Lyles aims to rescue US sprinting’s honor in 100m at Olympics

Lyles aims to rescue US sprinting’s honor in 100m at Olympics
Noah Lyles, of the US, prepares for a heat in the men's 100-meter at the 2024 Summer Olympics Saturday in Saint-Denis, France. (AP)
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Updated 04 August 2024
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Lyles aims to rescue US sprinting’s honor in 100m at Olympics

Lyles aims to rescue US sprinting’s honor in 100m at Olympics
  • The world’s fastest men have to navigate a semifinal at 1805 GMT before returning for the final at 1950 GMT
  • On the final day of the swimming program, Leon Marchand goes for a remarkable fifth gold of this Games in the 4x100m medley relay
  • Djokovic insists Alcaraz will be the “favorite” for gold on the clay of Roland Garros

PARIS: Noah Lyles has a chance on Sunday to land the Olympic men’s 100m title and restore pride to US sprinting, while Novak Djokovic faces Carlos Alcaraz in a mouthwatering men’s singles final.

On the final day of the swimming program at La Defense Arena, Leon Marchand goes for a remarkable fifth gold of this Games in the 4x100m medley relay.

Marchand has rapidly become the darling of the French crowd, who have turned every one of his swims into a party.

But Lyles will draw much of the focus on the ninth day of full action, as the Stade de France’s lilac track is the setting for what promises to be a memorable men’s 100m showdown.

The Americans will be smarting after hot favorite Sha’Carri Richardson suffered a surprise defeat to Julien Alfred in the rainy women’s 100m final on Saturday.

Alfred, quietly spoken in contrast to the brash Richardson, won the first medal in Olympic history for the tiny Caribbean nation of St. Lucia — and made it gold for good measure.

Lyles, 27, has long claimed he is the rightful heir to Usain Bolt, the peerless Jamaican whose reign as Olympic sprint champion stretched for three Games.

Having won the world title last year, Lyles knows he needs to deliver to back up his claims but his unconvincing heat on Saturday, in which he made an atrocious start, might have sounded some alarms.

Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson looked in ominous form, running 10 seconds flat despite easing down significantly in the final stages.

Italy’s Marcell Jacobs, defending Olympic champion after his stunning win in the Covid-affected Tokyo Olympics, scraped through his heat in 10.05 sec.

The world’s fastest men have to navigate a semifinal at 1805 GMT before returning for the final at 1950 GMT.

In other athletics action, Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh carries the weight of her beleaguered nation’s hopes on her shoulders in the women’s high jump final.

Mahuchikh set the world record of 2.10m in Paris a few weeks ago — and some of the pressure was removed from her shoulders when Ukraine’s women’s sabre fencing team won their nation’s first gold of these Games on Saturday.

Djokovic insists Alcaraz will be the “favorite” for gold on the clay of Roland Garros in the latest instalment of tennis’s generational power grab.

At 37, Djokovic would be the oldest Olympic tennis singles champion since the sport returned to the Games at Seoul in 1988.

At 21, Alcaraz would be the youngest of all time.

Victory would also make Djokovic only the fifth player to complete the Golden Slam of all four majors plus an Olympic title.

Tokyo gold medallist Xander Schauffele heads into Sunday’s final round of the men’s golf competition tied for the lead with Spain’s Jon Rahm on 14-under par. GB’s Tommy Fleetwood is a stroke behind.

American Schauffele, the world’s form player after winning maiden major titles at the PGA Championship and the British Open this year, carded a three-under-par 68 in his third round at Le Golf National on Saturday.

Badminton semifinals will see India’s Lakshya Sen clashing with reigning champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the standout men’s singles match.

One of the two women boxers at the center of a row about gender eligibility, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, is also back in action on Sunday.

China are leading the medals table after eight days of full competition on 16 golds, with the USA up to second place on 14.

Hosts France have had a stellar first week and stand third with 12 golds.


England’s new white-ball era off to shaky start in loss to Australia in first T20 cricket match

England’s new white-ball era off to shaky start in loss to Australia in first T20 cricket match
Updated 16 sec ago
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England’s new white-ball era off to shaky start in loss to Australia in first T20 cricket match

England’s new white-ball era off to shaky start in loss to Australia in first T20 cricket match

SOUTHAMPTON, England: A new era for England’s white-ball teams got off to a shaky start with a 28-run loss to Australia on Wednesday in the first of three T20 matches between the fierce cricket rivals.
Australia was put into bat and dismissed for 179 with three balls remaining — an under-par score at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton given the team smashed 86 off the powerplay and was 118-2 after 10 overs. Travis Head hit a 19-ball fifty in his knock of 59 to get the Australians off to a rapid start.
England, with a batting lineup missing injured captain Jos Buttler and including uncapped Jordan Cox and Jacob Bethell, stumbled to 52-4. After Liam Livingstone (37) and Sam Curran (18) threatened a fightback with a 54-run partnership for the fifth wicket, England lost three wickets in 10 balls to plunge to 113-7 and was eventually all out for 151 with four balls left.
The other matches in the T20 series are in Cardiff on Friday and Manchester on Sunday. Then comes a five-match ODI series between the teams, where Buttler — England’s white-ball talisman — may return from his right calf injury that will cause him to miss the T20s.
With the 30-year-old Jamie Overton also selected for the first time, England’s lineup included three uncapped players as well as a stand-in captain in Phil Salt. Australia’s more-established team had too much for the hosts, with the 86-run opening partnership between Matthew Short (41 off 26 balls) and Head building an excellent platform.
Head crashed 30 runs off the first over bowled by Curran, who quickly disappeared from England attack.
It took the arrival of spinners Adil Rashid and Livingstone to slow the run-rate, and Australia started to quickly lose wickets — with the last eight departing for 61.
In the chase, the 23-year-old Cox was out for an unconvincing 17 off 12 balls and the 20-year-old Bethell managed only 2. Overton was also in the top seven of an inexperienced and fragile batting lineup, and made 15.
Australia’s fielding was brilliant, with Tim David’s catch — on the dive after turning round and running into the leg side — to remove Cox particularly standing out.


Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez gets 6-month driving ban

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez gets 6-month driving ban
Updated 11 September 2024
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Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez gets 6-month driving ban

Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez gets 6-month driving ban
  • The 23-year-old Fernandez did not appear in court for sentencing on Wednesday

CARDIFF: Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has been banned from driving for six months because of motoring offenses in Wales.
The 23-year-old Fernandez did not appear in court for sentencing on Wednesday. He had been found guilty earlier this year on two charges of failing to identify the driver of a Porsche Cayenne.
A driver of the car allegedly ran a red light in the town of Llanelli in November and was caught speeding in Swansea last December.
It was not proven that Fernandez was the driver of the vehicle.
Fernandez, who played for Argentina in Colombia on Tuesday, was the vehicle’s registered owner but did not respond to police requests for information.
He also was ordered to pay 3,020 pounds ($4,000) in fines and costs.


Manchester United vow to improve on and off pitch after fifth year of losses

Manchester United vow to improve on and off pitch after fifth year of losses
Updated 11 September 2024
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Manchester United vow to improve on and off pitch after fifth year of losses

Manchester United vow to improve on and off pitch after fifth year of losses
  • United have embarked on a slew of changes since British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe bought a 25 percent stake in the club
  • Newly appointed CEO Omar Berrada said: “Our clear objective is to return the club to the top of European football“

LONDON: Manchester United’s new chief said on Wednesday the club were working toward improving performance on and off the pitch after a fifth consecutive year of net losses following a poor 2023-24 season and heavy investments in the new squad.
The English Premier League soccer club’s shares slipped 8 percent in early US trading as net losses widened to more than 113 million pounds ($147 million) in the year to June, making it only the second time since its New York listing in 2012 that losses topped 100 million pounds.
United have embarked on a slew of changes since British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe bought a 25 percent stake in the club and under his stewardship had a busy summer in the transfer market, securing several promising young players.
“We are working toward greater financial sustainability and making changes to our operations to make them more efficient, to ensure we are directing our resources to enhancing on-pitch performance,” newly appointed CEO Omar Berrada said.
“Our clear objective is to return the club to the top of European football.”
The Premier League has clamped down on big spending by clubs with its Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) to try to level the playing field and prevent rich owners from spending vast sums on players.
To comply with PSR, clubs must rack up no more than 105 million pounds of losses over a three-year period, although investments in infrastructure, academies, charity foundation and women’s soccer can be deducted.
United have recorded losses of more than 257 million pounds in the past three years, and more than 370 million pounds over five years. The club said they were committed to and compliant with the PSR, as well as European governing body UEFA’s Financial Fair Play Regulations.
United finished eighth in the Premier League last season, their lowest position since the league’s inception in 1992. This season has not started any better, with two losses from the first three games.
For fiscal 2025, the club expect an adjusted core profit of 145-160 million pounds and revenues of 650-670 million pounds. They reported adjusted core profit of 147.7 million pounds on record revenues of 661.8 million pounds in fiscal 2024.
The forecast reflects the impact of recent restructuring that included 250 job cuts.


Dutch striker Memphis Depay arrives in Sao Paulo to join Corinthians

Dutch striker Memphis Depay arrives in Sao Paulo to join Corinthians
Updated 11 September 2024
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Dutch striker Memphis Depay arrives in Sao Paulo to join Corinthians

Dutch striker Memphis Depay arrives in Sao Paulo to join Corinthians
  • The 30-year-old Depay, who left Spanish team Atletico Madrid on a free transfer, is expected to be introduced to fans later Wednesday

SAO PAULO: Dutch striker Memphis Depay arrived early Wednesday at Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos international airport after signing a two-year deal with Brazilian soccer club Corinthians.
The 30-year-old Depay, who left Spanish team Atletico Madrid on a free transfer, is expected to be introduced to fans later at the Neo Quimica Arena before Corinthians play in the second leg of its Brazilian Cup quarterfinal tie against Juventude. The Sao Paulo-based team, which has more than 35 million supporters, lost the first leg 2-1.
Depay is scheduled to give a press conference at the same stadium on Thursday morning.
Depay left Rotterdam on Tuesday afternoon in a Gulfstream G550 jet. The striker published a picture of the plane on his social media channels with the message: “Going home.”
The former PSV Eindhoven star played for the Netherlands at the European Championship.
Other European players who had spells at Brazilian clubs include Clarence Seedorf at Botafogo; Serbian Dejan Petkovic, who played for multiple clubs and remains a hero for Flamengo fans; and Frenchman Dimitri Payet, currently at Vasco da Gama.
Depay, who undertook his medical tests in the Netherlands earlier this week, had spells at Manchester United, Lyon and Barcelona before joining Atletico Madrid.
Corinthians is fighting to avoid relegation in the Brazilian league, with 13 rounds remaining. It is in the quarterfinals of the Brazilian Cup and the Copa Sudamericana, South America’s second most prestigious club tournament.


UAE’s Al-Qemzi stays focused as place in record books beckons

UAE’s Al-Qemzi stays focused as place in record books beckons
Updated 11 September 2024
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UAE’s Al-Qemzi stays focused as place in record books beckons

UAE’s Al-Qemzi stays focused as place in record books beckons
  • Team Abu Dhabi star aims for third Grand Prix win of season as F2 title race heads for climax in Portugal

PESO DA REGUA: Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al-Qemzi is taking nothing for granted as he returns to the scene of his latest title triumph in the UIM F2 World Championship this weekend, with a place in the record books beckoning in Portugal.

It was in Peso da Regua a year ago that Al-Qemzi clinched the F2 crown for a fourth time, and he goes back into action there in prime position, leading the 2024 championship by eight points from Sweden’s Mathilda Wiberg, with Lithuania’s Edgaras Riabko another point adrift in third.

A runner-up finish behind Riabko 12 months ago was enough to crown the Emirati as champion, and after his second victory of the season in San Nazzaro, Italy, just under two weeks ago, he is close to becoming the first ever five-time title winner.

“That’s the target for myself and the team, and after the victory in Italy, we’re focused on another first place in Regua,” Al-Qemzi said, ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix of Portugal, with the final round to follow in Vila Velha de Rodao a week later.

“It was good to become champion last year with one race to spare, but that’s not in my mind now because the championship is still very close. The aim is to win this weekend and open up a bigger lead for the final round. Then we’ll take it from there.”

His Abu Dhabi team-mate, Mansoor Al-Mansoori, is also aiming high after his second-place in San Nazzaro lifted him to fourth position in the championship standings, with an overall podium finish now the clear target.

“It has been a tough season because the competition is very strong, and you can’t afford to make any mistakes,” Al-Mansoori said. “Like Rashed, I feel good after San Nazzaro, and we both want to work together to get the best results for the team in Portugal.”

With the obvious exception of Portugal’s Duarte Benavente, no driver will feel more at home on the Douro River than Al-Qemzi this weekend.

Apart from his title-clinching performance there last year, he has secured five of his 13 career Grand Prix wins in Portugal, including last year’s final round success on the Tegus River circuit at Vila Velha de Rodao, and two victories during his 2021 championship triumph.

If he can beat off the challenge of Wiberg and Riabko this weekend, he would be in position to go for a fourth Grand Prix win of the season, something he achieved en route to his second F2 world title in 2019.