U.S./World Sports category, Page 106
Novak Djokovic wins his 23rd Grand Slam title by beating Casper Ruud in the French Open finalVideo
PARIS — Novak Djokovic made clear for years that this was his goal. The biggest titles from his sport’s biggest stages were Djokovic’s focus, and now he finally stands ahead of Rafael Nadal, ahead of Roger Federer, ahead of every man who ever has swung a racket. If Djokovic could...
Conor McGregor knocks out Heat mascot in bizarre promotion at NBA Finals
MIAMI — Former UFC champion Conor McGregor knocked out the Miami Heat mascot in a midgame bit that went wrong. Burnie — more specifically, the man who occupies Burnie’s costume — briefly sought medical attention Friday night after taking two punches from McGregor during a third-quarter stoppage of Game 4...
Arcangelo wins Belmont Stakes to make Jena Antonucci 1st female trainer to win the raceVideo
NEW YORK — Arcangelo took the lead at the top of the stretch and won the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, making Jena Antonucci the first female trainer to win the race in its 155 years. After the horse crossed the finish line, Antonucci doubled over and rested her arm and...
Chase Elliott’s return highlights NASCAR Cup racers’ stop at Sonoma road courseVideo
SONOMA, Calif. — Chase Elliott is back from his suspension with a chance to get right back in the win column. The NASCAR Cup Series’ most popular driver excels on road courses such as Sonoma Raceway, where he has four career top-10 finishes. Elliott has the skills to take on...
Nuggets showing plenty of poise in these NBA Finals against HeatVideo
MIAMI — The Denver Nuggets act like they have been here before. There is an unmistakable poise to the Nuggets, who are only one win away from their first NBA championship and could hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy as early as Monday night when the finals return to Denver for...
U.S. Open in L.A. nearly afterthought with Saudi, PGA Tour deal
LOS ANGELES — The toughest test in golf takes on several meanings for this U.S. Open. Tough usually starts with the golf course, and the North course at Los Angeles Country Club figures to be every bit of that, even if it’s a mystery to most. It has never hosted...
Facts and figures from the 1st U.S. Open in LA in 75 years
LOS ANGELES — A brief look at the 123rd U.S. Open, the first time in 75 years it goes to Los Angeles: Dates: June 15-18. Site: The Los Angeles Country Club (North). Length: 7,421 yards. Par: 70. Cut: Top 60 and ties. Playoff (if necessary): Two-hole aggregate immediately after 72...
Iga Swiatek tops Karolina Muchova in the French Open final for her 3rd trophy in Paris, 4th SlamVideo
PARIS — Iga Swiatek suddenly seemed lost in the French Open final. Her strokes were awry. Her confidence was gone. Her big early lead vanished, too. She kept looking up into the stands, seeking guidance from her coach and her sports psychologist. So much was amiss right up until she...
Horse safety, health the focus of racing community amid spate of thoroughbred deaths
Veteran sport horse trainer and harness race driver Mike Wilder respects the art of balance. After 38 years as a driver and more than 8,800 wins in his career, he scrutinizes many factors when it comes to taking care of his athletes — the horses expected to run at least...
Nuggets now in full command of NBA Finals, top Heat for 3-1 lead
MIAMI — Aaron Gordon scored 27 points, Nikola Jokic added 23 and the Denver Nuggets moved one win away from their first NBA championship by beating the Miami Heat, 108-95, on Friday night to take a 3-1 lead in the title series. Bruce Brown scored 21 off the bench for...
PGA Tour rookie Carl Yuan leads by 1 at Canadian Open; McIlroy 3 backVideo
TORONTO — Carl Yuan moved into position to turn around a forgettable rookie year on the PGA Tour, shooting a 5-under-par 67 in cool, rainy conditions Friday to take a one-shot lead at the midway point of the RBC Canadian Open. Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy gave himself a chance...
Secretariat Triple Crown celebration at Belmont subdued by death and air qualityVideo
This was supposed to be the year thoroughbred racing celebrated the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s magnificent Triple Crown triumph as the current crop of 3-year-olds finished their run on center stage. Heading into the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday, the racing has become almost an afterthought as the public...
Nuggets’ Christian Braun seeking NBA title a year after winning NCAA championship
DENVER — Denver Nuggets rookie Christian Braun is showing that the NBA Finals is not too big of a stage for him. The 21st pick in the draft last summer, Braun has made the most of his minutes off the bench, sinking 10 of 12 shots, grabbing a half dozen...
No. 1 Iga Swiatek seeks a 3rd French Open title in women’s final against Karolina Muchova
PARIS — A little more than four years ago, in the first round of a tiny clay-court tournament in the Czech Republic, 95th-ranked Iga Swiatek lost in three sets to 106th-ranked Karolina Muchova. That was the only time they’ve ever played each other, although they are frequent practice partners. On...
Belmont Park will resume live racing after air quality improves ahead of Belmont Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. — Live racing will resume at Belmont Park on Friday following significant improvement in air quality conditions in the state, the New York Racing Association announced. Both Belmont and Saratoga reopened for training Friday morning, and the 11-card race will start at 12:50 p.m. The NYRA said in...
The LIV Golf, PGA Tour merger shows why sports is so good for image washing
Sometimes sports isn’t just about sports. For decades, athletic events have been used to launder the images and reputations in a tactic called “sportswashing.” Whether embraced by a company or a nation with a regressive policies, sportswashing has particular allure, experts say, because it works. That’s what critics say is...
Heat still confident, Nuggets remain focused as NBA Finals reach Game 4
MIAMI — Jimmy Butler showed up in plush blue slippers for what officially was called practice. Kyle Lowry was trying to distract him during an interview session. Nikola Jokic continued to say how he doesn’t care about statistics. Jamal Murray talked about all the fun he’s having. At this point,...
Oklahoma tops Florida State, wins 3rd straight Women’s College World Series titleVideo
OKLAHOMA CITY — Jordy Bahl threw three innings of perfect relief, and Oklahoma won its third straight Women’s College World Series title and seventh overall, beating Florida State, 3-1, on Thursday night for a two-game sweep. The Sooners finished 61-1 and extended their Division I-record win streak to 53 games....
Canada’s Corey Conners shares lead at Canadian Open as PGA Tour resumes following LIV dealVideo
TORONTO — Corey Conners shot a bogey-free 5-under-par 67 on Thursday to share the first-round lead at the RBC Canadian Open, the first PGA Tour event since its announcement of a merger with Saudi-funded rival LIV Golf. Conners is seeking to become the tournament’s first Canadian winner in 69 years....
Rick Hendrick hopes rough racing settles down after Chase Elliott suspension
LE MANS, France — Rick Hendrick fully supports Chase Elliott as he returns from a one-race suspension for deliberately wrecking Denny Hamlin, but the team owner believes on-track aggression has gotten out of control this season and NASCAR sent a message by parking the superstar. “Until something was done, I...
MLS hopes Lionel Messi will boost attendance, TV viewers and market shareVideo
NEW YORK — After two decades competing against Real Madrid, Manchester United and Brazil, Lionel Messi will be going against the NFL, Major League Baseball and the NBA. Major League Soccer is hoping for a breakout boost to its television audience and market share after Messi joins Inter Miami next...
Udonis Haslem spent career with Heat but almost went to Nuggets
MIAMI — There is some irony in the Denver Nuggets being the last team that Udonis Haslem will face. They were the team that almost got him out of Miami. In the summer of 2010, when most of the eyes in the NBA free agent world were on Miami for...
Karolina Muchova grinds way to French Open final, will face Iga Swiatek
PARIS — As it is, Karolina Muchova was the unseeded, unexpected participant in the French Open semifinals. And then, dealing with cramping legs nearly three hours into the match, she was just one point from losing to No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who entered Thursday with a 12-0 Grand Slam record...
NASCAR and its growling Next Gen car take over Le Mans, looking to make statement on a global stageVideo
LE MANS, France — The engine of the Chevrolet Camaro has a distinct growl that cannot go unnoticed even among the most elite sports cars in the world at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. When the Hendrick Motorsports crew fired up the car inside Garage 56, NASCAR chairman Jim...
Belmont cancels racing, Nationals postpone game due to poor air quality from Canada wildfires
Racing at Belmont Park was canceled and the Washington Nationals’ home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks was postponed Thursday because of poor air quality from wildfires in Canada. It’s the second straight day the continuing fires north of the border have impacted sports in the Northeastern United States. Several Major...
