GOLF
Swinging Skirts canceled
The LPGA and Taiwan’s Swinging Skirts Golf Foundation last week agreed to cancel this year’s Taiwan Swinging Skirts tournament for the fourth consecutive year, citing operational factors. The tournament, which has not been played since 2019 due to COVID-19, struggled to find LPGA-accredited courses in Taiwan, with the fees quoted by accredited courses so high they even “surprised LPGA headquarters,” the foundation said on Friday. Organizers were also concerned about “certain regulations” that added to the uncertainty of running the tournament, the foundation said in a statement, without elaboration. The event was scheduled for Oct. 26 to 29.
ATHLETICS
Peruvian sets walk record
Peru’s Kimberly Garcia Leon on Saturday broke the 35km race walk world record with a time of 2 hours, 37 minutes, 44 seconds in Dudince, Slovakia. The world champion in the 20km and 35km walk broke the previous record of 2:38:24 set by Russian Klavdiya Afanasyeva in 2019, in a warning to her rivals ahead of the Paris Olympics next year. China’s Liu Hong came in second in an Asian record of 2:40:06, while Magaly Bonilla from Ecuador took third place. At the Paris Olympics, there would only be one race of 20km for the women and a 35km mixed team race walk.
GOLF
Newcomer Kho wins in HK
Taichi Kho yesterday overcame final-round nerves to become the first Hong Kong player to win an Asian Tour event at a rain-shortened World City Championship. Kho only turned professional in January, but held off New Zealand’s Michael Hendry to win by two strokes at a soggy Hong Kong Golf Club and claim a place at this year’s The Open Championship. Organizers reduced the tournament to 54 holes overnight after heavy rain and lightning led to play being called off on Saturday. The course was still under the effects of the bad weather when play resumed yesterday, with Kho holding a four-shot lead over Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines. “Being at home, in front of everyone, having my parents here, it just means the world to me,” Kho said.
HORSE RACING
Japanese stuns in Dubai
Ushba Tesoro, ridden by Japanese jockey Yuga Kawada, on Saturday produced a stunning finish to secure his first win outside his home country, with a commanding performance in the US$12 million Dubai World Cup. Japan, which was represented by 27 horses in the nine-race card, secured three wins. Equinox, the Japanese Horse of the Year, won the US$6 million Dubai Sheema Classic with a blinding run, and Derma Sotogake secured the UAE Derby.
MOTOR RACING
NZ’s Evans wins in Brazil
New Zealander Mitch Evans on Saturday won the first Formula E race in Brazil for Jaguar in a Kiwi one-two with Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy. Evan’s British teammate Sam Bird was third with fastest lap in the Sao Paulo E-Prix, making a first podium sweep for the Jaguar powertrain that is also used by Envision. Evans’s first victory of the season made him the fifth different winner in six races of the series’ new Gen3 era, with no driver so far able to convert pole position to victory.
Barcelona’s Ferran Torres scored twice on Sunday to help secure a late 4-2 comeback win at Atletico Madrid in a pulsating La Liga clash that took the Catalan side back to the top of the table. Barca have 60 points and a game in hand after last week’s postponement of their home game with CA Osasuna. They are level on points with Real Madrid, who won 2-1 at Villarreal on Saturday. “I am happy and proud of this team,” Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick told a news conference. “They never give up... It’s a great three points and we are happy to
Paolo Banchero on Sunday scored 24 points as the Orlando Magic overturned a 13-point deficit to end the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 16-game unbeaten streak with a gutsy 108-103 road victory. Cleveland, the runaway Eastern Conference leaders, had looked poised to extend their franchise-record winning run after surging clear of Orlando early in the third quarter, but after a season where they have staged hefty winning comebacks of their own, the tables turned on Cleveland in the face of a furious burst of Orlando scoring. The Magic outscored Cleveland 35-23 in the third quarter, with Franz Wagner leading the charge with nine points and
Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday held their nerve to beat Liverpool 4-1 on penalties and reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals after their tie finished one-apiece on aggregate, while Bayern Munich saw off Bayer 04 Leverkusen to complete a 5-0 win over both legs. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha fired Barcelona into the next round as the Catalans bested SL Benfica 3-1, and Inter booked a last-eight meeting with Bayern by seeing off Feyenoord 2-1. At Anfield, Ousmane Dembele netted the only goal of the night as PSG bounced back from Liverpool’s late winner last week to force the tie to extra-time and penalties. Maligned
Taiwan’s Lin Chun-yi on Wednesday inflicted a first-round defeat on former badminton world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen at the All England Open. Lin came out of top after a back-and-forth first game before Axelsen dominated the second, but the Dane was not able to keep that form in the decider as Lin reeled off six points in a row on the way to a 21-19, 13-21, 21-11 victory. “If I don’t play my best, everyone can win against me,” said Axelsen, the world No. 4. “Today’s opponent played a fantastic game; it was disappointing, but that is how it is.” “I just tried
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