BASEBALL
Ohtani homers after surgery
Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani on Friday night looked a little rusty for a moment at Camelback Ranch, producing just one awkward swing and miss while working a full count against Los Angeles Angels pitcher Yusei Kikuchi in the first inning. The five-pitch warm-up was all he needed. Batting in the leadoff spot, Ohtani drove the next pitch high into the air to the opposite field, easily clearing the left field wall for a solo homer in his first spring training appearance following offseason shoulder surgery. “Regardless of the results, I think the biggest takeaway was that I got through my three at-bats without any issues,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “Physically, I felt really good.”
Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / USA Today
GOLF
Ex-biker eyes first title
Australian former biker club member Ryan Peake, who spent time in jail for assault, yesterday charged to within sight of a maiden golf title at the New Zealand Open. Peake is alone in second place after three rounds of the US$1.12 million tournament at the Millbrook Resort course near Queenstown, having overcome a disrupted buildup. The 31-year-old received a delayed clearance to travel to New Zealand because of his criminal record, only arriving at the South Island destination on Tuesday evening ahead of a Thursday morning tee-off. A member of outlawed motorcycle club the Rebels at the time, Peake was found guilty of serious assault as a 21-year-old and sentenced to five years in prison. He told journalists on Friday that golf became a focal point in a bid to turn his fortunes around and leave behind a “young and stupid” lifestyle. Asked yesterday to reflect on his past, the burly, tattooed golfer said the final round was the focus. “I’ll reflect on all that sort of stuff after the tournament, but in the meantime I’m mid-tournament going into a final round,” Peake said.
Photo: AFP / Australian Golf & Photosport.NZ / Michael Thomas
OLYMPICS
Paris to replace medals
The mint in France responsible for producing medals for the Paris Olympics and Paralympics has received 220 requests to replace ones won at the Games, it said on Friday. Some athletes have complained their medals have been discolored or chipped, sometimes within weeks of the Games ending last year. The Monnaie de Paris said the replacement medals would be identical to the originals, but a protective varnish would be added to increase their durability. It said in a statement it had “done everything possible, from August 2024, to ensure the replacement of the medals concerned.” The International Olympic Committee in January said it would systematically replace “defective” medals. The French mint prefers to call them “damaged.” Some Olympians from the Paris Games have taken to social media to share photos of the state of their medals. One of the first was American skateboarder Nyjah Huston, who won bronze in the street skateboarding competition on July 29. Ten days later he posted a picture of his medal, complaining about its quality. “These Olympic medals look great when they’re brand new, but after letting it sit on my skin with some sweat for a little bit and then letting my friends wear it over the weekend, they’re apparently not as high quality as you would think,” he said. “It’s looking rough. Even the front. It’s starting to chip off a little.”
Photo: AFP
‘AWFUL PERFORMANCE’: Golden State were always chasing the game after failing to threaten from long range, making just eight of 33 three-point attempts Aaron Gordon on Monday scored 38 points as the Denver Nuggets shrugged off the absence of Nikola Jokic to halt the Golden State Warriors’ seven-game winning streak with a 114-105 victory over their Western Conference rivals. A dazzling display from Gordon inspired what was ultimately a comfortable win for Denver, who were missing regular starters Jokic and Jamal Murray from their lineup. The absentees were barely felt by Denver, who startled the Warriors early at San Francisco’s Chase Center and led for most of the game. The Warriors threatened to stage a late rally after slashing the Nuggets’ fourth-quarter lead from 15 points
The US’ bid for a fourth consecutive CONCACAF Nations League title came to a stunning end as they fell 1-0 to Panama after a stoppage-time goal from Cecilio Waterman on Thursday in Inglewood, California. Despite dominating possession, the US struggled to break down a resilient Panama side for long periods. Panama spent the bulk of the match defending, but pounced on a giveaway by the US before substitute forward Waterman sent a shot from the right side of the area to the bottom left corner late in stoppage time. Up next for Panama in tomorrow’s final is to be Mexico, who beat
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
Chris Wood has fired Nottingham Forest into surprise UEFA Champions League contention and now the striker wants to score the goals to help New Zealand make history at the FIFA World Cup. New Zealand are strong favorites to qualify out of the Oceania region over the next week and reach the World Cup for only the third time. At the country’s two previous appearances at the finals, in 1982 and 2010, they have failed to win a match in six attempts. With Wood captaining the side and leading from the front, he told local media yesterday that the current squad can finally deliver
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