ATHLETICS
Runner admits stabbing
An English champion fell runner yesterday admitted to the attempted murder of former rugby union player turned athletics administrator Ralph Knibbs. Lauren Jeska, 41, pleaded guilty to attempting to kill Knibbs, who was stabbed at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, England, in March. Jeska also admitted two charges of having a knife in a public place, during a video-link appearance at Birmingham Crown Court. Knibbs, British Athletics’s head of human resources and welfare, was in court to hear Jeska enter her pleas from a video suite at Foston Hall prison in Derbyshire, England. Judge Philip Parker was told Jeska had been the subject of psychiatric assessment, but that further reports would be needed before she was sentenced on Nov. 15. Fell running, also known as hill or mountain running, is an established sport in rural areas of Britain.
OLYMPICS
Ali to get posthumous nod
The first Jesse Owens Olympic Spirit Award will recognize the late Muhammad Ali. The Owens Award was started this year, the 80th anniversary of Owens’ four-gold-medal performance at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and is to be presented annually to recognize Olympians who have served as an inspiration in society. Owens’ granddaughter, Marlene Dortch, will present the award at next week’s Best of the Games awards ceremony to Ali’s widow, Lonnie. Ali won the gold medal at the Rome 1960 Olympics, then took three world heavyweight championships — in 1964, 1974 and 1978.
RUGBY UNION
Thorn set for comeback
Rugby World Cup winner Brad Thorn is expected to make his return to top-class rugby at the age of 41 tomorrow after he was named in the Queensland Country squad to play in Australia’s National Rugby Championship. New Zealand-born Thorn ended his international rugby career after the All Blacks won the 2011 World Cup, but continued to play for Irish side Leinster, the Otago Highlanders and then English club Leicester Tigers until last year. Thorn never officially retired and when he joined the Queensland Reds he hinted he would be keen to participate in this year’s competition if needed. He did not play for the Reds but became a player-coach under former Wallabies loose forward Toutai Kefu for Queensland Country in Australia’s third tier competition and was named in the squad for tomorrow’s clash against the Western Sydney Rams.
NFL
Peterson to undergo surgery
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson on Wednesday said he will undergo surgery on his injured knee this week as his team acknowledged he might be sidelined for the rest of the season. Peterson, 31, told ESPN he was scheduled to go under the knife yesterday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee following last weekend’s win over the Green Bay Packers. “[I’m] doing it with faith and optimism,” Peterson told ESPN. ESPN reported that Peterson, the leading running back in the NFL last season, had suffered what was known as a “bucket handle tear.” The typical recovery time for the injury was between three and six months, ESPN reported.
SSC Napoli’s Italian Serie A title hopes suffered a late setback on Sunday when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home against Genoa, setting up a thrilling season finale with closest rivals Inter just one point behind. The hosts remain top with 78 points, holding a slim lead over Inter, who won 2-0 at Torino earlier on Sunday, with two rounds remaining. To make matters worse for Napoli, midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, struggling with an ankle injury, was forced off just minutes after the match began. Scott McTominay delivered a perfect pass into the box where Romelu Lukaku got
Harry Kane opened the scoring ahead of lifting his first career silverware as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0, with veteran Thomas Mueller playing his last home game for the club. Bayern officially won the title on May 4 when defending champions Bayer Leverkusen were held to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg, but were presented with the Bundesliga shield in front of their home fans at full-time. Dripping wet after being showered with beer by teammates, Kane said the title win was “an incredible feeling,” and hoped it would be “the first of many.” “It’s been lot of hard work, a lot of
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
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