JUDO
Taiwanese qualify for Games
Three Taiwanese judoka have qualified to compete at the Tokyo Olympics Games, a list released on Tuesday by the International Judo Federation (IJF) showed. Lien Chen-ling, who was fifth in the women’s under-57kg event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, would be competing in the same division again in Tokyo. Yang Yung-wei would be competing in the men’s under-60kg event and Lin Chen-hao in the women’s under-48kg event. Taiwan had only two athletes qualify in the 14 Olympic judo weight classes at the 2016 Games. Qualification for the Tokyo Olympics was determined by how many points judoka earned during competitions from May 2018 to this month, with those ranking in the top 18 qualifying for the Games. Athletes could also qualify through a continental quota. Lien placed eighth and Yang 11th in their respective weight classes, thus qualifying for the Games, the IJF’s rankings showed. Lin, who ranks 42nd in her class, earned a continental quota for Asia. Lien said on Facebook that she felt honored to be able to compete at the Olympics for a second time, and that “no matter what happens, I will not waver in my goal of more than 20 years.”
CRICKET
Batsman smashes own car
Hitting the ball out of the park for a six is the dream of every batsman, but British amateur cricketer Asif Ali’s huge heave backfired on Sunday when the ball shattered the rear windscreen of his own car. Playing for Illingworth St Mary’s Cricket Club against Sowerby St Peter’s in West Yorkshire, Ali was at the crease in the 37th over when he sent the ball soaring through the air. An “Oooooh” could be heard from the crowd as as the ball could be heard crashing through the window of his Vauxhall Zafira.
SWIMMING
Sun Yang banned until 2023
China’s Sun Yang did not break doping rules, his lawyer said, after a ban of more than four years put the 1,500m freestyle world record holder out of the Tokyo Olympics. The three-time Olympic champion’s career was in tatters on Tuesday after the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s suspension for refusing to give a sample to doping inspectors. At the end of a long-running and controversial case, the Lausanne, Switzerland-based court reduced its original ban of eight years to four years and three months, backdated to February last year. “Sun Yang fulfilled his responsibilities, but he has become a victim of political posturing in this international case,” his lawyer, Zhang Qihuai, wrote on social media.
SOCCER
Maradona goal remembered
It was 35 years ago today that Diego Maradona taught England to play, and the date did not go unnoticed in Argentina, where his compatriots remembered his “goal of the century” with a nationwide celebration of cheers and applause. Maradona scored twice against England in a 2-1 win in the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup, the second of which was a solo goal often classed as the greatest goal ever scored. To remember the feat, Argentines took to their windows, balconies, and gardens to shout “Gooooooooool” at precisely 4:09pm, the exact moment the ball hit the net at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 22, 1986.
Twelve days after winning her second Grand Slam title at the French Open, Coco Gauff fell at the first hurdle on grass in Berlin on Thursday as beaten Paris finalist Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarter-finals. Recipient of a first round bye, American Gauff lost 6-3, 6-3 to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu as world number one Sabalenka beat Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) in her second round tie. Winner of 10 main tour titles, including the US Open in 2023 and the WTA Finals last year, Gauff has yet to lift a trophy in a grass-court tournament. “After I won the first
Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality. Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament. “There is always a joy to contribute to the
While British star Jack Draper spent the past week trying to find rhythm and comfort in his first grass tournament of the season at the Queen’s Club Championships in London, Jiri Lehecka on Saturday bulldozed everything in his path. After more than two furious hours of battle, their form was reflected in the final scoreline as Lehecka toppled a frustrated Draper, the second seed, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 to reach the biggest final of his career, against Carlos Alcaraz. Lehecka is also the first Czech to reach the men’s title match at Queen’s since Ivan Lendl lifted the trophy in 1990. Draper, who
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staged a “crazy comeback,” saving four match points before beating Elena Rybakina 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (6) in the quarter-finals of the Berlin Open on Friday. Sabalenka was 6-2 down in the final-set tie-breaker, but won six straight points to reach her eighth semi-final of the season. “Elena is a great player and we’ve had a lot of tough battles,” Sabalenka said. “I have no idea how I was able to win those last points. I think I just got lucky.” “I remember a long time ago when I was just starting, I won a lot of matches being down
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