ICE HOCKEY
Panthers beat Bruins
Aleksander Barkov on Wednesday had two goals and two assists, while Sam Reinhart added four assists as the Florida Panthers beat the Boston Bruins 6-1 to tie their NHL Eastern Conference second-round playoff series at 1-1. Brandon Montour had a goal and two assists, while Steven Lorentz, Gustav Forsling and Eetu Luostarinen also scored. The Panthers chased Bruins starter Jeremy Swayman early in the third period after four straight goals, then added two more against Linus Ullmark. Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 14 saves for the Panthers. Charlie Coyle had the goal for the Bruins, who lost to Florida for the first time in six meetings this season. In Vancouver, Conor Garland broke a tie with 5 minutes, 34 seconds left as the Canucks overcame a three-goal deficit to beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 in Game 1 of their Western Conference series. Garland took a short pass from Dakota Joshua, faked a slap shot at the right circle, sped in on Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner and slipped a wrist shot between his legs from a sharp angle for Vancouver’s second goal in 39 seconds.
Photo: AFP
OLYMPICS
Flame starts France relay
The French leg of the Paris Olympic flame relay began yesterday in the southern port city of Marseille, a day after it arrived from Greece on a 19th-century ship. Former France soccer star Basile Boli carried the torch from a majestic cathedral overlooking the city and handed it over to 83-year-old Colette Cataldo. The event drew dozens of spectators including Marseille archbishop Jean-marc Aveline. “That really makes the heart beat fast and it’s fantastic,” said Boli after handing over the torch. “It’s the Olympic flame, it’s the symbol of sport and of living together.” The event marked the start of a 12,000km torch relay across France and its far-flung overseas territories, terminating at the opening ceremony on the Seine in Paris on July 26.
ICE SKATING
Shoma Uno retires
Two-time figure skating world champion and three-time Olympic medalist Shoma Uno of Japan yesterday said that he is retiring from competition. Uno, 26, won a second consecutive world title last year despite an ankle injury. “My skating life started when I was five, and I am very grateful that I was able to continue for 21 years and lead a fantastic life in competition,” the Nagoya native wrote on Instagram. Uno, who was born prematurely weighing just 0.9kg, was the world’s first skater to successfully land a quadruple flip in competition.
The Taiwan Daredevils yesterday won one and lost one in the Taiwan Premier League, dispatching TCA with ease, but stumbling against Formosa. In the morning match at the Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山), the Daredevils’ Johan Koekemoer carried his side to 141-6 with 44 from 45 in their 20 overs. George Klopper’s right-arm spin dominated in the run chase. He claimed 4-5 from 3.3 overs as TCA slumped to 77 all out. The highlight of the innings was a stunning catch at cover as Jeff Black turned back the years to pull in a full-blooded drive on the dive
The Hsinchu Titans yesterday made a strong start in Group A of the Taiwan Premier League in Taipei, winning two games as the 10-team T20 competition began at the Yingfeng Cricket Ground. Chetan Sharma scored 57 from 30 deliveries in the morning match as the Titans made 178-7 against the Taipei Indians, who helped their opponents’ cause with 26 extras. Pramod Mandal took 3-11 as the Indians struggled to 126-8 in reply. The Taipei Stallions posed a greater hurdle to the Titans in the afternoon match, posting 163-7 after choosing to bat first. Hassaan Samad smashed 77 from 44 with seven fours and six
Alexander Zverev on Wednesday reached his 18th ATP Masters semi-final in Rome, but only after a worrying fall which sparked memories of the horror injury he had at the French Open two years ago. The world No. 5 from Germany defeated Taylor Fritz of the US 6-4, 6-3 in Italian Open to set up a last-four duel with Alejandro Tabilo, the Chilean journeyman who had stunned world No. 1 Novak Djokovic earlier in the tournament. Zverev’s moment of concern came in just the third game on center court at the Foro Italico when he fell on the clay and landed on his
Shohei Ohtani’s first walk-off hit for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday was also his first game-ending hit in the majors in nearly four years. His still-new teammates and fans who celebrated with him at Chavez Ravine expect to see many more feats from a superstar who is somehow getting even better in Dodger blue. Ohtani pulled a low fastball to right with two outs in the 10th inning, scoring Jason Heyward and ending the Dodgers’ 3-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Two teammates doused Ohtani with water, while a crowd of 52,656 roared for the latest feat by the US$700 million slugger. “We