U.S./World Sports category, Page 220
Black women, across generations, heed Biles’ Olympic example
NEW YORK — Naomi Osaka. Simone Biles. Both are prominent young Black women under the pressure of a global Olympic spotlight that few human beings ever know. Both have faced major career crossroads at the Tokyo Games. Both cited pressure and mental health. The glare is even hotter for these...
AAC’s Mike Aresco: Did not plot with ESPN to poach other leagues
American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco vehemently denied that his league has ever “plotted” with ESPN to undermine another conference by poaching its schools. Aresco addressed conference realignment Wednesday during the AAC’s virtual football media day, saying the league is not actively looking to add schools. “Our conference has never...
Sydney McLaughlin outsprints teammate Dalilah Muhammad for hurdles record
TOKYO — Sydney McLaughlin broke the world record. Dalilah Muhammad broke it, too. Only one of the world’s best hurdlers could win the Olympic gold medal — and McLaughlin came out ahead in the latest installment of the best rivalry in track. The 21-year-old from New Jersey won the 400-meter...
Triston Casas’ 3rd homer, Scott Kazmir help U.S. baseball beat Dominicans
YOKOHAMA, Japan — Triston Casas hit his third home run of the Olympics, a two-run drive in the first inning off Boston Red Sox Double-A teammate Denyi Reyes, and the United States beat the Dominican Republic, 3-1, on Wednesday to stay in gold medal contention. Tyler Austin, a former major...
Brenna Stewart leads U.S. women to semis with win over Australia
SAITAMA, Japan — Breanna Stewart and the U.S. women played their best basketball of the Tokyo Games, putting on a dominant performance that team has been known for over the years en route to winning six consecutive Olympic gold medals. The Seattle Storm star was a big reason why the...
U.S., 3 unbeaten teams set for Olympic men’s basketball semis
SAITAMA, Japan — They believe they are the best basketball team at the Olympics, too good to consider anything but gold. “If we do what we do well, we bring the intensity on defense, we play our roles but we’re ourselves in our roles, we’re free, we’re the best players...
This Date in Sports History: Aug. 4
1945 — Byron Nelson wins his 11th consecutive PGA Tour event, beating Herman Barron by four strokes. Nelson finishes the year with a record for most tournament wins (18) in a season. 1982 — Joel Youngblood becomes the only player in major-league history to get hits for two teams in...
Carmelo Anthony to join LeBron, Lakers on 1-year dealVideo
LOS ANGELES — Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James long have wanted to be on the same team. They finally will get their chance after Anthony agreed to a one-year deal to join the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. Anthony broke the news on social media by posting a video that...
Stephen Curry lands 2nd $200M contract of career with Warriors
SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry landed the second $200 million-plus contract of his career, reaching agreement on a $215 million, four-year extension with the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday that takes him through the 2025-26 season. Curry’s agent, Jeff Austin of Octagon, confirmed the new deal for the star point...
Sumo scare? Olympic riders say horses spooked by statue
KAMIYOGA, Japan — Equestrian jumpers aren’t keen on surprises. Neither are the horses, and it takes years of training to keep them from getting spooked. Of course, no horse in Tuesday night’s Olympic jumping qualifier ever had seen anything like obstacle No. 10. “As you come around, you see a...
NCAA gender equity review recommends combined Final Four
A law firm hired to investigate gender equity concerns at NCAA championship events released a blistering report Tuesday that recommended holding the men’s and women’s Final Fours at the same site and offering financial incentives to schools to improve their women’s basketball programs. The review by Kaplan Hecker & Fink...
Pac-12, Big 12 commissioners consider alliances
The commissioners of the Pac-12 and Big 12 met Tuesday to discuss how the conferences might benefit from working together or maybe even merging. Two people with knowledge of the meeting said Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and George Kliavkoff from the Pac-12 were discussing the potential for strategic planning...
Tamyra Mensah-Stock 1st first Black U.S. woman wrestler to win gold
CHIBA, Japan — As Tamyra Mensah-Stock celebrated winning her Olympic gold medal, she hoped her victory would encourage Black girls in the United States to consider wrestling. When she defeated Nigeria’s Blessing Oborududu, 4-1, in the women’s 68-kilogram freestyle wrestling final Tuesday, she became the first American Black woman to...
Simone Biles sticks landing in balance beam, wins Olympic bronze
TOKYO — Simone Biles isn’t going home with a fistful of gold medals. A mental block — one brought on by exhaustion or stress or something the American gymnastics star still can’t quite grasp — that forced her to pull out of four Olympic finals saw to that. Yet standing...
Kevin Durant leads U.S. past Spain into Olympic semifinals
SAITAMA, Japan — Back and forth they went, the reigning Olympic champions from the U.S. on one side, the reigning Basketball World Cup champions from Spain on the other. The difference: The Americans had Kevin Durant. He’s never gone to the Olympics and not won gold — and clearly, doesn’t...
This date in sports history: Aug. 3Video
1852 — The first intercollegiate rowing race is held on Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H., where Harvard beats Yale by four lengths on the 2-mile course. 1949 — The NBA is formed by the merger of the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America. 1955 — Scott Frost, driven by...
T.J. McConnell stays with Pacers as point guards headline NBA free agent signings
Point guards were the immediate focus when the NBA’s free agency window opened Monday night, with Kyle Lowry headed to the Miami Heat, Lonzo Ball on his way to the Chicago Bulls while Chris Paul and Mike Conley landed lucrative deals to remain with their current teams. The Indiana Pacers,...
Allman’s Joy: Discus thrower waits out rain for gold medalVideo
TOKYO — The path to Valarie Allman’s gold medal — the first for the U.S. track and field team at Olympic Stadium — started with, of all things, a plate of spaghetti. That promise of pasta from her high school team was enough to lure her into the discus and...
Saban’s new deal worth at least $84.8 million over 8 yearsVideo
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama coach Nick Saban will make $11.5 million in the final year under a new eight-year contract that’s worth at least $84.8 million. The university released details Monday of Saban’s previously announced deal, after the board of trustees’ compensation committee formally approved it. Saban, who has won...
Paul Guggenheimer: Men’s field hockey? Yes, it’s a thing and what a sport it is
A few days ago I was expressing my quadrennial lament to a colleague about the lack of coverage of one of my favorite Olympic sports — men’s field hockey. His reply: “Men’s field hockey? Men play field hockey?” “Yes!” I told him. “Men play field hockey all over the world,...
Japan rallies against bullpen to beat U.S. in 10 innings
YOKOHAMA, Japan — Brandon Dickson, a 36-year-old nine seasons removed from the major leagues, was the first out of the bullpen and the first to stumble. Edwin Jackson, a 37-year-old released by five big league teams, was the last. Four of seven U.S. relievers combined to give up five runs...
U.S. women lose in soccer, win in volleyball, basketball
TOKYO — The quest for gold medals is on track for the U.S. women’s basketball and volleyball teams after finishing at the top of their groups in pool play. The U.S. women’s soccer team can’t say the same. Jessie Fleming scored on a penalty kick in the 74th minute and...
Gymnast Jade Carey’s long road to the Olympics ends with gold in floor exercise
TOKYO — Jade Carey traveled the world for a spot in the Olympics. Germany. Qatar. Azerbaijan. Australia. A lot of long flights. A little bit of jet lag. One unrelenting vision of what could be possible. She wasn’t going to let a little thing like a sticky patch of carpet...
Canada upsets U.S. with 1-0 win in women’s soccer
KASHIMA, Japan — Jessie Fleming scored on a penalty kick in the 74th minute and Canada earned a 1-0 semifinal victory over the United States in the Olympic women’s soccer competition on Monday. Canada goes on to face the winner of the late semifinal in Yokohama between Sweden and Australia....
Simone Biles to return to Olympics for balance beam finals
The 2016 Olympic gymnastics champion will return to competition in the balance beam final on Tuesday, a little over a week after stepping away from the meet to focus on her mental health. “We are so excited to confirm that you will see two U.S. athletes in the balance beam...
