CYCLING
Lance Armstrong at peace
Lance Armstrong said he was more at peace now than he has been in a decade. In his first interview since the US Anti-Doping Agency disciplined him with a lifetime ban from professional cycling and vacated his seven Tour de France titles, he said: “Nobody needs to cry for me. I’m going to be great.” Still, his ego was bruised after being beaten by 16-year-old Keegan Swirbul at the Power of Four mountain bike race on Saturday. Armstrong finished second, nearly five minutes behind the lanky teenager. Soon after crossing the finish line and skidding to a stop, Armstrong chatted for a few minutes before saying: “OK, I’m going to go eat a cheeseburger.”
BASKETBALL
NBA stars visits Myanmar
The US has appointed an ambassador to Myanmar and helped bring in US businessmen keen on doing business in the rapidly reforming Southeast Asian nation. Now, Washington is sending professional basketball players and coaches in a bid to boost cultural ties. The US embassy said ysterday that four “sports envoys” have arrived in the country as part of a US Departmentof State-sponsored program “to emphasize the importance of academics, cooperation and respect for diversity.” The group will conduct several sports workshops with local youth before leaving on Friday. The group includes Charlotte Bobcats basketball team manager Richard Cho, a Myanmar native who migrated to the US. Also traveling are Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Darvin Ham, former Women’s National Basketball Association player Allison Feaster and former NBA player Marty Conlon.
NASCAR
Hamlin wins in Bristol
Denny Hamlin won for the first time at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee with a calculated late pass on Saturday. Hamlin flirted with Carl Edwards for the lead late in the race, and set up his move with 39 laps remaining. Hamlin used a slide move to get past Edwards, then held on as Edwards tried to use a cross-over move to get back in front. It did not work for Edwards, and Hamlin drove away for his third victory of the season. Jimmie Johnson finished second and clinched a berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. Greg Biffle and Dale Earnhardt Jr also locked down spots in the 12-driver field. Jeff Gordon was third, followed by Brian Vickers and Marcos Ambrose.
ATHLETICS
Merritt eyes world record
Olympic 110m hurdles champion Aries Merritt was eyeing the world record when he was to race at a Diamond League meeting in Birmingham, England, yesterday. The US hurdler, who was disqualified from the event at the Lausanne Diamond League earlier this week for a false start, said if conditions were agreeable, bettering the world mark of 12.87 seconds was within his reach. “I think the world record is obtainable,” Merritt told a news conference said. “I just need the right conditions and I need to stay in the blocks,” he said in reference to Lausanne. “I need to execute my race like I’ve been doing all season all hopefully it’ll come.” The field features Olympic silver and bronze medalists, Jason Richardson of the US and Jamaican Hansle Parchment. Merritt has dominated the event this year, with the most sub-12.95 second performances recorded in a single season. American sprinter Tyson Gay, fourth in the 100m at the Olympics, will race over 200m for the first time in two years.
GOLF
Garcia takes the lead
Spain’s Sergio Garcia held his own at demanding Bethpage Black in New York on Saturday, firing a two-under 69 to seize sole possession of the lead after three rounds of The Barclays. Garcia, who shared the overnight lead with Nick Watney in the first event of the US PGA Tour’s playoffs, had a 54-hole total of 10-under par 203, two strokes in front of Watney. Garcia, who has the Ryder Cup in his sights after his victory in last week’s Wyndham Championship, survived Bethpage’s fast, slick greens which caused plenty of trouble for others, including Tiger Woods. Woods appeared to be over the sore back that bothered him on Friday, but the 14-time major champion had four three-putts in a one-over par 72. “I hit good putts, but my speed was awful,” said Woods, who was tied for 10th at four-under par. “That was a bit of a shocker. It was slippery out there. I played a beautiful round of golf, unfortunately didn’t clean it up on the greens. It was unbelievable how fast it got. Some of the greens have grass, some of them are on the dirt side. They’re right at the limit. They’re slippery once you start putting.” Garcia finished the day with five birdies and three bogeys.
GOLF
Teenager Ko seizes lead
New Zealand teenager Lydia Ko seized a one-stroke lead in the Canadian Women’s Open on Saturday, setting her sights on becoming the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history. Ko, 15, fired an even-par 72 on the Vancouver Golf Club layout for an eight-under total of 208. She was one stroke in front of a quartet of players: the US’ Stacy Lewis and South Koreans Jiyai Shin, Inbee Park and Chella Choi. “It’s good to stay at the top of the leaderboard, but my first goal was to make the cut and hopefully top 15 or something,” Ko said. “But to be up there is just an honor, especially playing against the world’s best. Fifteen-year-olds don’t lead at an LPGA event all the time. Like I said, I’m very surprised. But I’ve been playing really good golf and I’ve been really confident with my game.” Choi, who shared the overnight lead with Ko, carded a 73. Lewis climbed up the leaderboard with a 66, Shin posted a 69 and Park carded a 70. World No. 1 Yani Tseng, who led after the first round, struggled to a two-over 74 on Saturday. The Taiwannese star is tied for 21st at one-under 215.
GOLF
Lawrie eyes Ryder Cup
Scotland’s Paul Lawrie is determined to deliver European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal a third victory boost after muscling his way to a one-stroke lead on day three of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. Lawrie, seeking his second Tour victory this year, grabbed seven birdies in a five-under 67 on Saturday to move to 12-under par and one stroke clear of Frenchman Romain Wattel. Earlier this week, Lawrie’s return to the European Team for the first time in 13 years since making his only appearance at Brookline in 1999 was confirmed. “I played very good again today and hit the ball very solid,” he said. “I gave myself a lot of chances and only hit two poor shots all day. But the big thing this week is that I have been working on my rhythm again. I was doing that at the start of the year, but what has been going on lately, it’s not been the same so if I can hang on tomorrow [yesterday] and that would be huge to have two wins in a Ryder Cup year.” If successful in capturing an eighth European Tour success, Lawrie would then join fellow European Ryder Cup members Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia as a third straight winner for Olazabal.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care