BOXING
Pacquiao loses in comeback
Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night pushed back against his doubters, the odds and even Father Time — and nearly made some history. In the end, Pacquiao fell just short on the judges’ scorecards as Mario Barrios escaped with a majority draw to retain the WBC welterweight championship. Two judges scored the bout a draw, and judge Max DeLuca awarded Barrios a 115-113 victory. “I thought I won the fight,” Pacquiao said. Forty-six-year-old Pacquiao, enshrined into the International Boxing Hall of Fame last month, was trying to break his own record for oldest welterweight champion. He was 40 when he in 2019 won via split decision over Keith Thurman. “It was an honor to share the ring with him,” Barrios, 30, said. “This is by far the biggest event I’ve had to date, and we came in here and left everything in the ring.”
ATHLETICS
Britons get gold 28 years later
Britain’s men’s 4x400m relay team on Saturday were presented with their gold medals from the 1997 World Championships at London’s Diamond League meeting, after they were elevated from silver following the belated disqualification of the US team. The US were stripped of the title won in Athens when Antonio Pettigrew confessed in 2008 to doping between 1997 and 2003. The former athletes were giving a rousing welcome by the 60,000 sellout crowd, who then stood for a very belated national anthem. “We’re proud to be able to give these athletes their moment in front of a home crowd,” UK Athletics strategic lead for major events Cherry Alexander said. Pettigrew was found dead at the age of 42 in 2010 in his locked car in the US, with an autopsy report saying he died by suicide after an overdose.
BASKETBALL
Clark calls for better pay
Indiana Fever sensation Caitlin Clark on Saturday called for better pay in the WNBA as labor negotiations between the league and players intensify, while commissioner Cathy Engelbert said she was optimistic about their latest talks. Thousands of fans wearing “Clark” jerseys packed the Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the sold-out All-Star Game on Saturday, while the wildly popular Rookie of the Year was forced to sit out after sustaining a groin injury earlier in the week. She told reporters that athletes like here were fortunate to have brand deals: “We should be paid more. Hopefully that’s the case moving forward as the league continues to grow. I think it’s something that’s probably the most important thing that we are in the room advocating about.”
CYCLING
Team car hits spectator
A Tour de France spectator who was cheering riders was hit by a car from the Ineos Grenadiers team in the Pyrenees on Saturday. TV footage of the race showed the team car knocking down the fan who was holding what looked liked a mobile phone about 200m from the top of the Col de Peyresourde. The vehicle was following riders on the steep ascent and driving at moderate speed. There was no immediate information available on the spectator’s condition. The race jury later said Ineos Grenadiers sports director Oliver Cookson was fined 5,000 Swiss francs (US$6,235) for “improper behavior endangering spectators” and handed a yellow card. Accumulating yellow cards over a defined period of time results in a suspension.
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
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