Zak Keefer
@zakkeefer.bsky.social
📤 1275
📥 201
📝 96
Senior writer at The Athletic, adjunct professor IU Media School
There's no guarantee skimo is back at the 2030 Olympics. I took it all in Thursday. The wild races. The history. The competitors — one of which tried to make the Olympics in **three** other sports before trying skimo. An ode to those who love the climb:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/705...
loading . . .
Ski mountaineering’s Olympic debut: Beautiful races, beautiful place and a sport that belongs
Ski mountaineering made its Olympic debut on Thursday. For fans and competitors alike, it was a day to remember.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7057800/2026/02/19/ski-mountaineering-skimo-olympic-debut-2026/
26 days ago
0
0
0
What's it like when the President of the United States calls you a "loser" before you compete in your first Olympics? “Probably the hardest two weeks of my life," Hunter Hess says. Then he aced his run Friday and flashed an 'L' at the finish line:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/705...
loading . . .
Hunter Hess says last two weeks 'probably hardest' of his life after President Trump remarks
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7059744/2026/02/20/hunter-hess-president-trump-controversy/
26 days ago
0
48
11
He paints his nails. He samba dances. And he retired three years ago, only to reinvent himself. A skier representing Brazil(!) just beat Marco Odermatt, the sport's reigning king, to win gold in super-G? Lucas Pinheiro Braathen is one of a kind. So is his story:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/704...
loading . . .
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen makes Olympic history with gold for Brazil: ‘This was written for me’
Pinheiro Braathen's gold for Brazil is the country's first medal at a Winter Olympics.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7046275/2026/02/14/lucas-pinheiro-braathen-mens-giant-slalom/
29 days ago
0
1
1
There's no media spotlight at the Olympics quite like what Eileen Gu faces. Two hours to get thru interviews? And with her success comes more scrutiny about her choice to ditch the US and represent China, how it's benefited her, and how she justifies it.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/704...
loading . . .
Eileen Gu, amid Olympic cameras and controversy, is living in a unique reality
Gu is bigger than skiing, bigger than sport, and as ever, a lightning-rod for criticism.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7049798/2026/02/17/eileen-gu-winter-olympics-freestyle-skiing-china-controversy/
29 days ago
1
0
0
" I wanna go for it, because that's what I do." Chloe Kim had one run left, and a decision to make at the top of the hill: play it safe ... or drop the hammer. "Exciting but terrifying," her boyfriend, Myles Garrett, called it. Story from Livigno:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/704...
loading . . .
Chloe Kim went after history and missed. She remained proud, unapologetic to the end
For Chloe Kim, her Olympic silver medal in Milan Cortina was just as sweet as the two golds that preceded it.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7043205/2026/02/13/chloe-kim-2026-winter-olympics-silver/
about 1 month ago
0
3
1
reposted by
Zak Keefer
Brendan Quinn
about 1 month ago
“To have a call like that, at the Olympics, pretty much stripping it away from me, it’s hard to deal with." On a brutal ending, some he-said he-said dissent, and a difficult day for American Nathan Pare:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/704...
loading . . .
American Nathan Pare celebrated victory. Then came controversy: ‘It’s hard to deal with’
Nathan Pare thought he had won his quarterfinal snowboard cross race, but the American was 'Ranked as Last' for making contact with a rival.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7042214/2026/02/12/nathan-pare-usa-mens-snowboard-cross-2026-winter-olympics
0
3
1
reposted by
Zak Keefer
Brendan Quinn
about 1 month ago
The moral of Ryan Cochran-Seigle's story? Boot and rally.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...
loading . . .
Ryan Cochran-Siegle has guts. Once again, it put him on an Olympic podium
Cochran-Siegle won silver in the men's super-G in Bormio to add to the silver he won in the same event in Beijing four years ago.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7039794/2026/02/12/ryan-cochran-siegle-mens-super-g-2026-winter-olympics
0
1
1
Chloe Kim tore her labrum 34 days ago. She wasn’t back on a board until 2 weeks ago. She hasn’t competed in 10 months. No matter. “I might be better at snowboarding than I am at walking,” she said. But how’s she doing all this with a dislocated shoulder??
www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...
loading . . .
A brace, tape and an iron will: How Chloe Kim is competing with a dislocated shoulder
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7038240/2026/02/11/chloe-kim-womens-snowboard-halfpipe-qualification-2026-winter-olympics/?source=emp_shared_article
about 1 month ago
0
0
0
reposted by
Zak Keefer
The Athletic
about 1 month ago
Due to a recent injury — a torn labrum in January — Kim’s challenge looks as steep as Livigno’s 23-foot halfpipe walls. The risk is obvious, but so is the reward. “I think the Olympic gold medal is too enticing not to try.” ✍️
@zakkeefer.bsky.social
loading . . .
Chloe Kim: The stakes are high, but snowboard great is relaxed and confident
Kim is trying to become the first halfpipe snowboarder in Olympic history to win three consecutive gold medals.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7033044/2026/02/09/chloe-kim-2026-winter-olympics-history?source=bsky_hq
0
20
2
reposted by
Zak Keefer
The Athletic
about 1 month ago
Chloe Kim is on the brink of Olympic history. She could become the first halfpipe snowboarder — male or female — to win three consecutive gold medals.
2
83
9
Can a silver medal mean more to an Olympian than a gold? Alex Hall says yes. Let him explain why:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...
loading . . .
Alex Hall relinquishes Olympic freeski slopestyle title but silver makes him proud
Hall was the defending freeski slopestyle champion. He relinquished his title in northern Italy but still wore a smile afterwards
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7035521/2026/02/10/mens-freeski-slopestyle-2026-winter-olympics-alex-hall/
about 1 month ago
0
0
0
She was one of our first female star athletes to grow up in the social media era — she has the receipts to prove it. At one point, she hated winning. After Beijing, she wasn't sure she'd be back. On Chloe Kim, chasing history with a dislocated shoulder:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...
loading . . .
Chloe Kim: The stakes are high, but snowboard great is relaxed and confident
Kim is trying to become the first halfpipe snowboarder in Olympic history to win three consecutive gold medals.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7033044/2026/02/09/chloe-kim-2026-winter-olympics-history/
about 1 month ago
0
9
2
One of America's most unique Olympians goes for back-to-back golds today. "Maybe the most successful ski bum on the planet" spends his winters in a van with his buddies, filming tricks. He loves Google earth. He keeps his gold medal in a sock drawer.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/696...
loading . . .
How Alex Hall, U.S. freeski Olympic star, found happiness and success in letting go
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6967649/2026/01/28/alex-hall-us-freeski-olympics-slopestyle-gold/
about 1 month ago
0
3
0
Morning walk through Bormio 🇮🇹
about 1 month ago
0
3
0
"It really runs contrary to everything the Olympics should be." "We need to lead with love and compassion ... I'd love to see more of that." Chloe Kim and Eileen Gu chime in on Donald Trump's criticisms of Hunter Hess.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...
loading . . .
Chloe Kim, Eileen Gu speak out after President Trump calls an Olympian ‘a loser’
Two of the biggest stars of these Olympics were asked for their thoughts on President Trump's comments on Hunter Hess.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7032765/2026/02/09/chloe-kim-president-trump-hunter-hess/
about 1 month ago
0
3
1
On Sunday, President Trump called US snowboarder Hunter Hess "a real Loser." On Monday here in Livigno, snowboarding star Chloe —daughter to two immigrants — offered up her opinion on the matter:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...
loading . . .
Chloe Kim on President Trump’s criticism of Hunter Hess: ‘This one hits pretty close to home’
Kim and three of her Team USA snowboarding teammates were asked Monday about President Trump's comments on Hunter Hess.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7032765/2026/02/09/chloe-kim-president-trump-hunter-hess/
about 1 month ago
0
1
0
"That haunted me for nine years. I just decided ... 'F— living with regret. I'm doing this, even if it all blows up in my face.'" She retired at 20, became a plumber, then nine years later gave her Olympic dream one last shot:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/700...
loading . . .
How Maddy Schaffrick went from pro at 14 to plumber at 21 — and an Olympic medal threat at 31
Chasing snowboarding glory cost Maddy Schaffrick her adolescence. But years later, she rediscovered her joy for the sport.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7002130/2026/02/05/maddy-schaffrick-olympic-snowboarding-contender/?source=emp_shared_article
about 1 month ago
0
22
2
She won gold in 2022 — then felt empty, aimless and unmotivated. She could hear an angel on one shoulder, the devil on another. Mathilde Gremaud — who just qualed first in slopestyle skiing — peels back the curtain on the hidden side of Olympic success:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/702...
loading . . .
Mathilde Gremaud won Olympic gold and felt ’empty,’ but now she’s chasing history
Gremaud could become the first woman to win back-to-back slopestyle Olympic gold medals.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7026614/2026/02/07/mathilde-gremaud-freeski-slopestyle-milan-cortina/
about 1 month ago
0
0
0
"That haunted me for nine years. I just decided ... 'F— living with regret. I'm doing this, even if it all blows up in my face.'" She retired at 20, became a plumber, then nine years later gave her Olympic dream one last shot:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/700...
loading . . .
How Maddy Schaffrick went from pro at 14 to plumber at 21 — and an Olympic medal threat at 31
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7002130/2026/02/05/maddy-schaffrick-olympic-snowboarding-contender/?source=emp_shared_article
about 1 month ago
0
1
0
reposted by
Zak Keefer
She turned pro at 14. She quit at 20, never wanting to touch a snowboard again. She ended up in AA. She worked as a plumber. Now — at age 31 — she’s chasing an Olympic medal in Italy. Maddy Schaffrick’s remarkable story:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/700...
loading . . .
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7002130/2026/02/05/maddy-schaffrick-olympic-snowboarding-contender/?source=emp_shared_article
about 1 month ago
0
4
2
👋🏻 Greetings from Bormio, Italy
about 1 month ago
1
1
0
She turned pro at 14. She quit at 20, never wanting to touch a snowboard again. She ended up in AA. She worked as a plumber. Now — at age 31 — she’s chasing an Olympic medal in Italy. Maddy Schaffrick’s remarkable story:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/700...
loading . . .
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7002130/2026/02/05/maddy-schaffrick-olympic-snowboarding-contender/?source=emp_shared_article
about 1 month ago
0
4
2
reposted by
Zak Keefer
Kevin Fishbain
about 1 month ago
Good week to learn about how the voice of the Super Bowl and Olympics studio host Mike Tirico got his start in broadcasting (included: a great Lee Corso story!)
loading . . .
Mike Tirico on Calling NFL Games, First Jobs, Olympics and More
YouTube video by Breaking In With Kevin Fishbain
https://youtu.be/6PdJ-6o-Jqk?si=X00VMlXwI8dJT_Le
5
12
1
After three medals and three Olympics, Nick Goepper was finished. He retired at 28, ready to move on. Then he had a crazy idea. In a few weeks, he'll try to do something no male skier has ever done in Olympic history:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/697...
loading . . .
Nick Goepper was 'lost,' then the three-time Olympic medalist made a major change
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6971923/2026/01/26/nick-goepper-us-olympics-freestyle-skiing-halfpipe/
about 1 month ago
0
1
0
At 22, he came the width of a nickel from never skiing again. At the top of the hill, he still battles those doubts — what might happen — if were to slip while soaring down the side of a mountain at 80 mph. The risks of Ryan Cochran-Sielge:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/696...
loading . . .
Ryan Cochran-Siegle was millimeters from never skiing again. Now he's ready for another Olympics
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6961911/2026/02/02/ryan-cochran-siegle-olympics-alpine-skiing/
about 1 month ago
0
1
0
First of several Olympic stories from me — He spends a chunk of his winter driving around the country in a van with his buddies, filming tricks. He keeps his Olympic gold medal in his sock drawer. He might be the most successful ski bum on the planet:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/696...
loading . . .
How Alex Hall, U.S. freeski Olympic star, found happiness and success in letting go
Skiing his way has made Hall one of the United States' most accomplished pros. And he knows he can never stop experimenting.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6967649/2026/01/28/alex-hall-us-freeski-olympics-slopestyle-gold/
about 1 month ago
0
0
0
No Super Bowl for me this year — off to Italy to cover the Winter Olympics for
@theathletic.com
. In the mountains with
@bfquinn.bsky.social
for a few weeks, writing about skiing and snowboarding. Beyond pumped. Have wanted to cover the Games since Michael Johnson's 200m win in gold spikes in '96.
about 1 month ago
0
7
1
"They wanted us to make arrests. It wasn't just about going after the violent individuals ... to me, it felt political." Great read from
@danpompei.bsky.social
on why Peanut Tillman walked away from the FBI
www.nytimes.com/athletic/689...
loading . . .
After Charles Tillman transformed football, he joined the FBI. Then the immigration raids started
Known for his signature “Peanut Punch” in the NFL, the ex-Bears cornerback found a new calling as a federal agent. So why did he walk away?
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6891025/2026/01/29/charles-tillman-nfl-fbi-chicago-bears/
about 2 months ago
0
3
1
"Don't let our relationship ever impact what's best for the organization," Chris Ballard told the Irsay sisters. In other words: If you wanna move on, I get it. Instead, Ballard gets a 10th season. w/
@jourdanrodrigue.bsky.social
, why this calculus was different:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/694...
2 months ago
4
13
2
In early December, before the season fell apart, Carlie Irsay-Gordon wrote on a whiteboard at the Colts facility: "The things which hurt, instruct." What's the Colts' new owner **really** like? A profile from
@jourdanrodrigue.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/athletic/689...
loading . . .
All eyes are on the NFL’s most atypical owner. Where will her curiosity lead her next?
Carlie Irsay-Gordon is younger than her peers, with her own distinctive vision of how an NFL owner can lead. It is about to be tested.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6893724/2025/12/30/carlie-irsay-gordon-colts-owner/
3 months ago
0
11
5
“We couldn’t stop a nosebleed.” “Our fans deserve better.” The shame of it is the 44-year-old high school coach did his part. The defense did not. And it speaks to a bigger issue — again, this team is fading with its season on the line:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/691...
loading . . .
Philip Rivers deserved better, as Colts waste QB’s vintage performance: ‘We let him down’
Indy's 44-year-old quarterback played well enough to win on Monday night. The Colts' defense, however, was a train wreck.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6912999/2025/12/23/philip-rivers-colts-defense-loss-49ers/?source=emp_shared_article
3 months ago
1
5
3
Is there any chance this actually works? Philip Rivers called Frank Reich on Tuesday morning while he weighed his decision. "I do think he gives them the best chance to win the division and get to the playoffs," Reich said. "I'm not afraid to say that."
www.nytimes.com/athletic/687...
loading . . .
Why did the Colts gamble on Philip Rivers to save their season? ‘He can still sling it’
A bigger gamble than bringing in "Uncle Phil" would have been doing nothing.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6876616/2025/12/09/philip-rivers-colts-gamble-retirement/
3 months ago
0
3
1
"Maybe you get a beer named after you, or maybe you close a Tony Robbins seminar at midnight, or maybe you just drop your kid at school and hit golf balls in paradise ..."
@brianchamilton.bsky.social
on the happiest men in the NFL, long snappers:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/680...
loading . . .
The NFL’s most anonymous men are also the happiest: ‘My life’s not real’
'People think it’s impossible to get in (as a long snapper). It’s damn near impossible to stay in.'
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6802946/2025/11/20/the-nfls-most-anonymous-men-are-also-the-happiest-my-lifes-not-real/
4 months ago
0
6
4
reposted by
Zak Keefer
Dan Robson
4 months ago
I went on a journey — to Las Vegas, San Diego, Dallas, and Buffalo — to learn about the NFL’s long-distance kicking revolution. From a camp of pro hopefuls to Brandon Aubrey, Cameron Dicker, Cam Little and more. Here’s my story on the art of kicking.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/681...
1
3
5
Perfect match of subject and writer 👇🏼 A few years ago, stuck in a writing slump, The National frontman Matt Berninger started scribbling song lyrics on baseballs. It helped him find something. From
@bfquinn.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/athletic/675...
loading . . .
Matt Berninger traded his notebook for a baseball. And the words kept coming
For The National’s frontman, the way forward was written on rawhide.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6755600/2025/10/29/the-national-matt-berninger-baseball-and-writing/
5 months ago
0
4
1
The GM who'd grown stubborn and hard-headed and realized he was wrong. The coach who wanted obsession from his QB. The castoff who'd become an afterthought. A look inside the Colts' stunning revival:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...
loading . . .
Daniel Jones might be the most vanilla QB in the NFL — and a perfect fit for the Colts
After flaming out in New York, the former first-round pick is leading the NFL's most efficient offenses in Indianapolis.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6713921/2025/10/14/daniel-jones-colts-qb-giants-bust-nfl/
5 months ago
1
4
1
reposted by
Zak Keefer
The Athletic
6 months ago
Mike Evans is one 1,000-yard season away from breaking Jerry Rice's all-time record, but his consistent excellence was born out of agony. Evans' father's murder drove him to the NFL. Vincent Jackson helped him stay there.
http://dlvr.it/TN52V0
4
81
11
I went to Tampa to find out what made Mike Evans one of the baddest dudes in football. Turned out to be one of the realest interviews I've had in years. And it started with the night his uncle brutally murdered his father outside the home he was sleeping in:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...
loading . . .
His father's murder drove Mike Evans to the NFL, a 'big brother' taught him to stay there
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6601613/2025/09/15/mike-evans-wide-receiver-tampa-bay/
6 months ago
0
2
1
After it was over — after he'd authored the most successful season from a rookie QB in NFL history — he walled off the world for a few days. When the Super Bowl was on, he turned it off. "Couldn't watch," he says. Inside Jayden Daniels' road to Year 2:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/656...
loading . . .
Jayden Daniels doesn't seek the spotlight; it's coming for him anyway
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6561161/2025/09/03/jayden-daniels-commanders-season-2025/
7 months ago
0
2
1
The story behind the story 👇🏻
www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...
loading . . .
7 months ago
2
5
0
reposted by
Zak Keefer
Kevin Fishbain
7 months ago
Must-read here from Zak on a topic that will resonate with Bears fans
add a skeleton here at some point
6
44
13
"Organizations fail young QBs before young QBs fail organizations." What led Kevin O'Connell to say this? And why do so many around the NFL agree? I spent 4 months asking Hall of Famers, No. 1 picks, busts, coaches + execs why teams keep breaking young QBs:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/658...
loading . . .
The bust files: How NFL teams break young quarterbacks
Finding a franchise quarterback remains job No. 1 for anyone in charge of an NFL roster, so why do they keep screwing it up?
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6584516/2025/09/02/nfl-first-round-quarterback-busts/
7 months ago
8
67
33
reposted by
Zak Keefer
The New York Times
7 months ago
From
@theathletic.com
: “I fell out of love,” Andrew Luck says, reducing one of the most shocking retirements in NFL history into five tidy words. Then, the game that was once brutally beaten out of him slowly began to pull him back in.
loading . . .
Pain took football away from Andrew Luck; what brought him back to Stanford?
Luck walked out on one locker room that needed him. He wasn't ready to walk away from another.
https://nyti.ms/3UvK5vd
2
56
6
reposted by
Zak Keefer
The Athletic
7 months ago
Andrew Luck knew he made the right decision by leaving the NFL. He just hated what he left behind. Read more:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/654...
9
164
13
reposted by
Zak Keefer
The Athletic
7 months ago
Pain took football away from Andrew Luck. “I fell out of love,” he says, reducing one of the most shocking retirements in NFL history into five tidy words. And then? Something happened that he didn’t see coming.
http://dlvr.it/TMY2n9
4
101
24
"I was gonna play until I was 40 or 45," Andrew Luck tells me. To which I said, "Wait a minute, what?" After it was over, he found himself in a fog. "I can't be 30 years old and retired. This is ridiculous." Then something pulled him out of it:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/654...
loading . . .
Pain took football away from Andrew Luck; what brought him back to Stanford?
Luck walked out on one locker room that needed him. He wasn't ready to walk away from another.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6549209/2025/08/18/andrew-luck-stanford-indianapolis-colts/
7 months ago
2
6
4
"I accidentally married Aaron Donald." "You can tell people I am delusional. I don't care ..." This story isn't just creepy, it's terrifying. Great reporting from
@nathanfenno.bsky.social
on the stalker who left a future Hall of Famer in fear
www.nytimes.com/athletic/654...
loading . . .
Aaron Donald was one of the NFL's toughest players. A stalker left him living in fear
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6543065/2025/08/13/aaron-donald-stalker-rams-nfl/
7 months ago
0
7
7
New from me: a look inside the Colts' QB battle ⤵️ A reckoning at the top — about the mistakes they've already made with Anthony Richardson — and a surprising approach if 2025 doesn't go to plan:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/652...
loading . . .
A make-or-break season for Anthony Richardson? That's not how the Colts see it
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6523486/2025/07/30/colts-anthony-richardson-chris-ballard/
8 months ago
0
1
1
"No cellphones until middle school. Even then, they couldn't be used at dinner. And until 11th grade, they had to charge their phones at night in their parents' room." How do you raise a star QB in the social media age? Fascinating from
@brucefeldmancfb.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/athletic/644...
loading . . .
Raising Arch: How Cooper and Ellen prepared Texas’ QB for the Manning family spotlight
Cooper and Ellen Manning spoke to The Athletic about their rising star son, who prepared for an intense spotlight by avoiding it.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6448919/2025/06/25/arch-manning-texas-football-parents-cooper-ellen/
9 months ago
0
4
0
From Kansas City: The Chiefs passed out the rings no one wanted this week. There was no ceremony, no real celebration. "A reminder," Patrick Mahomes called them. All they've thought about since February is making it back:
www.nytimes.com/athletic/643...
loading . . .
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs offense look for answers as Super Bowl sting lingers
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6436628/2025/06/20/patrick-mahomes-offseason-super-bowl/
9 months ago
0
1
1
Load more
feeds!
log in