SWIMMING
Aussie breaks Channel record
An Australian marathon swimmer on Sunday became the second woman to break the men’s record for number of English Channel crossings — and avoided new British quarantine rules on French arrivals on her return. Chloe McCardel, from Sydney, completed her 35th swim across the world’s busiest shipping lane after emerging on the northern French shoreline in the early hours of Sunday. The 35-year-old said that she had been given the all-clear by British coastguards that she would not have to self-isolate on her return to England later in the day. McCardel finished her latest 33.8km Channel crossing in 10 hours and 40 minutes. It was her fourth swim across the waterway in the past 16 days. Briton Kevin Murphy holds the men’s record of 34 cross-Channel swims, while the overall record remains the 43 crossings completed by Alison Streeter.
FORMULA ONE
Raikkonen makes history
Kimi Raikkonen on Sunday became the driver to have raced the greatest distance in Formula One history when he completed his 37th lap of the 66-lap Spanish Grand Prix won by Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes. Raikkonen, in an Alfa Romeo, finished 14th, one lap down, but had achieved a statistical landmark that was the equivalent of driving two laps of the world, around the equator. He exceeded the previous record of 83,846km when he finished lap 37, his team said. The previous record-holder was his former Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso. After the race, showing no interest in his statistical achievement, he said: “We were a bit faster than last week, but I was hoping for better. We kept trying and I think we’re going in the right direction.”
CYCLING
‘Wrong’ Colombian wins
Daniel Martinez of Colombia emerged as a surprise winner of the five-day Criterium du Dauphine on Sunday, having been in fifth place overnight. There were several fancied Colombians in the race, including Tour de France champion Egan Bernal. However, few had tipped Martinez to follow Lucho Herrera’s last win for the Latin Americans here in 1991. The stage itself was won by Jumbo-Visma rider Sepp Kuss, a 25-year-old from Colorado who crossed the finish line 27 seconds ahead of the chasing pack. Martinez won the best young rider’s white jersey and the overall winner’s yellow jersey. “It’s one of the biggest races in the world and to be able to win this, coming from Colombia, makes me very happy,” the 24-year-old said.
TENNIS
Brady takes first WTA title
The US’ Jen Brady captured her first WTA title on Sunday, defeating Swiss left-hander Jil Teichmann 6-3, 6-4 in the Top Seed Open final. Brady did not drop a set all week on the way to her first WTA final and wore down Teichmann to claim the crown in a US Open tuneup event without spectators at Lexington, Kentucky.
BASEBALL
White Sox hit 4 straight HRs
Chicago White Sox hitters joined an exclusive Major League Baseball club on Sunday, belting four straight home runs on the way to a 7-2 victory over the St Louis Cardinals on Sunday. The White Sox became just the 10th team to go back-to-back-to-back-to-back in a major league game as they pummeled Cards relief pitcher Roel Ramirez in the fifth inning.
Doping fears prevented former US Open champion Emma Raducanu from treating insect bites on the eve of the Australian Open, she said, with players increasingly wary about ingesting contaminated substances. The British player was speaking in the wake of high-profile doping cases involving Iga Swiatak and Jannik Sinner. “I would say all of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take on board, what we use,” the 22-year-old said, recalling an incident on Friday. “I got really badly bitten by, I don’t know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I’m allergic, I guess,” she added. The bites “flared up and swelled up really a
The NHL postponed the Los Angeles Kings’ home game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday with several massive wildfires burning across the greater Los Angeles area. The Kings and Flames were scheduled to play on Wednesday night at the Kings’ downtown arena. The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers were scheduled to host the Charlotte Hornets in the same arena last night. “Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community,” the Kings said in a statement. “We appreciate the hard working first responders who are diligently working to contain the fire and protect our community. We appreciate the league’s support in keeping our
TWO IN A WEEK: Despite an undefeated start to the year playing alongside Jiang Xinyu of China, Wu Fang-hsien is to play the Australian Open with a Russian partner Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien yesterday triumphed at the Hobart International, winning the women’s doubles title at the US$275,094 outdoor hard-court tournament, while McCartney Kessler lifted the trophy in the women’s singles. Fourth-ranked Wu and partner Jiang Xinyu of China took 1 hour, 15 minutes to defeat Romania’s Monica Niculescu and Fanny Stollar of Hungary, 6-1, 7-6 (8/6) at the Hobart International Tennis Centre, their second title in a week. Wu and Jiang on Sunday won the women’s doubles title at the ASB Classic in Auckland, beating Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic and Sabrina Santamaria of the US. Their winning ways continued in Australia as they stretched
EL CLASSICO: La Liga champions Real Madrid would face Barcelona in the Super Cup final tomorrow. Barca secured their final spot after a 2-0 win over Bilbao on Wednesday Real Madrid would chase a record-equaling 14th Spanish Super Cup title in the final against Barcelona after second-half goals by Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo helped them to a 3-0 win over Mallorca in the semi-finals on Thursday. England midfielder Bellingham broke the deadlock after the hour mark with a low shot into the middle of the goal before Mallorca defender Martin Valjent’s own goal doubled the lead in stoppage time followed by a Rodrygo strike from close range. Spanish champions Real are to play Barcelona for the trophy tomorrow after goals by Gavi and Lamine Yamal earned Barca a 2-0 win over
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