GYMNASTICS
Biles wins third straight gold
The US’ Simone Biles on Thursday tumbled her way into the history books by winning a record third consecutive all-around women’s gold at the World Gymnastics Championships ahead of teammate and Olympic champion Gabby Douglas. It might not have been a sleek performance as the 18-year-old fought to stay on the beam and stepped off the mat during the floor routine, but it was enough to give her an eighth world gold. She scored highest on the vault and the floor to lead a US one-two ahead of Olympic all-around and team champion Douglas, who got her first world individual medal as she returns to competition after a two-year break following her 2012 London success. Romania’s Larisa Andreea Iordache snatched bronze at the SSE Hydro arena in Glasgow, Scotland.
CRICKET
Match canceled over pitch
New Zealand’s warm-up match against Cricket Australia XI was abandoned yesterday over a pitted and deteriorating pitch described as “rolled mud,” leaving the tourists searching for more practice ahead of next week’s opening Test. Stumps were drawn by the umpires during the lunch interval on day two of the three-day game in Blacktown, Sydney, when the Cricket Australia XI declared their record first innings at 503-1. The Black Caps had been due to bat in reply in their final build-up game ahead of the first Test against Australia, starting in Brisbane on Nov. 5. The highly unusual abandonment seriously disrupts New Zealand’s preparations for the Test series opener, with last-minute arrangements now being made to allow for extra practice. New Zealand was far from amused over the state of the pitch and the loss of valuable batting time ahead of the Gabba series opener against Steve Smith’s Australians.
SOCCER
Carneiro serves Chelsea
Lawyers for former Chelsea team doctor Eva Carneiro have served the club with notice that she intends to seek a claim for constructive dismissal, according to media reports on Thursday. Several British media outlets said that legal papers were served to the London club this week, which will lead to an employment tribunal unless an out-of-court settlement can be reached. British employment tribunals are held in public, which could have the potential to embarrass Chelsea, who is currently floundering in 15th place in the Premier League table. Carneiro left Chelsea after being removed from first-team duties by manager Jose Mourinho, who had rebuked her and physiotherapist Jon Fearn for running onto the pitch to treat Eden Hazard during his side’s 2-2 draw with Swansea City on the season’s opening day, which temporarily left Chelsea with nine players.
SOCCER
Gascoigne pleads guilty
Former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne on Thursday pleaded guilty at a British court to harassing his former girlfriend and assaulting a photographer. The 48-year-old, capped 57 times by England, admitted to harassing Amanda Thomas and beating Steven Shepherd, a photographer who worked with her new partner, at Bournemouth Magistrates’ Court on the English south coast. Gascoigne, popularly known as “Gazza,” was given a two-year restraining order prohibiting him from contacting Thomas or posting about her on social media. The former Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Rangers star was also fined ￡100 (US$153.37) for the harassment and ordered to pay ￡1,535 in compensation and court costs.
MARRED FINAL: As most of Senegalese players walked off the pitch after a controversial decision, some supporters threw objects and attempted to get onto the pitch Senegal on Sunday won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sunk hosts Morocco 1-0 after a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game. Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with a controversial spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time as ugly scenes broke out in the stands. However, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted “Panenka” chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.
Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah on Saturday secured his sixth Dakar Rally car title in Saudi Arabia with Luciano Benavides scraping home by two seconds to claim the motorbike title. “We’ve worked very hard since last year. I might not be showing much emotion yet, but it’s there, deep down. We are so happy to win,” al-Attiyah said at the finish. Al-Attiyah, at the wheel of a Dacia, only had to avoid a final day slip-up to top the podium after bringing his career tally of stage wins to 50 on Friday. The 55-year-old, who took clay pigeon shooting bronze at the
Tobias Harris on Monday scored 25 points as the Detroit Pistons held off the Boston Celtics to score a 104-103 victory in their top-of-the-table Eastern Conference showdown. Harris was one of four Detroit players to finish in double figures, with Jalen Duren adding 18 points and point guard Cade Cunningham scoring 16 points with 14 assists. The win sees Detroit extend their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference to 31-10, 5.5 games ahead of second-placed Boston, who fell to 26-16 with the defeat. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics scoring with 32 points and almost snatched victory in the
The Philadelphia 76ers, fueled by 36 points from Tyrese Maxey and a triple-double from Joel Embiid, on Thursday beat the Houston Rockets 128-122 in an NBA overtime thriller. Cameroonian big man Embiid scored 32 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and handed out 10 assists, posting the ninth triple-double of his career to help the Sixers end the Rockets’ three-game winning streak. Rockets star Kevin Durant scored 36 points and Amen Thompson added 17, but Thompson was scoreless in the fourth quarter. Even so, the Rockets led by nine midway through the final frame, Maxey tying it at 115-115 with 40.1 seconds left. Durant missed a
RSS