Category: Olympics

Gabriel Jesus has completed his switch to the Etihad Stadium

Manchester City have formalised the transfer of Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus from Palmeiras in time for him to feature against Tottenham this weekend. The 19-year-old had agreed a move from his homeland to the Etihad Stadium back in the summer and had joined up with City earlier this month, yet his registration with his new club did not go through in time for him to make the squad for last weekend’s trip to Everton.

Djokovic: I played with intensity

Novak Djokovic had to defend himself against accusations of lacking motivation after the 12-time grand slam champion crashed out of the Australian Open. Djokovic fell victim to one of the greatest shocks in grand slam history as he lost 7-6 5-7 2-6 7-6 6-4 to Uzbek wildcard Denis Istomin.

James Ellington ‘blessed to be alive’ after road accident

British sprinter James Ellington said he and training partner Nigel Levine were fortunate to be alive following a road accident in Tenerife on Tuesday. Their injuries are not life-threatening but there are fears about their ability to compete again at the highest level, with Ellington already needing surgery on a broken leg.

NBA night to remember for local school

Twenty-four hours before the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers took to the arena for their NBA regular season match as part of the NBA Global Games London 2017, the youngsters from St Aloysius College and Islington Panthers basketball club had the chance to get out on the court and work on their skills. As well as making use of the state-of-the art facility, the youngsters also met NBA legends Isiah Thomas, Dikembe Mutombo and Ronny Turiaf.

LA2024 committee proposes venues for 3 more Olympic sports

The committee seeking to land the 2024 Summer Olympics for Los Angeles would stage archery at a new football stadium, mountain biking in a regional park and modern pentathlon at a stadium, with all three locations away from the downtown core. LA2024 announced on Tuesday its proposed locations for the three sports in completing a list of existing, planned or temporary venues for the Games.

Lutalo: Keep it real Harleen

… and kickboxing. Martial arts world silver medalist Harleen Kaur says her nomination for a British Ethnic Diversity Sports Award will spur her on to achieve even more ‘Fighting Machine Harleen’ told Sky Sports last week of her Olympic aspirations, …

Chinese soccer: action planned on ‘irrational’ salaries

The governing body of Chinese soccer plans a series of measures in response to what is termed “irrational” spending by clubs on transfer fees and player salaries. Chinese soccer: action planned on ‘irrational’ salaries The governing body of Chinese soccer plans a series of measures in response to what is termed “irrational” spending by clubs on transfer fees and player salaries.

Sareh Javanmardi among Ones to Watch

… Others are Paralympic and world medallists looking to stay at the top of their game. Around 230 athletes from 22 sports will be named Ones to Watch for 2017 in an effort to make it easier for the public and media to understand which athletes to look …

Canada’s Hayley Wickenheiser honoured as giant of women’s hockey retires

Hayley Wickenheiser, who led Canada to four Winter Olympic gold medals and a silver during her distinguished career, was honoured during a special pre-game ceremony prior to puck drop between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers at Roger Place on Saturday. The 38-year-old from Shaunavon, Sask., who announced her retirement from hockey on Friday, has lived in Calgary since she was 12 but has been a life-long Oilers fan, making the game between the two Alberta-based rivals the ideal place for a tribute in her eyes.

Fran Halsall has announced her retirement from swimming aged 26

The 26-year-old was fourth in the women’s 50 metres freestyle at the Rio Games as an Olympic medal proved elusive once more. The Liverpool swimmer, whose training base for much of her career was Loughborough, has won medals at world, European and Commonwealth level, including gold in the 2015 World Championships in the 4x100m mixed medley relay.

The Latest: CoCo Vandeweghe overcomes heat, illness to win

CoCo Vandeweghe overcame the heat and illness to beat 15th-seeded Roberta Vinci 6-1, 7-6 and advance to the second round of the Australian Open.Vandeweghe was down a break in the second set when she slumped to her knees, facing the backboard at Margaret Court Arena, and needed help from medical staff. The trainer rubbed some water on Vandeweghe’s neck as she stayed in the shade for a couple of minutes, not moving, before the tournament doctor went out to help.

Tokyo office boom fades with more space, fewer workers

TOKYO, Jan 16 Commercial property prices in Tokyo, a bellwether for Japan’s market, look to have peaked as the capital faces a glut of new offices even as the number of office workers is set to decline. The property market had rebounded in the past three years as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s economic policies, with ultra-low interest rates, drew in investors attracted by the wider gap than in other developed markets between returns on property and borrowing costs.

Spring Grove’s Hali Flickinger wins in return to pool

Spring Grove’s Hali Flickinger wins in return to pool Spring Grove’s Hali Flickinger was back in the pool over the weekend, and winning. Check out this story on yorkdispatch.com: Spring Grove grad Hali Flickinger competed in the 2017 Arena Pro Swim Series in Austin, Texas over the weekend, her first competitive event since the 2016 Olympics.

The Latest: 4th-seeded Halep loses to American Shelby Rogers

The Puerto Rican player, seeded 29th, was the first player to win a match at Melbourne Park this year, defeating Romania’s Patricia Maria Tig 6-0, 6-1 in 53 minutes. Puig was close to shutting Tig out completely, known in tennis as a “double bagel,” but made several unforced errors to give the Romanian her first game at 6-0, 5-1.

Murray confidence sky high despite final hurdle failures

Losing five Melbourne Park finals would leave many believing they were destined to never win the Australian Open title but world number one Andy Murray remains confident that this could be the year he lays his demons to rest. Murray after all, has solid form on the blue hardcourts in Melbourne, where he is arguably the second-most consistent man at the tournament this decade — after six-times champion Novak Djokovic.

European Tour’s top rookies seek glory at Qatar Masters

Wang Jeunghun of South Korea and China Number One Li Haotong will make their tournament debuts at the 20th Commercial Bank Qatar Masters this month after finishing first and second in the 2016 European Tour Rookie of the Year standings respectively. The two 21-year-olds – who were the two youngest male golfers in the 2016 Olympic Men’s Golf Competition in Rio de Janeiro have frequently crossed paths around the world while growing into two of Asia’s most exciting talents.

Boston loads up on offence at NWSL draft, Lindsay Agnew first Canadian taken

The Boston Breakers loaded up on offence at the National Women’s Soccer League draft Thursday, taking four attack-minded players in the first round starting with Wisconsin star midfielder Rose Lavelle. Former Canadian under-20 forward Lindsay Agnew went in the second round to the Washington Spirit while Canadian international goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan and forward Nichelle Prince were chosen in the third round.

Chelsea set for A 500m Stamford Bridge redevelopment

Chelsea’s plans for a new A 500m 60,000-seater stadium at Stamford Bridge have been given the green light by Hammersmith and Fulham council. The three-year rebuilding plan, during which the Blues will need a temporary home, still requires the approval of London Mayor Sadiq Khan, but the planning vote is significant.

I left Chelsea with the door open, says Oscar

The Brazilian star says that there were no hard feelings over his January switch to Shanghai SIPG, becoming part of the “really cool” project in China Oscar did not find it difficult to turn his back on Premier League leaders Chelsea in favour of a lucrative move to Shanghai SIPG and a spell in the Chinese Super League that has led many to question the direction of his career. The Brazil international’s record-breaking a 60 million switch drew both intrigue and ire from across the game.

2017 Maine Sports Hall of Fame class revealed

The 2017 Maine Sports Hall of Fame class was revealed Tuesday, and features several big names from the state’s sports history. Among the elected are current Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown, racing powerhouse Bob Bahre, former Olympian Ian Crocker among others.

Malaysia delights in Mohd Faiz’s goal of the year award

Malaysian soccer fans heaped praise on Mohd Faiz Subri on Tuesday after the Penang FA player received the Puskas Award for the best goal of 2016 at a FIFA ceremony in Zurich. Mohd Faiz’s long-range, swerving free kick was overwhelmingly voted goal of the year and will restore some pride in Malaysian football, which has suffered a decline over the past four decades.

Russian gymnast Kudryavtseva retires aged 19

Kudryavtseva won 13 world championships from 2013 to 2015, making her the early favourite for the all-around gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, but a foot fracture disrupted her preparations. She had to settle for silver in Rio behind fellow Russian and friend Margarita Mamun following a rare mistake on her club routine.

Maria Sharapova set for professional comeback at Porsche Grand Prix in April

Maria Sharapova will make her professional tennis comeback following her doping ban at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart in April. The former world number one is serving a 15-month ban after testing positive for cardiac drug meldonium last January and is eligible to compete again on April 26. The Stuttgart tournament is an obvious comeback event given Porsche is one of her main sponsors, b ut it had been thought she would not be able to play because it starts two days before her suspension runs out.

How DeGale & Jack matched up

James DeGale and Badou Jack go to face-to-face in a huge unification fight this weekend but they’ve never been far apart. From the Olympics, to four common foes, to brotherly love, we take a look at the same footsteps the super-middleweight stars have trodden… The pinnacle of amateur boxing saw both fighters make an impact at the 2008 Beijing Games – one making history outside the ring, and the other winning the ultimate prize.