BERLIN: Freiburg squeezed into the German Cup semi-finals after a 5-4 penalty shootout win at Hertha Berlin on Wednesday, following a 1-1 draw after extra time.

After a goalless 90 minutes, Yuito Suzuki finally broke the deadlock in extra time, only for Hertha captain Fabian Reese to equalise with a superb long-range strike.

Freiburg goalkeeper Florian Mueller then saved Pascal Klemens’ spot-kick in the shootout to send his side through, joining Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart in the last four.

Bayern Munich host RB Leipzig in the other quarter-final.

Hertha welcomed 2022 runners-up Freiburg to Berlin hoping to reach a German Cup final on home soil for the first time in their history.

A close offside call ruled out an early effort from Reese, while the visitors did not have a solid chance until the 70th minute, when Vincenzo Grifo’s deflected shot flew just wide.

Six minutes into extra time, Hertha’s Linus Gechter gifted Suzuki the ball with a poor back-pass, and the Japan international pounced to put the visitors in front.

Hertha hit back through Reese, who drilled in a magnificent strike from outside the area, but Freiburg ultimately had the final say in the shootout.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2026

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MILAN: Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen joined the Olympic greats on Wednesday by winning his third gold medal of the Milan-Cortina Games.

On the slopes in Bormio, Von Allmen was victorious in the super-G event, adding that gold to his titles in the downhill and the team combined.

Von Allmen entered the pantheon of Olympic male alpine skiing greats to have three events at one Games, alongside Austrian Toni Sailer, at the 1956 Winter Games, and France’s Jean-Claude Killy in 1968.

Croatia’s Janica Kostelic is the only woman to have achieved the feat, at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.

Von Allmen hit speeds of 120km/h in the super-G, an event that combines the speed of downhill with the precise turns of giant slalom.

American Ryan Cochran-Siegle won silver in the event for a second successive Games while Switzerland’s defending world champion Marco Odermatt rounded out the podium, picking up a medal after his bitter disappointment at missing out in the downhill.Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday it will try to convince Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych to not wear a banned helmet that depicts victims of the war with Russia at the Games.

However, Heraskevych has already said he has no intention of backing down and he was wearing the helmet again in training at the Cortina Sliding Centre on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s heats.

“We will contact him today, and we will reiterate the many, many opportunities that he has to express his grief,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said.

In the moguls competition, American freestyle skier Elizabeth Lemley won a surprise gold medal with two neat and quick runs in the Alpine town of Livigno.

Her victory put an end to 2022 champion Jakara Anthony’s bid to become the first Australian to successfully defend a title at a Winter Games.

Anthony, who has dominated the discipline for the last four years, led from silver medallist American Jaelin Kauf after the first run but wobbled out of line on her second to finish last. Kauf won her second silver with a score of 80.77 and France’s Perrine Laffont clinched bronze with 78 points.

France’s Julia Simon delivered a powerful skiing performance as she clincehd the women’s 15km individual biathlon gold to add individual gold to a mixed relay victory.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2026

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Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie tore the heart out of England’s much-vaunted middle order on Wednesday as the West Indies won by 30 runs in their T20 World Cup clash in Mumbai.

The West Indies scored 196-6 largely thanks to Sherfane Rutherford’s brutal, unbeaten 76 and some late hitting from Jason Holder.

In reply, England were all out for 166 in 19 overs.

England made a brisk start to their chase before Motie, who varies between left-arm orthodox and wrist spin, bamboozled Tom Banton (2), Jacob Bethell (33) and captain Harry Brook (17) in a brilliant spell of 3-33.

It pegged back England from a comfortable 85-2 in the eighth over to 131-5 in the 14th when Brook departed.

Sam Curran kept them in the hunt with an unbeaten 43 off 30 balls before he ran out of partners.

It was the second win from two for the West Indies and puts them in pole position to qualify for the Super Eights from Group C.

West Indies captain Shai Hope paid tribute to Motie.

“He’s one of the class bowlers that we’ve had for some time now,” said Hope.

“He’s just shown his class once again on the world stage. He’s brought something else to his game and it’s benefiting us a lot here in the middle overs.”

England had begun their chase in perfect fashion when opener Phil Salt carted Jason Holder’s first over for 24 with two sixes and three fours as they raced to 31-0 off 12 balls.

Salt fell for 30 in the fourth over, looping a catch to Rutherford when attempting another big hit, this time off Romario Shepherd.

England sped to 67-1 at the end of the six-over power play, with Jos Buttler on 15 and Bethell 20.

Buttler hit a six off Roston Chase but perished trying to repeat the damage, caught in the deep by Rovman Powell for 21.

When Motie captured the prize wicket of Brook in his final over to leave England 131-5, the damage had been done.

“Obviously, it’s never nice to lose a game, but West Indies played outstandingly,” said Brook. “Everybody knows how much power they’ve got. If you’re slightly off your line or length, then they manage to hit it for six.”

Rutherford hits out

For the West Indies, sixth-wicket pair Rutherford, who hit seven sixes and two fours, and Jason Holder (33, four sixes, one four) hammered 61 in 32 balls in the dying overs.

“Once I trust my process and read the situation, I think once I’m in, I can always score in the end,” said Rutherford who was named player of the match.

“So it was important for me to just have a clear mind and just play with more intent.”

Jofra Archer was expensive again, taking 1-48 off his four overs, as the West Indies recovered aggressively from 8-2.

Chase hit spinner Will Jacks for three fours and Shimron Hetmyer joined in with a colossal six as the fifth over was dispatched for 19 runs.

Hetmyer, on 23, top-edged Overton to Curran at fine leg and when Adil Rashid trapped Chase, on 34, for his 400th wicket in T20 internationals, the West Indies were 77-4 in the 10th over.

Powell and Rutherford put on 50 in just 26 balls as the West Indies recovered to 127-4 after 14 overs.

Rutherford brought up his fifty in 29 balls with a four and a six off Overton.

Rashid was the pick of England’s bowlers, taking a superb 2-16 off his four overs.

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