U.S./World Sports category, Page 37
NASCAR drivers use break to watch Olympics, support American athletes in Paris Games
Turns out NASCAR’s best are just like many of us. They like watching the Olympics, too. From Kyle Busch pulling for U.S. gold medal-winning sprinter Noah Lyles, Chase Elliott eager to watch Olympic golf and Joey Logano shouting out Sha’Carri Richardson, several Cup Series contenders have their eyes on Paris....
NCAA moving closer to financially rewarding women’s basketball teams that reach March Madness
Women’s basketball teams are about to move a step closer to getting financially rewarded for success in the NCAA Tournament. The Division I Board of Directors was expected to meet Tuesday and introduce a proposal to give performance units to teams that make March Madness. Units represent revenue. “Unless something...
Charles Barkley says he will not retire and remain with TNT Sports even if they don’t have the NBA
Charles Barkley intends to remain with TNT Sports through the remainder of his contract. The Hall of Fame player announced Tuesday that he will not retire next season, reversing the announcement he made in June during the NBA Finals. Barkley said at the time that the 2024-25 season would be...
Michael Phelps calls for a lifetime ban for anyone who’s caught doping
PARIS — In the wake of a Chinese doping scandal, Michael Phelps doubled down Monday on his support for tougher sanctions — including a lifetime ban for anyone who tests positive for a banned substance. “If you test positive, you should never be allowed to come back and compete again,...
Katie Ledecky swims into history with 800 freestyle victory at the Paris Olympics
NANTERRE, France — Katie Ledecky capped another stellar Olympics by becoming only the second swimmer to win an event at four straight Summer Games, holding off Ariarne Titmus to win the 800-meter freestyle Saturday night. It was Ledecky’s second gold medal in Paris and ninth of her remarkable career, which...
Simone Biles edges Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade for her 2nd Olympic all-around gymnastics titleVideo
PARIS — Simone Biles remains peerless. Even when she’s not quite perfect. The American gymnastics star edged Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade during a tense Olympic all-around final Thursday. Biles’ total of 59.131 was just ahead of Andrade at 57.932, one of the closest calls Biles has endured at a major international...
Gordon Hayward retires after 14 NBA seasons with Utah, Boston, Charlotte and Oklahoma City
BROWNSBURG, Ind. — Gordon Hayward, who nearly gave Butler a national title over Duke with a half-court shot that just missed on the final play of the 2010 NCAA men’s basketball championship game, retired from the NBA after 14 seasons on Thursday. Hayward played for Utah, Boston, Charlotte and Oklahoma...
Drag queen in Olympic opening ceremony has no regrets, calls it ‘a photograph of France in 2024’
PARIS — As a gay youth growing up in central France, Hugo Bardin never felt he lived in a world that represented who he was — a world in which he had a place. And that is why Bardin, who performs as the drag queen Paloma, felt it was meaningful...
Federal protections of transgender students are launching where courts haven’t blocked them
New federal protections for transgender students at U.S. schools and colleges will take effect Thursday with muted impact because judges have temporarily blocked enforcement in 21 states and hundreds of individual colleges and schools across the country. The regulation also adds protections for pregnant students and students who are parents,...
Japan surges past China for Olympics men’s gymnastics team gold; Americans end drought with bronze
PARIS — Japan surged past its longtime rival China to win gold in the Paris Olympics men’s gymnastics competition Monday, and the Americans earned bronze for their first medal since 2008. It was Japan’s eighth team gold and first since Rio de Janeiro in 2016. The Japanese overtook their rivals...
Jon Rahm wins LIV Golf UK for his 1st victory on the Saudi-funded tour
ROCESTER, England — Jon Rahm won LIV Golf UK on Sunday for his first victory on the Saudi-funded tour when Legion XIII teammate Tyrrell Hatton three-putted his final hole for a bogey. Rahm closed with a 4-under 68 to finish at 13 under at JCB Golf & Country Club, a...
Full-time engineer Nic Fink relishes the first Olympic medal of his late-blooming career
NANTERRE, France — For Nic Fink, this was a long time coming. Which only made it sweeter. The 31-year-old swimmer, who splits time at the pool with a full-time engineering job, claimed the first Olympic medal of his late-blooming career Sunday night. Fink tied for the silver medal in the...
KJ Choi wins the Senior British Open with a 2-shot victory over Richard Green at Carnoustie
CARNOUSTIE, Scotland — Overnight leader K.J. Choi won the Senior British Open by two shots over Australia’s Richard Green after carding a 2-under 70 on Sunday. The South Korean golfer, who took a one-shot lead into the final round at Carnoustie, won his first senior major. He finished at 10-under...
U.S. men’s basketball team rolls past Serbia, 110-84, in opening game at the Paris Olympics
VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — LeBron James made his Olympic return after a 12-year absence. Kevin Durant played for the first time this summer. And the two most-experienced Olympians on this U.S. team opened the Paris Games — not to mention a bid for a fifth consecutive gold medal for the Americans...
Jhonattan Vegas takes 3rd-round lead in 3M Open in bid for 1st victory since 2017Video
BLAINE, Minn. — Jhonattan Vegas birdied six of the final eight holes for an 8-under-par 63 and a one-stroke lead over Matt Kuchar on Saturday in the 3M Open. Vegas had a 16-under 197 total at the TPC Twin Cities. The 39-year-old Venezuelan has three PGA Tour victories, the last...
Liverpool FC, Real Betis attract fans from across the soccer world to Acrisure Stadium
The lengths diehard fans go to support their team should not be understated. It was not an everyday occurrence that saw two of the most popular teams from their respective European countries take the pitch in the United States. However, what made this matchup particularly intriguing was the team playing...
Liverpool FC triumphs over Real Betis in Iron City Showdown, kicking off U.S. preseason tour with win
From a distance, the scene at Acrisure Stadium Friday evening appeared normal enough. All the usual sounds and smells of a Pittsburgh Steelers gameday — legions of fans tailgating, cooking up hamburgers and hot dogs while enjoying themselves in the surrounding parking lots — were easily detectable. But if time...
Paris Olympics athletes post fit checks, cardboard beds on social media
Though the 2024 Paris Olympics presents an opportunity for athletes to show what they’re made of on the international summer sports stage — it also gives them a chance to give social media followers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the games. Four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles shared a photo of...
Paris Olympics off to rough start, with sabotaged trains and weather dampening mood before opening
PARIS — The Paris Olympics were getting off to a rough start Friday, with suspected acts of sabotage targeting France’s flagship high-speed rail network and cloudy skies and forecast rains over the French capital ahead of its sprawling, ambitious opening ceremony. On a day of utmost importance for France and...
Liverpool coach Arne Slot goes for 1st win as club enters new era in PittsburghVideo
Liverpool Football Club’s Friday evening exhibition at Acrisure Stadium vs. Real Betis will serve as an early measuring stick for the club, which kicks off a three-game North American preseason tour. The eyes of soccer fans around the globe will be on Pittsburgh as new Liverpool coach Arne Slot, who...
Exhibition between Liverpool FC and Real Betis shines light on Pittsburgh’s burgeoning soccer scene
There’s no debating Pittsburgh’s identity as a great sports town. The Steelers, Penguins and Pirates all have rich histories with multiple championships and great players. Soccer, despite growing in popularity around the United States, Pittsburgh included, does not possess the same pedigree as football, hockey and baseball in town. But...
NBA says it has entered deal with Amazon, not accepting Warner Bros. Discovery’s offer
The NBA said Wednesday that it is not accepting Warner Bros. Discovery’s $1.8 billion per year offer to continue its longtime relationship with the league and therefore has entered into a deal with Amazon Prime Video, a move that would mean this coming season would end a nearly four-decade run...
U.S. men’s soccer team drops Olympic opener to France
MARSEILLE, France — On a wild opening day for the Olympic men’s soccer tournament, the United States came within the width of the crossbar from taking the lead against host nation France. Within moments, Alexandre Lacazette had the ball in the back of the Americans’ net — and when Michael...
Coco Gauff to be female flag bearer for U.S. team at Olympic opening ceremony, joining LeBron James
PARIS — Tennis star Coco Gauff will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the U.S. Olympic team at Friday’s opening ceremony. Gauff, the reigning U.S. Open champion, is set to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games and will be the first tennis athlete to carry the...
IOC awards 2034 Winter Games to Salt Lake City. Utah last hosted the Olympics in 2002
PARIS — Salt Lake City will be an Olympics host again after the IOC formally awarded the 2034 Winter Games to the United States bid on Wednesday, after a power move by Olympic officials who want to shut down a U.S. federal investigation of suspected doping by Chinese swimmers. The...
