U.S./World Sports category, Page 102
Jay Johnson made all the right moves to quickly build LSU into a national champion again
OMAHA, Neb. — Jay Johnson was a West Coast guy and doing just fine coaching at Arizona when the opportunity to take over at LSU presented itself. The Tigers were long established as college baseball bluebloods, and Johnson would have been lying if he said he wasn’t at least interested...
Defending Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard, 2-time winner Tadej Pogacar meet for next chapter of rivalry
One rider, two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar, was so strong at the start of the season that he was compared to the great Eddy Merckx before an injury stopped his seemingly unstoppable rise. The other, defending champion Jonas Vingegaard, dethroned Pogacar last year and arrives in top form...
Players returning from LIV Golf is part of Saudis’ agreement with PGA Tour
The PGA Tour and European tour have agreed to work with Saudi backers of LIV Golf to decide how defectors to the rival league can return and what kind of punishment they should face, according to a framework agreement obtained by The Associated Press. The agreement also said the for-profit...
Andrea Gaudenzi re-elected as chairman of ATP men’s tennis tour
LONDON — Andrea Gaudenzi has been re-elected as the chairman of the ATP men’s tennis tour, with the second term running through 2026. The ATP announced the news on Tuesday. Gaudenzi, a former professional player, started the job in January 2020. Under Gaudenzi, men’s tennis introduced a 50-50 profit-sharing formula...
Nashville, Bristol working to give NASCAR a historic racing option in Music City
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Whenever Music City comes up on the NASCAR schedule, texts fly to see who’s spending an extra day or two in town to enjoy all the options. After another successful race this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway in nearby Lebanon, work continues in the hope of bringing NASCAR...
Brazil aims high at Women’s World Cup despite Marta’s injuries
SAO PAULO — Marta has won the world player of the year award six times but has never won the Women’s World Cup in five previous attempts with Brazil. That’s something she and the team want to change. Marta has been recovering from a knee injury but the 37-year-old striker...
Italy coach explains why she left longtime captain Sara Gama off Women’s World Cup team
ROME — Longtime captain Sara Gama was left off Italy’s squad for the Women’s World Cup purely “for technical-tactical and physical” reasons, coach Milena Bertolini said Monday. Gama was a surprising omission when Bertolini announced a preliminary 32-woman team for the July 20-Aug. 20 tournament in Australia and New Zealand....
Alcaraz replaces Djokovic at No. 1 ahead of Wimbledon. Swiatek stays atop the WTA
Carlos Alcaraz replaced Novak Djokovic at No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday, meaning the 20-year-old Spaniard is expected to have the top seeding at Wimbledon. Alcaraz, the reigning U.S. Open champion, is coming off the first grass-court title of his career, which he won Sunday by beating Alex...
Timberwolves, Naz Reid beat free agency by agreeing to 3-year, $42 million deal
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves have kept center Naz Reid off the market by agreeing to terms on a three-year, $42 million contract that comes with a player option after two seasons. The deal was struck Sunday night and confirmed Monday by Reid’s agents, Sean Kennedy and Jeff Schwartz of...
Wimbledon champ Rybakina withdraws from Eastbourne citing viral illness
EASTBOURNE, England — Elena Rybakina withdrew from the Eastbourne International citing a virus illness on Monday, a week before she’s due to defend her Wimbledon title. Eastbourne, where Rybakina was seeded No. 1, made the announcement before her scheduled first-round match. Rybakina withdrew last month from the French Open, also...
Women’s World Cup Guide: How to watch, schedule and betting favorites
The United States will be playing for an unprecedented three-peat at this year’s Women’s World Cup. It won’t be easy for the No. 1 team in the world. Co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the quadrennial tournament for international soccer’s most coveted trophy kicks off July 20 and features an...
England coach Sarina Wiegman aiming to add Women’s World Cup to European triumph
MANCHESTER, England — A year after winning Euro 2022, England is out for more at the Women’s World Cup. The Lionesses, playing under coach Sarina Wiegman, won their first major title last year by beating Germany in the final at Wembley Stadium. And they will be among the favorites to...
Former champion Japan is in search of new history at the Women’s World Cup
TOKYO — Futoshi Ikeda guided Japan to the Women’s Under-20 World Cup title in 2018, and last year his team was the runner-up to Spain — reversing the outcome from the final four years earlier. Ikeda has moved up to coach Japan in this year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia...
Ross Chastain holds off Martin Truex Jr. to win at Nashville, 3rd NASCAR Cup Series victory
LEBANON, Tenn. — Ross Chastain has been criticized as reckless and too aggressive, a driver seen as giving no respect and not deserving any from competitors. His hard-driving style paid off Sunday night as Chastain held off Martin Truex Jr. to win the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway, his first...
Former champion Egan Bernal returns to Tour de France after life-threatening crash
MANCHESTER, England — Former Tour de France champion Egan Bernal is returning to cycling’s biggest race for the first time since his life-threatening crash at the start of last year. The 26-year-old Colombian climber was selected Monday in the eight-man Ineos Grenadiers squad that will compete at the three-week Tour,...
Analysis: Wembanyama’s arrival bigger than Texas, and he seems up to the challenge
SAN ANTONIO — As Victor Wembanyama took the stage for his first news conference inside his new home arena, he couldn’t help but notice an accessory the San Antonio Spurs commissioned for the occasion. It was a replica of the Eiffel Tower — made from Legos. Hundreds of them. Wembanyama...
Keegan Bradley wins Travelers Championship, breaks tournament record by 1 shot
CROMWELL, Conn — Growing up in New England, Keegan Bradley says he wasn’t invited to the big junior events that youngsters from Florida got to play. That made it all the more special for the Vermont native to win in front of a New England crowd. Despite a shaky finish,...
Florida sets College World Series record for runs in 24-4 win over LSU to force Game 3Video
OMAHA, Neb. — Florida had been involved in more close games than any other team at the College World Series this year. That changed in a big way Sunday, when the Gators unleashed an offensive barrage of historic proportions. Florida scored the most runs in a CWS game and came...
Ruoning Yin wins Women’s PGA Championship, becomes 2nd woman from China with a major titleVideo
SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — Ruoning Yin made a birdie putt from about 10 feet on the final hole and became the second woman from China to win a major, beating Yuka Saso by one shot in the Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday. After Saso made birdie ahead of her on the...
LSU’s Dylan Crews, potential Pirates target with top pick, wins Golden Spikes Award
OMAHA, Neb. — LSU center fielder Dylan Crews, projected to be the No. 1 pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the amateur draft next month, was honored as the winner of the Golden Spikes Award on Sunday as the top amateur baseball player in the country. Crews, the SEC Player...
Ty Floyd fans 17 and Cade Beloso’s HR in 11th gives LSU win over Florida in Game 1 of the CWS finals
OMAHA, Neb. — After being overshadowed all season by the best pitcher in college baseball, Ty Floyd basked in the spotlight Saturday night. He earned it. Floyd struck out a career-high 17 for the most in a College World Series game in 51 years and Cade Beloso hit the tiebreaking...
Chase Elliott views pressure to make NASCAR playoffs as opportunity
LEBANON, Tenn. — Chase Elliott prefers to view a very challenging season as opportunity, not pressure. The 2022 Cup Series champ who won a career-high five races last year taking the regular season title sits 27th in the points standings as NASCAR returns from the lone break in its 38-race...
Franklin Regional grad catches on with DuBois team for ‘The Basketball Tournament’
Nick Novak will see if a Dream can come true. The former Franklin Regional and Pitt-Johnstown basketball standout who played seven years professionally overseas plans to play in “The Basketball Tournament” with the DuBois Dream, a semi-pro team in the Premier Basketball League. Novak also played in the event in...
Keegan Bradley, Denny McCarthy share Travelers lead at tournament-record 15-underVideo
CROMWELL, Conn. — Keegan Bradley and Denny McCarthy shared the Travelers Championship lead Friday at a tournament-record 15-under-par 125. McCarthy followed his first-round 60 with a 65 in the morning at TPC River Highlands. A few hours later, Bradley shot a 63 to go with his opening 62. Chez Reavie,...
Ireland’s Leona Maguire keeps rolling, takes halfway lead at Women’s PGA ChampionshipVideo
SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — Leona Maguire of Ireland birdied four of her final six holes for a 3-under-par 68 and a one-shot lead over three players Friday at the halfway point of the KMPG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol. The winner Sunday in Michigan for her second LPGA Tour title, the...
