SOCCER
Two charged in Son case
Two South Koreans have been charged with blackmail or attempted blackmail targeting Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min, the prosecution said yesterday, with one of them reportedly his ex-girlfriend. The suspects — a woman in her 20s surnamed Yang and a man in his 40s surnamed Yong — have been in custody since last month. The two have been “formally charged and will stand trial while in custody,” a Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office spokesperson said. Yang allegedly extorted 300 million won (US$218,245) from Son by sending a fetal ultrasound image and threatening to go public with claims that she was pregnant with his child last year, Yonhap news agency and other local media reported.
SWIMMING
McIntosh closes on record
Summer McIntosh on Tuesday came within a whisker of breaking a third world record at the Canadian Swimming Trials after finishing 0.45 seconds outside Liu Zige’s 200m butterfly mark set during the era of the now-banned “super suits.” Three-time Olympic champion McIntosh, who set world records in the 400m freestyle on Saturday and the 200m individual medley on Monday, clocked 2:02.26 to post the second-fastest women’s 200m butterfly in history. The 18-year-old was on world record pace when she made the final turn, but fell just short of Liu’s 2:01.81 set in 2009. “The fact I’m knocking on the door of that world record is really encouraging. That’s the one world record I never thought I would even come close to,” McIntosh said.
ICE HOCKEY
‘UFC’ fights raise Cup pressure
Things got chippy in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday, with the Florida Panthers’ and the Edmonton Oilers’ 140 combined penalty minutes the most in a final since Game 4 between the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames in 1986. Late in Florida’s 6-1 rout of the Oilers to take a 2-1 lead, Darnell Nurse and Jonah Gadjovich dropped the gloves, before eight guys got sent to the showers early with misconduct penalties. It should not be surprising that tensions boiled over given the lopsided score and as the Oilers and Panthers have grown a healthy distaste for each other. With that came plenty of hits, shoves and jabs that led to slashes, punches and gear strewn all over the ice. “The game’s over with 11 minutes left,” Oilers star Leon Draisaitl said on Tuesday after practice. “Then all hell breaks loose. It’s a UFC fight.”
SOCCER
England booed in Senegal loss
Boos on Tuesday rang out as England left the field after a 3-1 loss to Senegal in a friendly at the City Ground that marked the first defeat of Thomas Tuchel’s tenure as coach. Senegal recovered from conceding Harry Kane’s early goal to become the first team from Africa to record a victory over England. “We’re not going to panic, but for sure we know we need to do better,” Kane told broadcaster ITV. Senegal stretched their unbeaten streak to 24 games, while England’s loss, which included a disallowed late goal from Jude Bellingham for a handball in the buildup, was their first defeat in four games under new manager Tuchel.
Badminton world No. 3 Anders Antonsen clinched his first Indonesia Open title yesterday after beating Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen, while South Korea’s An Se-young won her second championship in Jakarta. The 28-year-old Dane sank world No. 7 Chou at the Indonesian capital’s Istora Senayan arena, winning 22-20, 21-14 in a 60-minute match to secure the prestigious Super 1000 event. Antonsen came out on top in a tightly contested first game before cruising to victory in the second. In a more closely fought women’s singles final, South Korean ace and world No. 1 An fought back from one game down to beat China’s
Spain starlets Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams dazzled on Thursday as La Roja beat France 5-4 in a thriller in Stuttgart, Germany, to set up a UEFA Nations League final with Portugal. Yamal bagged a brace, while Williams scored and provided an assist as the two wingers cut France’s makeshift defense to ribbons. Mikel Merino and Pedri were also on the score sheet for the UEFA Euro 2024 champions. Kylian Mbappe netted a second-half penalty, but Spain were 5-1 up and cruising, before Les Bleus suddenly woke up as their opponents took their foot off the pedal. France’s three late goals — a
Italy crashed to a 3-0 loss away to Norway, as the four-time FIFA World Cup champions made a disastrous start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign on Friday, while Belgium had to settle for a draw in North Macedonia. Alexander Sorloth, Antonio Nusa and Erling Haaland all scored in the first half in pouring rain in Oslo as Norway made it a night to forget for Italy, who missed out on the past two World Cups. “I have no explanation. Our supporters don’t deserve this kind of match. We need to do some soul-searching. It’s unacceptable,” Italy captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi
The Crusaders yesterday produced a clinical performance in difficult conditions to beat the Queensland Reds 32-12 and claim home advantage in next week’s Super Rugby semi-finals. Lock Scott Barrett and prop Tamaiti Williams scored first-half tries to reward an outstanding performance from the Crusaders’ forwards in wet, slippery conditions and bitterly cold temperatures. Scrumhalf Noah Hotham defied the conditions in the second half to score a superb solo try and, after kicking a conversion and penalty to make the score 22-0 at the hour mark, flyhalf Rivez Reihana scored a try which took the game beyond the Reds. “Typical Christchurch weather, cold, wet
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