ATHLETICS
Taiwan’s Li strikes gold
Taiwan’s Li Ting-yu came from behind to bag a gold in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase at the Asian Junior Athletics Championships in Sri Lanka on Monday. “In the final 10 meters, I overtook the Japanese runner by using my willpower,” Li said after winning the race in a time of 10 minutes, 44.94 seconds at the Sugathadasa International Stadium in Colombo. Li, a 12th grader who remained second or third for most of the race, took the lead coming into the last 100m, but was overtaken by Mizuki Sato of Japan. Li didn’t give up and countered by powering past the Japanese with only meters to go. Li’s performance was not only an improvement on her personal best of 10:55.46, but it also broke the Taiwanese record. “I ran smoothly. The weather this evening was great, so I had the opportunity to perform well,” said Li, who had been feeling unwell ahead of the race with an upset stomach. She also vowed to run an even better time in this year’s World Junior Championships to be held next month in Barcelona, Spain. As of Monday, Taiwan had bagged six gold, three silver and four bronze medals at the championships.
SAILING
Yacht sinks in Strait Cup
All six crew members were rescued after a Chinese yacht sank in the Taiwan Strait while competing in a race to China, officials said yesterday. The 12m Wind and Surf, based in China’s Xiamen, reported it was taking on water on Monday, just hours after it started the race from Kaohsiung. The crew was forced to abandon the boat because it was going down so quickly, Chan Cheng-feng of the Kaohsiung Sailing Association said. They were rescued by the Taiwanese coast guard. A total of 17 ships, including 12 from China, took part in the race that finished in Xiamen, organizers said. It was the first accident of its kind since the Strait Cup started in 2009.
TENNIS
Kohlschreiber wins opener
Philipp Kohlschreiber began the defense of his Gerry Weber Open title in Halle, Germany, with a win over wild-card Dustin Brown in an all-German matchup on Monday. The 163rd-ranked Brown twice pushed Kohlschreiber to a tiebreak, before the eighth-seeded defending champion won 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4) in 1 hour, 23 minutes. Canada’s Milos Raonic, the other seeded player playing on the opening day of the grass-court tournament, defeated last year’s beaten finalist Philipp Petzschner. Fifth-seeded Raonic served 19 aces to beat the German 7-5, 7-6 (7/1), setting up a second-round clash with Zhang Ze of China, who overcame another German, Tobias Kamke, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2). The 28-year-old Kohlschreiber next faces Lukas Kubot after the Pole beat Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 6-4, 6-4. There were wins too for Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, who beat Dutchman Robin Haase 6-3, 6-2, and Germany’s Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, who defeated Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.
GOLF
Teen gets US Open spot
Fourteen-year-old Andy Zhang of China is set to become the youngest competitor at a US Open since World War II after American Brandt Snedeker and Britain’s Paul Casey withdrew from the event on Monday because of injuries. Zhang, who attends school in the US, gained his spot in the 156-strong field at the Olympic Club when Englishman Casey pulled out because of a shoulder injury. American Tadd Fujikawa was previously the youngest player since World War II at a US Open — aged 15 years, five months and seven days during the 2006 edition at Winged Foot.
Ademola Lookman on Thursday scored on his Atletico Madrid debut in a 5-0 rout of Real Betis Balompie that sent Diego Simeone’s team to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. David Hancko, Giuliano Simeone, Antoine Griezmann and Thiago Almada also scored for Atletico as they advanced to the last four for the third straight season. Atletico are trying to reach their first Copa final since winning the competition in 2012-2013. Hancko opened the scoring for the visitors in the 12th minute and Giuliano Simeone added to the lead in the 30th, before Lookman got his first goal for Atletico on a fast
GUNNING FOR A WIN: The victory sending Arsenal to the final for the first time in six years was cathartic for a team who had lost their previous four semi-finals Arsenal on Tuesday reached the League Cup final for the first time in eight years as Kai Havertz sealed a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the semi-final second leg. Mikel Arteta’s side had put themselves in pole position in the first leg and Havertz came off the bench to finish the 4-2 aggregate victory in the closing moments at the Emirates Stadium. It was a cathartic triumph for the Gunners, who had lost their previous four semi-finals in last year’s UEFA Champions League and League Cup, the 2022 League Cup and the 2021 UEFA Europa League. In their first final for six years,
SUPERSTAR DELIVERS: Victor Wembanyama scored 29 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to propel the Spurs to a 135-123 victory over the Dallas Mavericks The Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday shook off the early exit of injured star Luka Doncic, rallying without him in the second half for a 119-115 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Austin Reaves, again coming off the bench in his second game back from a 19-game injury absence, scored 13 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, drilling a pair of back-to-back three-pointers to give the Lakers their first lead of the game early in the final frame. “Losing Luka, you know nothing’s going to be easy after that because he does so much for us, but we bonded together,” said
France head coach Fabien Galthie on Thursday lauded his team’s attacking performance after their dazzling 36-14 victory over Ireland in their Six Nations opener. A brace of tries from Louis Bielley-Biarrey and one from mercurial flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert helped France storm into a 29-0 lead before taking their foot off the gas and allowing Ireland back into the match, before winger Theo Attissogbe put some gloss on the victory late on. “In an attacking sense, with the ball, the team played with great accuracy,” Galthie said. “It was one of the most accurate attacking performances in a long time, despite the weather
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