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.
Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev was the only athlete to “beat” a world record on Sunday at the Enhanced Games, winning the men’s 50m freestyle at the divisive competition where athletes were free to take performance-enhancing substances. His time of 20.81 seconds — which is not considered official — came in the final event of the night in Las Vegas, sparing the blushes of organizers who made claims that multiple world records would be surpassed due to a sophisticated doping regime. Gkolomeev, who was wearing a synthetic “supersuit” long banned at events such as the Olympics, outpaced Australia’s Cameron McEvoy’s 20.88 set in
VICTORY ABROAD: The team took home a fistful of medals and secured spots for the autumn’s Asian Games, scheduled for September in Nagoya Taiwan’s women’s team captured the overall title at the Asian Taekwondo Championships in Mongolia on Sunday, finishing with two golds, one silver and one bronze medal. The strong showing, led by gold medalists Wang Chieh-ling and Chang Jui-en secured the full quota of available spots for Taiwan at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, in September. Wang opened Taiwan’s medal run by winning gold in the women’s under-46kg class on Thursday, the first day of competition. Liu Yu-yun later earned a silver in the under-49kg class. On the final day on Sunday, Chang won Taiwan’s second gold medal in the under-62kg event, and
The manager of the Yomiuri Giants, one of Japan’s most popular baseball teams, resigned yesterday after he was arrested for allegedly physically attacking his teenage daughter. Shinnosuke Abe allegedly grabbed the 18-year-old and forced her to the floor at their home in central Tokyo on Monday evening, reported national broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News, citing unnamed police sources. “Leaving like this really means I’m causing you a lot of trouble, and I feel truly sorry about that,” Abe told a hastily arranged news conference, his eyes red with tears. The former star catcher, who is among baseball-obsessed Japan’s most recognized sports figures,
Taiwanese tennis star Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the second round of the mixed doubles at the French Open, after she and German partner Mark Wallner defeated Slovenian Andreja Klepac and Briton Lloyd Glasspool in straight sets, despite temperatures exceeding 32°C in Paris, while Taiwan’s top men’s doubles player Ray Ho also reached the second round. Hsieh, who made it to the semi-finals in the mixed doubles at Roland Garros in 2024, and Wallner defeated Klepac and Glasspool 6-3, 7-5 in just more than an hour, converting three of five break points, while holding their opponents to just one conversion
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