OLYMPICS

Eight months after finishing second to the Russians at the Beijing Olympics, the U.S. figure skating team has yet to receive its medals nd doesn’t even know whether they it be silver or gold. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency only recently completed its painfully slow investigation into Kamila Valieva, the now-16-year-old wunderkind whose positive doping test that surfaced during the opening week of the Olympics led to its biggest scandal in years.

RUSADA did not reveal the results of its investigation, though it did say the next step would be to hold disciplinary hearings in September or early October. That timeframe has come and gone without any updates.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which was outraged there was no medal ceremony at all during the Beijing Games, continues to push the International Olympic Committee for some kind of resolution in the case. If Valieva was found to have violated doping rules, she would likely appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. And if she’s cleared, it would be the World Anti-Doping Agency or International Skating Union that presumably would appeal to the highest court in international sport.

It’s a complex case, made even more so because of Valieva’s protected status due to her age. But if she was found to have doped and the decision is upheld through appeals, the entire Russian team could be stripped of gold; Valieva had the highest scores in both the short program and free skate, giving her team the maximum points in the event.

The U.S. team could then be elevated to gold, Japan to silver and the fourth-place Canadians to the bronze medal.

AUTO RACING

NASCAR: Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell shared a flight home from Las Vegas, and Wallace apologized during the trip to his fellow Toyota teammate for the incident that crippled Bell’s championship chances.

Bell said Wallace also apologized to the entire Toyota group in the Monday competition meeting. Wallace has been suspended one race by NASCAR for a dangerous act of retaliation that inadvertently collected Bell.

“We actually flew home together on Sunday night and he did apologize Sunday, and then he addressed our entire group on Monday and the competition meeting,” Bell said Wednesday.

Wallace has been suspended for Sunday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway for deliberately retaliating against reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson at Las Vegas. Wallace hooked Larson in the rear corner of his car to spin him directly into traffic, where Larson drilled Bell and ended Bell’s race.

Bell drives for Joe Gibbs Racing and Wallace drives for 23XI Racing, which is co-owned by JGR driver Denny Hamlin. The two teams have an alliance, and Toyota demands its teams work together. Bell and Hamlin are the only two Toyota drivers still eligible to qualify for next month’s winner-take-all championship finale, and Bell is now ranked last in the eight-driver field.

GOLF

U.S. OPEN: Los Angeles Country Club is getting another U.S. Open before it even holds its first one, and the women will get their crack at the course on the edge of Beverly Hills.

The club’s North course is hosting its first U.S. Open next June. The USGA on Wednesday announced the U.S. Open will return in 2039. The U.S. Women’s Open will be held at LACC in 2032.

“We could not be more excited to bring our two biggest national championships to The Los Angeles Country Club and extend our relationship with the club that dates back more than 90 years,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA chief championships officer. “This is a tremendous sports town, an enthusiastic golf community and home to a great venue for championship golf.”

The announcement gives the USGA premier Open sites in northern and southern California, with Pebble Beach scheduled to host a U.S. Open or U.S. Women’s Open eight times through 2048.

LACC will have two U.S. Opens and one U.S. Women’s Open through 2039, and Riviera Country Club is hosting the U.S. Women’s Open in 2026 and the Olympics in 2028.

SOCCER

PREMIER LEAGUE: Darwin Nunez scored in the first half as Liverpool topped visiting West Ham, 1-0.

Nunez has three goals in his last four games for his best scoring run since joining Liverpool from Benfica.

• Southampton ended a five-game winless run and moved out of the relegation zone with a 1-0 victory at Bournemouth.

Che Adams headed in a cross from Romain Perraud in the ninth minute.

• Manchester United produced arguably its most complete performance under Erik ten Hag by beating visiting Tottenham 2-0 to move within a point of the league’s top four.

Second-half goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes ensured victory in a game that saw Hugo Lloris pull off a string of fine saves to keep the score down.

United now sits one point behind fourth-place Chelsea and four off Tottenham.

MLS: The Philadelphia Union’s Jakob Glesnes was named Major League Soccer’s Defender of the Year and teammate Andre Blake was named Goalkeeper of the Year, the league announced.