SAILING
Crew member dies in race
A crew member on a German yacht competing in the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Transatlantic Race died following an accident during the crossing from Spain to Antigua, race organizers said on Tuesday. German yacht Walross 4 was near the halfway point of the 3,000-nautical-mile (5,556km) race when an unidentified crew member was knocked unconscious on Monday, the club said previously. The boat was being sailed by German skipper Matthias Kahnt and a novice crew of students. The injured crew member was transferred to a nearby commercial vessel as part of a coordinated rescue, but later died, organizers said in a statement.
Photo: Reuters
SOCCER
No World Cup boycott: France
The French government does not support boycotting this year’s FIFA World Cup finals being cohosted by the US, over US President Donald Trump’s Greenland threats, French Minister of Sports, Youth and Community Marina Ferrari said late on Tuesday. Trump has threatened France with tariffs for its opposition to his drive to annex Greenland. That prompted French lawmaker Eric Coquerel to say the US should be stripped of cohosting this year’s World Cup. “As it stands now, there is no desire from the ministry for a boycott of this great competition,” Ferrari told reporters, adding that she believes in keeping sport separate from politics. Coquerel said he could not see how France could play in the World Cup if Trump went through with his threats over Greenland. “Seriously one imagines going to play the World Cup in a country who attacks its ‘neighbors,’ threatens to invade Greenland and rides rough shod over international law,” he said.
CHESS
Naroditsky report released
American chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky had a combination of stimulant and psychoactive substances in his system when he died last year, a toxicology report released by North Carolina authorities showed. Naroditsky, 29, was found dead at his home in Charlotte in October last year. At the time, police said his death was being investigated as a possible overdose or suicide. Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik, who had accused Naroditsky of cheating in online games, on Tuesday issued a statement expressing condolences to Naroditsky’s family while rejecting claims that his conduct played a role in the grandmaster’s death. “I deeply regret that this profound tragedy was exploited by various individuals and groups to advance their own agendas,” Kramnik said. “There can be no justification for such immoral conduct.”
GOLF
Ballesteros statue missing
Spanish authorities have launched an investigation following the disappearance of a statue commemorating former World No. 1 Seve Ballesteros from his hometown of Pedrena. The Marina de Cudeyo Town Council confirmed the incident on Sunday through its social media accounts, describing the disappearance as “an unfortunate event” and suggesting foul play. “Everything indicates that it was a theft,” the council said. The statue, which has been a focal point in tiny Pedrena as a tribute to Ballesteros’ enduring legacy, vanished sometime over the weekend, local police said, indicating that they are working to identify those responsible and recover the tribute.
MEDVEDEV AWAITS: The world No. 1 Spainiard said that he is ‘finding the right shots’ as he pushed his record so far this year to 16 victories and no losses Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday extended his unbeaten season and got revenge over Cameron Norrie to reach the semi-finals at Indian Wells for a fifth straight year. The world No. 1 from Spain emerged from a see-saw battle with 29th-ranked Norrie with a 6-3, 6-4 victory. In the semis tomorrow, he faces Russian Daniil Medvedev, who pushed his own ATP winning streak to eight matches with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over defending champion Jack Draper. World No. 2 Jannik Sinner powered past Learner Tien 6-1, 6-2 to line up a semi-final with fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Arthur Fils. Alcaraz, 22, became
West Ham United on Monday advanced to the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 5-3 penalty shoot-out win against Brentford, who paid the price for Dango Ouattara’s spot-kick blunder. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side twice blew the lead as Jarrod Bowen’s double was canceled out by an Igor Thiago brace to force extra-time in the 2-2 draw at the London Stadium, but in the shoot-out, Brentford winger Ouattara attempted a chipped Panenka penalty, but his woeful effort was straight at West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. It was an awful mistake by the Burkina Faso international and West Ham took full advantage. Bowen, Valentin Castellanos, Callum
Thanks to Italy beating Mexico on Wednesday, the US get another chance in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). What looked like a potentially disastrous early exit for US manager Mark DeRosa and his team turned out to be nothing more than substantial worry and significant embarrassment for about 24 hours. It remains to be seen whether the US really want to win badly enough for the reprieve to matter, as if it is just a switch they can flick, but there is little reason for their fans to be optimistic. The team’s attitude and behavior have been all over the place when
Brice Turang and Pete Crow-Armstrong’s consecutive RBI singles proved to be the difference in the US’ 5-3 win over Canada in a World Baseball Classic (WBC) quarterfinal on Friday night in Houston. The US faces the Dominican Republic, which crushed South Korea 10-0 in seven innings in its quarter-final, in a semifinal Sunday in Miami for a spot in Tuesday’s championship. The Dominican team has won all five games in this WBC by a combined margin of 51-10. It appeared the US squad was headed toward a cozy victory when it built a 5-0 lead by the sixth inning. A first-inning RBI groundout
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