SKIING

Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin is the latest elite skier to test positive for COVID-19 with the Beijing Games less than six weeks away.

“I wanted to let you all know that I’m doing well, but unfortunately I had a positive COVID test,” the American wrote on her social media accounts Monday. “I’m following protocol and isolating.”

Shiffrin said she will miss World Cup giant slalom and slalom races scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, in Lienz, Austria, adding, “I’ll see you in the new year.”

The Beijing Olympics open Feb. 4.

Missing the races in Lienz is a big hit to Shiffrin’s chances of regaining the overall World Cup title. She leads Italy’s Sofia Goggia by 115 points in the standings but needs to maintain a high level of points in the technical disciplines of giant slalom and slalom since Goggia has been virtually unbeatable in the speed events of downhill and super-G.

Shiffrin’s positive test comes at a particularly bad time for her with six consecutive technical races scheduled.

HOCKEY

U.S. MEN: David Quinn is set to coach the U.S. men’s hockey team at the upcoming Winter Olympics after the NHL decided not to send players to Beijing.

USA Hockey named Quinn coach and John Vanbiesbrouck general manager in the first shift to plan B for another Olympics without NHL participation.

Quinn replaces Pittsburgh Penguins Coach Mike Sullivan. He was supposed to be an assistant under Sullivan and was the only member of the coaching staff not currently working in the NHL.

The 55-year-old Quinn coached the New York Rangers the past three seasons after five years at Boston University. Quinn most recently coached for the U.S. internationally as an assistant at the 2016 world championships and was also on staff for that tournament in 2007 and 2012.

Instead of a U.S. roster featuring the likes of Auston Matthews, Patrick Kane and Seth Jones, Vanbiesbrouck will be tasked with drawing from the college ranks and European professional leagues, similar to 2018. He’s the third person to take over Olympic roster preparations after Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin replaced Stan Bowman, who resigned after an investigation found he had a prominent role in the Chicago Blackhawks mishandling sexual assault allegations in 2010.

WORLD JUNIORS: Boston University goalie Drew Commesso made 23 saves and the defending champion United States opened the world junior hockey championship with a 3-2 victory over Slovakia at Red Deer, Alberta, on Sunday night.

Up 3-0 after two periods, the Americans held on after Martin Chromiak scored twice for Slovakia in the final period – the last with 2:33 remaining.

Minnesota forward Matthew Knies opened the scoring on a two-man advantage with 6:25 left in the first period, and Michigan’s Mackie Samoskevich connected 1:43 later with a one-man advantage. Notre Dame’s Landon Slaggert scored in the second.

The Americans will continue Group B play Tuesday against Switzerland.

SOCCER

PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinson Cavani came off the bench to salvage a point for Manchester United from a sloppy display in a 1-1 draw at Newcastle.

Playing its first game in 16 days after coronavirus cases in the squad led to two games being postponed, United was outplayed in the first half and Allan Saint-Maximin gave Newcastle the lead in the seventh minute following a swift break after Raphael Varane was dispossessed.