Olympic

Does a viral video show a referee who officiated the 2026 FIFA World Cup final crying over Argentina's defeat? No, that's not true: That referee retired three years before that game. Social media posts reused a clip from his last match when the emotional response was prompted by the greetings from the players, not by an outcome of a game.…

Was a video about Ukrainian drone operator Miroslav Radchenko shared on social media actually produced and distributed by Al Jazeera? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no traces of such a report broadcast or shared online by Al Jazeera or any other media outlet. Spreading false narratives through clips with logos of real media organizations is a well-known tactic…

Did the White House post on TikTok a real video showing USA men's hockey player Brady Tkachuk insulting Canada, calling them "maple syrup eating f***s"? No, that's not true: The clip of Tkachuk bad-mouthing Canada after the USA men's team won the gold medal in the Olympics is AI-generated audio. Tkachuk plays for the Ottawa Senators NHL team and said…

Does an authentic video show Hilary Knight, captain of the 2026 gold medal-winning U.S. women's hockey team, saying she was "mortified" for the U.S. men's team? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Knight ever said that, but she did call President Donald Trump's invitation to the White House a "distasteful joke." Also, the creator of the original…

Is a photo that shows the US and Canadian women's Olympic hockey teams visiting Canadian Prime Minister Carney real? No, that's not true: An online detection tool rated the image 99.9% likely to be AI generated, and there are telltale signs in the photo that it is not real. The word "Canada" is misspelled on the jersey of the woman…

Did Team USA hockey captain Auston Matthews go off the rails during a postgame interview, slamming Canada? No, that's not true: Video of Matthews' interview after the Feb. 22, 2026, Olympic gold medal game shows that he never called out Canada for having a prime minister who wore blackface and is dating Katy Perry. Nor did Matthews say that Canadian…

Did U.S. President Donald Trump threaten a 250% tariff on Norwegian salmon because "Norway is about to win the most golds" at the Winter Olympics? No, that's not true: The viral image of his supposed Truth Social post is not real. Lead Stories searched his account and news reports, but found no confirmation that he wrote what some on social…

You might have seen or heard rumors about ICE agents being deployed at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy, to help provide security. The Lead Stories Rome office looked into what is actually happening, so you know what is going on if you see social media posts about it. Agents from the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI),…

Did Simone Biles write a "lengthy, emotionally charged" blog post about Charlie Kirk, days after his assassination in September 2025? No, that's not true: As of September 19, the gymnast's website and social media profiles contain no trace of a post of any kind about Kirk. Accounts of an explosive criticism of Kirk were completely fabricated. The claim appeared in…

Did U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi successfully sue American basketball player Brittney Griner, preventing the athlete from participating in the Olympic Games? No, none of that is true: No credible media organization ever reported that, as of August 19, 2025. When Lead Stories checked specialized legal resources, those searches showed no confirmation that such a lawsuit ever existed. The claim…