US light heavyweight Christopher Downs' victory at the World Boxing Championships on Thursday night was overshadowed by the news that two Ugandans and an Armenian had left their teams.
It appeared the missing athletes left voluntarily and have been in phone contact with family and friends, said Chicago police spokesman John Mirabelli. The names of the missing boxers weren't immediately available.
Inside the ring, Downs, the oldest member of the US team and a veteran of the Iraq War, stayed even with Ismayl Sillakh of Ukraine, one of the top-ranked light heavyweights in the world, throughout the fight. The two were tied at 23 with 30 seconds to go in the fourth round.
Downs broke the tie with 10 seconds left as chants of "U-S-A" competed with cheers from a group of fans rooting for the Ukrainian fighter. He moved ahead with another scoring hit shortly afterward, and after the referee handed out penalties to both boxers in the final seconds of the match, Downs won 27-25.
"I need a drink," US coach Daniel Campbell said after the fight. "He's a warrior."
Downs said he heard the crowd, but wasn't looking for a repeat of the match any time soon.
"If I could, I'd like to have it by walkover," he said, chuckling.
Downs' win was the fourth US victory of the day.
Earlier, US lightweight Sadam Ali rallied for a 25-17 decision over Puerto Rico's Jose Pedraza in a high-energy fight.
And welterweight Demetrius Andrade, who fought immediately after Ali, defeated Georgia's Kakahaber Jvania 22-11 in a slow-paced, physical bout.
US flyweight Rau'shee Warren took another step toward returning to the Olympics when he easily defeated 2004 Olympian Tulashboy Doniyorov of Uzbekistan in a 20-8 decision.
Warren is attempting to become the first US boxer in more than 20 years to compete in two Olympics.
The top eight finishers in the light flyweight (48kg) to light heavyweight (81kg) divisions and the top four from the heavyweight and super heavyweight classes will qualify for the Beijing Olympics. Chicago hopes to use the event as a boost in its bid for the 2016 Olympics.
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 tennis star Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the second round of the mixed doubles at the French Open, after she and German partner Mark Wallner defeated Slovenian Andreja Klepac and Briton Lloyd Glasspool in straight sets, despite temperatures exceeding 32°C in Paris, while Taiwan’s top men’s doubles player Ray Ho also reached the second round. Hsieh, who made it to the semi-finals in the mixed doubles at Roland Garros in 2024, and Wallner defeated Klepac and Glasspool 6-3, 7-5 in just more than an hour, converting three of five break points, while holding their opponents to just one conversion
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
FAST AND LOOSE: Despite command struggles, Ohtani has pitched his way out of trouble after falling behind in counts, which manager Roberts credited to his velocity Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday night tossed six innings of no-hit ball, gave himself an early lead with a home run and still was not satisfied with his performance. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar dropped some expletives that were picked up by the on-field mic as he struggled with his command in a 4-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. He struck out seven, walked four and gave up an earned run in the fourth inning while visibly fuming on the mound. Ohtani (5-2) earned his third consecutive victory. “Just command was off, and I just felt like I was battling the lack of
RSS