sumatoria de todas las pruebas por aparato), así como un par de medallas de plata y bronce.

Ahora todos sus fans a lo largo del país la están apoyando nuevamente.

2:44 PM PT -- Mary Lou Retton's daughter, McKenna Kelley, just updated fans about her mom via Instagram ... saying she's still in the ICU and continues to fight.

"She is getting incredible medical care! Thank you to all the doctors and nurses!"

Kelley -- along with her three sisters Skyla, Shayla, and Emma -- also thanked everyone for their love and support.

"We ask for continued prayers and positive thoughts for our mom."

The SpotFundMe has also increased to over $285k!

9:29 AM PT -- The fundraiser for Mary Lou Retton has now hit a quarter-million dollars ... with famous Texas businessman Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale's wife, Linda donating an astounding $50,000.

The financial support is pouring in for Olympics legend Mary Lou Retton ... with more than $181k in donations being collected as she battles a serious medical issue.

As we previously reported, the gold medalist has been in the ICU fighting for her life as she deals with a "very rare form of pneumonia," according to her daughter ... and she is currently unable to breathe on her own.

Considering 55-year-old MLR is uninsured, the family started a SpotFund page to help with medical bills ... and shortly after the fundraiser went live, it shattered its goal of $50,000.

In fact, the cause has raised more than triple the original goal as of Wednesday morning ... and it only continues to rise.

So far, more than 3,900 people have donated to Retton's expenses ... with many leaving words of support for the gymnast and her family.

Retton is one of the most popular American Olympians from the '80s ... earning gold in the all-around, as well as a pair of silver and bronze medals, in 1984.

Now, her fans throughout the country are pulling for her once again.

Mary Lou Retton -- an Olympic gold-winning gymnast  -- is currently fighting for her life in the ICU ... this according to her daughter, who says her mom is battling a rare form of pneumonia.

McKenna Kelley shared the sad news on Tuesday via her Instagram story with a photo of a SpotFund account that she started for Retton's medical costs.

"Please help my mom continue to fight," Kelley said in the post.

The fundraiser says the 55-year-old former athlete is unable to breathe on her own due to the rare form of pneumonia.

"Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details," Keller said on the page. "However, I will disclose that she not insured."

"We ask that if you could help in any way, that 1) you PRAY! and 2) if you could help us with finances for the hospital bill."

Kelley added, "ANYTHING, absolutely anything, would be so helpful for my family and my mom. Thank y’all so very much!"

The fundraiser has a goal of $50k and as of Tuesday, over 79 donors have contributed.

"If anyone can WIN we know it’s YOU! GEAUX MARYLOU!" one fan said on the page. "We are praying hard for you from La!"

Retton was a massive star in gymnastics ... in fact, she made history as the first American woman to win the all-around gold in the 1984 Olympics. She also won two silvers and bronzes that same year.

After retiring, she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997 and was the first woman to be selected into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.

Mary Lou Retton —una gimnasta ganadora del oro olímpico— está actualmente luchando por su vida en la UCI, esto de acuerdo a su hija, quien dice que su madre está luchando contra una forma rara de neumonía.

McKenna Kelley compartió la triste noticia el martes a través de su historia de Instagram con una foto de una cuenta SpotFund que ella comenzó para los gastos médicos de Retton.

"Por favor, ayuden a mi mamá a seguir luchando", dijo Kelley en el post.

La recaudación de fondos dice que la ex atleta de 55 años no puede respirar por sí misma debido a la rara forma de neumonía.

"Por respeto a ella y a su privacidad, no revelaré todos los detalles", dijo Keller en la página. "Sin embargo, revelaré que ella no tiene seguro".

"Les pedimos que si pueden ayudar de alguna manera, que 1) ¡OREN! y 2) si pueden ayudarnos con las finanzas para la factura del hospital".

Kelley añadió: "CUALQUIER cosa, absolutamente cualquier cosa, sería de gran ayuda para mi familia y mi madre. Muchísimas gracias a todos".

La recaudación de fondos tiene una meta de $50k, y hasta el martes, más de 79 donantes han contribuido.

"¡Si alguien puede GANAR sabemos que eres TÚ! GEAUX MARYLOU!", dijo un fan en la página. "¡Estamos rezando mucho por ti desde Los Ángeles!".

Retton era una reconocida estrella en la gimnasia, de hecho, hizo historia como la primera mujer estadounidense en ganar el oro en los Juegos Olímpicos de 1984. También ganó dos medallas de plata y bronce ese mismo año.

Después de retirarse, fue incluida en el Salón Internacional de la Fama de la Gimnasia en 1997 y fue la primera mujer en ser seleccionada en el Salón de la Fama de los Deportes de Houston en 2020.

Tyreek Hill has a ring, now he wants a medal! 🥇

Flag football was proposed as one of a handful of new sports that could be coming to the 2028 Summer Olympics ... and Cheetah's aiming to put together an Avengers-like all-star squad and win gold!

"Calling all NFL guys let's bring one home," the 29-year-old tweeted in response to the news on Monday.

It's not a done deal just yet ... flag football, in addition to baseball/softball, lacrosse, cricket and squash will be voted on by the International Olympic Committee in the coming days.

Assuming FF gets enough votes, it'll debut in five years in the City of Angels, and Hill clearly wants to represent the U.S.

Hill would be 34 when the Games commence.

Professional flag football leagues do exist, but it's hard to imagine anyone being better than Tyreek and his fellow NFL stars.

Sure, there's no need for Trent Williams ... but, imagine Cheetah, Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase -- scary!

In fact, we've seen what Hill can do sans pads ... Tyreek took on an entire women's flag team last year, and was unstoppable, all by himself.

Caitlyn Jenner parece decidida a pasar el resto de su vida sola. Asegura que el romance no está en sus futuros planes.

La ex atleta olímpica habló sobre su vida amorosa en una entrevista con The Times, diciendo que no está saliendo en este momento y que no tiene ningún problema en mantenerse así.

Aquí está su cita: "Estoy bien. Ni siquiera estoy cerca de buscar una relación. Nunca voy a tener una relación en el futuro. Simplemente no veo eso en mi vida. No es algo que estoy buscando". Caitlyn añade que está "muy soltera" y bastante contenta por el momento.

En cuanto a la soledad, Caitlyn dice está muy lejos de eso, citando a sus perros como buena compañía, por no hablar de su gran familia, con la que todavía está en buenos términos diciendo: "Cada noche de la semana podría ir a casa de alguien a cenar".

Caitlyn termina señalando que hace muchas cosas para mantenerse ocupada (pasatiempos y panoramas) y que ella está en el momento de su vida que se llama "diversión". Sin embargo, señala que otros capítulos pueden aparecer en el camino. En otras palabras, mantiene la mente abierta.

Caitlyn Jenner is on track to spend the rest of her life by herself -- because romance just isn't in the cards for her ... so says CJ herself.

The former Olympian dished about her love life in an interview with The Times -- saying she's not dating right now ... and that she might not even date ever again, 'cause she apparently doesn't see or need that in her future going forward.

Here's her quote ... "I’m fine. I’m not even close to looking for a relationship. I’ll never have a relationship in the future. I just don’t see that in my life. I am not looking for that." Caitlyn adds she's "very single" and quite content with that status at the moment.

As far as loneliness, CJ says she doesn't experience it ... citing her dogs as good enough company -- not to mention her big family, with whom she suggests she's still on good terms with ... saying, "Every night of the week I could go to somebody’s house and have dinner."

Caitlyn ends her thoughts on her romantic life by noting she does a lot to keep herself busy -- hobbies and such -- and that she's simply in her "fun" chapter in life ... while noting other chapters may follow down the road. In other words, she's keeping an open mind.

The last person Caitlyn was rumored to have been involved with was Sophia Hutchins -- but they've since distanced themselves from that speculation ... saying there's no "hanky panky."

Isaiah Thomas is hell-bent on continuing his career in the NBA ... telling TMZ Sports his No. 1 -- and only -- plan right now is getting back into the Association.

"My only option is the league," Thomas said while out at LAX this month. "For sure."

The former Boston Celtics star, though, said right now there hasn't been much movement on his quest to land on a team. But, he told us he is staying patient.

"Just waiting it out," said the 34-year-old, who last played for the Charlotte Hornets in the 2021-22 season. "Staying ready to be on an NBA roster."

Of course, there are other pro leagues outside the NBA that Thomas could thrive in -- including the EuroLeague, the Australian National Basketball League and the Chinese Basketball Association ... but the two-time All-Star made it clear he wants to see NBA hardwoods only.

We also talked to Thomas about his former teammate, LeBron James, recruiting players for the 2024 Olympics following the country's loss in this year's FIBA World Cup semifinals ... and he told us if LBJ gets the guys he wants, it should be an easy win for Team USA.

Jonathan Owens is firing back at a fan who said his wife, Simone Biles, was a complete jerk while out on a recent shopping trip ... saying the accusations are all a lie.

The fan claimed the unpleasant run-in with the gymnastics star happened several months ago at a makeup store she had been working at.

In a series of tweets, the woman said Biles was "so f***ing rude" ... and, at one point during the shopping spree, denied her coworker a picture with her daughter while at check out.

She claimed Biles said at the time, "Absolutely not. Your daughter is 4 she doesn't even know me." She also said the 26-year-old complained to the store manager about being watched while she was perusing through items.

"For months after," the woman wrote in one of her tweets, "every time I'd see new about her and they would call her sweet I just recall how mean she was for no reason. When she left we all were like 'what the f*** just happened.'"

But, Owens -- the Green Bay Packers defensive back who married Biles earlier this year -- called cap on the story in his own series of posts on X on Thursday ... saying Biles is the "sweetest person in the world."

"Spreading lies on the internet is crazy," he said. "It's okay for her to deny a picture. People don't understand sometimes you just want to shop in peace, if she stops and takes one picture people will just keep following her and won’t leave us alone."

"And another thing," he continued, "I've never heard her talk to someone like that, especially to someone who asked her for a picture, like why would you try to make her look like that."

"I’m not going for that, I don't play bout my baby."

Lindsey Vonn went from shredding the gnar to icing down her backside real quick on Tuesday ... 'cause she was attacked by a jellyfish several minutes into a wakesurfing sesh.

The former Olympic skier said the incident happened as she was trying to get up on her board while out somewhere on a large body of water.

"I literally rode over it," she said on her social media page.

The 38-year-old told her followers that the jellyfish bit and stung her so badly ... it caused her left hamstring to swell up and turn red. Eventually, it morphed into more of a road-rash-like wound.

Thankfully, after asking her fans for remedies, she seems to be doing better now ... even getting in a joke about it all on Wednesday.

"Think it’s gonna leave a mark for a while … 🤕," she said, "at least I caught some waves before!"

Of course, Vonn is no stranger to dealing with pain ... she just had yet another surgery on her knee back in July -- and has rehabbed from that just fine.

Justin Gatlin is officially retired from competing, but that doesn't mean the USA track legend's done running ... in fact, the Olympic gold medalist is currently perfecting his 40-yard dash, and believes he can run a blistering 4.19 seconds!

"The project is Project 40. I ran a 4.2 yesterday, first day of practice," Gatlin told Michael Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

FYI, the fastest 40 ever electronically timed at the NFL Combine was 4.22 by John Ross in 2017. Chris Johnson holds the second-best time at 4.24.

Justin believes he can beat that time by a substantial margin.

"I'm thinking a 4.19. I definitely can dip under the 4.2s, for sure!" Gatlin said confidently.

Ultimately, Gatlin wants to train athletes to be quicker on the field or court.

"I've been training since I've left the world of track and field and I have an idea that I wanna be able to do speed agility training or professional athletes, being football, baseball, basketball, that's why we're here."

Justin says they're often a debate about who's faster ... and while he does want to rep for the track athletes, he also wants to help out other pros in different sports.

"There's a lot of talk about track and field athletes and football players, who's faster and I said you know what, this is what we work on. We work on speed constantly and I wanna show the world that we understand speed, we're the king of speed but I also wanna teach speed to other athletes that want [to learn.]"

Justin sure sounds like someone who still has the competitive juices flowing ... so we asked him if there was a chance he could make a comeback competitively, despite being 41 years old.

"Let's say if I get myself back into shape and say 'Hey, you know what? I wanna get back in track and field,' especially Olympic year coming up, it's not far-fetched."

"I've been away from the track, what, I retired in 2021? I'm not that far off. I think that if I wanna come back, I can make that Olympic team for sure."

There's more with Gatlin ... including whether he'd be down to race Tyreek Hill -- "Cheetah" -- who most fans believe to be the fastest player in the NFL.

So, would Justin race Cheetah? Damn straight.

"I think [Tyreek's] a remarkable athlete. He has a big background in track and field. He grew up running track and field. He still uses track and field workouts to make sure his speed on the football field is superior."

Gatlin continued ...  "And when it comes to me racing Tyreek, holla at me in about eight weeks. I'll be ready for you, man. If you want that, I can give you that smoke.

We also talked to Justin about Noah Lyles ... both his epic performance at World's and his shading of NBA "world champions!"

Jake Paul took matters into his own hands to make sure his girlfriend's wax figure is just like the real thing ... cupping its ass and comparing it to the human Jutta Leerdam right on the spot!!

The Problem Child just posted footage of his visit at Madame Tussauds in the Netherlands this week ... where he got a truly up-close look -- and feel -- of his superstar athlete GF's recently opened exhibit.

Jake walked right up to the figure, squeezed its behind and then turned to the real Jutta ... and proceeded to grab her tush as well.

The Olympian laughed and pulled his hand away ... but you can tell she appreciated his dedication to the cause.

If the video wasn't enough indication that Paul's a big fan of the completed project, he even rapped about it on his newest song, "Witness" ... saying, "Madame Tussaud’s wax figure of my girl do that mean I got 2 oooo?"

Paul and Leerdam have been enjoying their time together in her home country following his big win over Nate Diaz ... and the boxer's even been hitting up her recent training sessions.

Alexandra Paul, former Canadian Olympic figure skater, died in a horrific car crash.

The multi-vehicle accident occurred near Toronto this past Tuesday. The collision occurred when a semi-truck plowed into a line of cars stopped at a construction zone.

Her baby boy was in the car and taken to a hospital for what was described as non-life-threatening injuries.

Three others were hurt, including one man who was injured seriously enough to be airlifted to a trauma center.

The 31-year-old figure skater was married to her dance partner, Mitchell Islam. They were incredibly successful, winning numerous medals, including 3 for the Canadian Championship.

The pair also competed in the 2014 Olympics. Alexandra retired from skating in 2016 and became a lawyer in 2021.

Jamaican runner Andrew Hudson was left with shards of glass in his eye after a freak cart crash at the track world championships ... when two vehicles collided en route to the race.

The incident happened on Thursday ... when Hudson, Team USA superstar Noah Lyles, and other sprinters were being escorted to the 200-meter semifinals at Budapest’s new National Athletics Centre.

Aerial footage shows one cart smash into another on a pathway ... forcing one passenger out of their seat.

Another video from inside the cart Hudson was in shows the 26-year-old was clearly injured ... as he's shown rubbing his right eye following the collision. According to reports, Lyles could tell Hudson was in trouble ... saying, "He thinks he got glass in his eye."

As it turns out, Hudson did have pieces of broken glass in his eye ... which medics removed prior to the race. Luckily, the Jamaican athlete was cleared to compete.

"I can't see out of my right eye, but I'm okay," Hudson said after the race. "The doctor flushed out some shards of glass."

Lyles -- who won the event in 19.76 seconds -- explained the crash in more detail, saying everyone was really worried about Hudson.

"We just wanted to make sure that he got his chance to run," Lyles said, "and everybody got their fair chance to see the hard work that they did."

Hudson -- who's ranked 11th in the world this year -- ended up finishing fifth in 20.38 for his first world championship.

The World Athletics said everyone, including the volunteer who was thrown out of the cart, is okay, and "the Local Organising Committee is investigating the incident and reviewing the transport procedures."

Helen Smart, an Olympic swimmer who represented Great Britain in the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, died suddenly at the age of 43, according to the school where she was working.

"It is with great sadness and regret that I have to announce the sudden death of our beloved Headteacher, Mrs. Helen Smart," an administrator announced on social media, breaking the awful news to students and parents.

As a 19-year-old, Smart (known by her maiden name of Helen Don-Duncan), the British backstroke champion, competed for GB in the 50-meter backstroke and 200-meter backstroke in Australia.

She retired from swimming shortly after, going into education, where Helen became a principal at Worsley Mesnes Community Primary School in England.

After the school announced Helen's passing, her husband Craig Smart received a ton of love from the community. He responded with a comment of his own, despite dealing with the tremendous loss of his wife.

"Thank you for your kind words. She loved the school, staff, children and parents so much. She was so proud to reach her goal of being Head Teacher. She used to say to me all the time she could never see herself at another school. She was Worsley Mesnes through and through!"

Craig continued, offering some sage life advice ... "Please learn from this and live your best life, no regrets, take lots of photos, make memories and keep smiling just like Helen always did! Love to you all! Xx"

In addition to competing in Sydney, Helen won the bronze medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, in addition to several other titles.