Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton said that he is “completely overcome with rage” about racial injustice in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
It is the second time this week that Britain’s six-time world champion has spoken angrily about the death of Floyd, an unarmed black man who died on Monday last week during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“This past week has been so dark. I have failed to keep hold of my emotions,” Hamilton wrote on Tuesday on social media.
“I have felt so much anger, sadness and disbelief in what my eyes have seen,” he added, after days of protests that have gripped cities across the US, prompting curfews and the use of force by law enforcement agencies. “I am completely overcome with rage at the sight of such blatant disregard for the lives of our people.”
Earlier this week, Hamilton lashed out at leading figures in his “white dominated” sport for not speaking out.
“I see those of you who are staying silent — some of you the biggest of stars, yet you stay silent in the midst of injustice,” he said.
It prompted several top drivers to express outrage and support.
Formula One on Tuesday issued its first response.
“We stand with you and all people in the fight against racism,” the statement said. “It is an evil that no sport or society is truly immune from. And it is only together we can oppose an eradicate it. Together we are stronger.”
Hamilton questioned why protests were needed before the police officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes, Derek Chauvin, was arrested.
“It is only when there are riots and screams for justice that the powers that be cave in and do something, but by then it is far too late and not enough has been done,” Hamilton said. “It took hundreds of thousands of people’s complaints and buildings to burn before officials reacted and decided to arrest Derek Chauvin for murder, and that is sad. Please do not sit in silence, no matter the colour of your skin. Black Lives Matter.”
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but