■ SWIMMING
Diaz circles Manhattan twice
After more than 22 consecutive hours of swimming around Manhattan, Marcos Diaz finally came ashore on Sunday. The Dominican world record holder had a goal for his marathon overnight swim: To raise money for poor Dominican children with cancer and start a program for youngsters with asthma. Diaz, 32, battled asthma as a child by swimming in Caribbean waters. He circled the island twice and finished the 96km swim at the Dyckman Marina in the Washington Heights neighborhood, which is the heart of New York's Dominican community. He was welcomed by thousands of people and a feast featuring live music. While doctors examined Diaz in a tent, the crush of the crowd was so intense that organizers found a lookalike to draw admirers away. Diaz walked out of the water smiling after 22 hours, 14 minutes of swimming.
■ GOLF
Flanagan wins Xerox Classic
Australia's Nick Flanagan won his third US Nationwide Tour title of the year to earn an immediate promotion to the US PGA Tour, closing with a 7-under 63 to win the Xerox Classic by a stroke in Rochester, New York, on Sunday. The 23-year-old Flanagan, the 2003 US Amateur champion, made a 9m birdie putt on the par-4 18th to finish at 10-under 270 on the Irondequoit Country Club course. He began the round seven strokes behind runner-up James Driscoll.
■ CRICKET
Tait out of Twenty20 Cup
Fast bowler Shaun Tait was ruled out of the Australian squad yesterday for next month's Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa. Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said Tait, a key player in Australia's limited overs World Cup success in the Caribbean this year, has not recovered sufficiently from elbow surgery. "Recent efforts to resume bowling have resulted in some elbow discomfort, which is an indication that more time is required for him to start training at a greater intensity," Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said. Cricket Australia says it has written to the International Cricket Committee seeking approval for the inclusion of paceman Ben Hilfenhaus in the 15-man squad as Tait's replacement.
■ CYCLING
Ballan wins Cyclassics race
Alessandro Ballan won the Cyclassics cycling race in Hamburg, Germany, Sunday in a mass sprint to the finish. The Lampre-Fondital rider from Italy finished the 229.1km race in 5 hours, 21 minutes, 5 seconds. The defending champion, Oscar Freire, finished second and Gerald Ciolek was third in the same time. Ballan planned to help teammate Daniel Bennati win when he started the final climb after a breakaway group were caught with 20km left. "Winning was a big surprise," Ballan said. "When I turned my head, I couldn't find Bennati."
■ GOLF
Ilonen wins in Stockholm
Mikko Ilonen won the Scandinavian Masters in Stockholm by two shots on Sunday after Martin Kaymer double-bogeyed the last hole. Ilonen closed with a 2-under 68 to finish with a 6-under 274 total. It was the second European Tour victory for the former British amateur champion. The Finn won his first tournament at the Indonesia Open in February.
The tournament is one of the best attended in Europe behind the British Open. Total attendance was more than 120,000 for the week.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
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