Category: Olympics

Oman Sail: Zakariya, Musab, Stefano shine at Musannah Race Week

Muscat: The 7th edition of Oman Sail’s Musannah Race Week, which attracted 120 sailors from 20 countries to Al Musannah Sports City, concluded with the world’s best talents learning from the seven-day event packed with sailing workshops and intense racing in ideal sailing conditions. Through a mixture of theory and practice, the young participants gained knowledge in the Optimist, Laser 4.7, Laser Radial and Techno 293 classes.

McAslan forced to withdraw from Scottish senior championships after illness curse strikes again

JANUARY is the peak season when it comes to picking up cold and flu symptoms but Kirsten McAslan would do anything for a clean bill of health for a change. It was revealed yesterday that the 23-year-old, who missed out on Rio due to a bout of glandular fever, has had to withdraw from this Saturday’s Scottish Senior Indoor Championships at the Emirates Arena after succumbing to illness on her flight back from her winter warm weather training camp in Tenerife.

Well done, Tigress! Good luck, ice stars

THEY fought like true tigresses to reach the final, but fell to a better-organised team that was more focused on winning. But even by emerging second best in the second round of the Women’s Hockey World League competition last week, our girls did the country proud.

Olympian Gilmour set for comeback at nationals

Kirsty Gilmour will make her first competitive appearance since the Olympics when she defends her singles title at the Scottish National Badminton Championships in Perth next week . The British number one has been sidelined after under-going knee surgery following the Games in Rio but has also entered the mixed doubles as she looks at options to maximise her competitive practise before returning to the international circuit, currently targeting the Austrian Open towards the end of February “I’m still building up to full fitness but my re-hab has gone really well,” said the 23-year-old who is already a five time Scottish singles champion.

Soccer community shows support for Ryan Mason

Mason is in a stable condition in hospital after undergoing surgery at St Mary’s Hospital in London following a clash of heads with Gary Cahill during the first half of Sunday’s 2-0 Premier League defeat at Chelsea. Players from across England and Europe used Twitter to send best wishes to Mason, while the England team’s account posted a message reading: “Stay strong, Ryan” alongside a picture of him earning his sole England cap to date.

Germany’s top Olympic official proposes banning Russia from Games

The president of the German Olympic Committee has called for Russia to be banned from the 2018 and 2020 Olympics if sports bosses there are found to have known about state-sponsored doping. The president of the German Olympic Committee has called for Russia to be banned from the 2018 and 2020 Olympics if sports bosses there are found to have known about state-sponsored doping.

Gut remains perfect in super-G; Vonn struggles in 9th

Defending overall World Cup champion Lara Gut extended her perfect run in super-G this season with a comfortable win Sunday while Lindsey Vonn struggled to a ninth-place finish. For her third straight super-G victory, Swiss skier Gut finished 0.67 seconds ahead of Stephanie Venier of Austria and 0.86 in front of Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

Despite doping scandals, Russia could bid for 2028 Olympics

Still mired in a doping scandal and with a track team banned from international competition, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee said his country may put forth a bid to host the 2028 Games. Alexander Zhukov said Friday that Russia is considering three cities as candidates for a 2028 bid, even as it battles accusations of a mass doping coverup at the Sochi Olympics three years ago.

Zimmermann discovers new purpose after the Olympics

It’s been said that athletes die two deaths. The first occurs when their competitive careers end and the cheering stops, often at a relatively young age, and they are confronted with a frightening question: “Now what?” Iris Zimmermann’s first death, if you will, occurred in 2008 when the onetime Olympic fencer’s final attempt at making the U.S. team and pursuing an elusive medal ended on a gray, rainy February day in Gdansk, Poland.

Boston loads up on offence at NWSL draft

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. Canadian forward Lindsay Agnew went in the second round to the Washington Spirit while goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan was chosen in the third round by New Jersey-based Sky Blue FC.

Mayweather: Canelo Knocks Golovkin Out, Eventually Fights Spence

Retired former five division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. believes Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will score a knockout win over IBF, IBO, WBC, WBA middleweight champion Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin – if and when they meet in the ring. There are ongoing discussions for Canelo and Golovkin to face each other in September during Mexican Independence Day weekend.

Russian gymnast Kudryavtseva retires aged 19

Kudryavtseva won 13 world championships from 2013 to 2015, making her the early favorite 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.

Let’s Play 2: NBA heads to London, Mexico City on Thursday

The league will play somewhat of a unique doubleheader Thursday with games in London and Mexico City, the first time it will stage multiple international games in different countries on the same day in the regular season. Indiana and Denver are the new teams getting to take what’s become an annual trip to Britain, while the Phoenix Suns will be hosting the first of a two-game trip south of the border.

Hard day at the office for Sir Mo Farah as he finishes seventh in Edinburgh

Mo Farah was left to reflect on a “hard day at the office” after his first race as ‘Sir Mo’ ended in a disappointing seventh-placed finish at the Great Edinburgh International XCountry. The four-time Olympic champion, knighted in the New Year Honours, suffered the rare experience of being upstaged by a fellow Briton, Callum Hawkins, who was pipped on the line by American Leonard Korir.

Stunning goal puts Faiz Subri in contention for Puskas Award

With one stunning goal, Faiz Subri has given himself the chance to put his name beside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and James Rodriguez on the honor roll for Puskas Award winners. The Penang player is on a shortlist of three to pick up the FIFA prize, which came into existence in 2009, for the most beautiful goal of 2016.

Olympic champion Stoch wins final stop, takes 4 Hills title

Poland’s Kamil Stoch celebrates after winning the fourth and last stage of the Four Hills ski jumping tournament in Bischofshofen, Austria, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Poland’s Kamil Stoch, bottom, who won the overall competition, and his teammate Piotr Zyla celebrate after the fourth and last stage of the Four Hills ski jumping tournament in Bischofshofen, Austria, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017.

US ski team: Lindsey Vonn could return to WCup next week

In this Feb. 20, 2016, file photo, Lindsey Vonn, of the United States, celebrates after placing second at a women’s Alpine ski downhill race in La Thuile, Italy. The Alpine director of the U.S. ski team says Vonn could make her World Cup return in Austria next week, two months after undergoing surgery on a broken arm.

105-year-old Frenchman sets cycling record

Nearly a century ago, Robert Marchand was told by a coach that he should give up cycling because he would never achieve anything on a bike. In a skin-tight yellow and violet jersey, the 105-year-old Frenchman set a world record in the 105-plus age category – created especially for the tireless veteran – by riding 22.547 kilometres in one hour.

Mikaela Shiffrin closes in on ski racing milestones

If Mikaela Shiffrin wins her 27th World Cup race in Tuesday’s slalom, she will match the career achievement of one of the biggest names in American ski racing history – Phil Mahre. She would also match the women’s record of eight consecutive World Cup slaloms wins – and draw level with Swedish skiing great Ingemar Stenmark for the number of victories before turning 22 years old.

Skier Jean Vuarnet, who struck gold with tuck position, dies

Olympic skiing champion Jean Vuarnet, who helped pioneer the aerodynamic tuck position for downhill racers but suffered tragedy with the deaths of his wife and son in a doomsday cult murder-suicide, has died, the French Olympic Committee announced Monday. He was 83. The Frenchman won Olympic gold in the downhill at the 1960 winter games in Squaw Valley, California.

The accolades keep coming for Andy Murray

Andy Murray is happy to have a Sir in front of his name – even if it will take some getting used to. The world number one was given a knighthood in the New Year Honours after a spectacular season that brought him a second Wimbledon title and Olympic gold medal.

Mo Farah hails New Year Honours knighthood as a ‘dream come true’

Four-time Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah felt being awarded a knighthood in the New Year Honours was a “dream come true” for a boy who arrived in London from Somalia unable to speak English. The 33-year-old successfully retained his 5,000 and 10,000 metres titles at the Rio Olympics, becoming the first British track and field athlete to win four Olympic gold medals.

2016 was laden with success stories

In a country where yearly reviews have featured more scandals than the word, 2016 – despite its misgivings in other spheres of life – will pass as one that registered more satisfaction than indignities. Let us run through moments that brought smiles to our faces throughout the course.

Chinese soccer’s rising riches yet to bode well for the game

Chinese supporter cheers for their team before the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Preliminary Joint Qualification soccer match Qatar vs China at the Al Sadd Stadium in Doha, Qatar, October 8, 2015. [Photo/IC] A host of teams in the Chinese Super League, the country’s top soccer league, have witnessed big changes in their major shareholders as well as squads after this season.

Sports federations face obstacles in sanctioning Russian athletes

Sports federations face obstacles in sanctioning Russian athletes Sports federations could spend months if not years pursuing anti-doping rule violations Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/2hqgx0g In announcing the final revealing details of Russian state-sponsored doping in a report earlier this month, Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren was clear on his mandate – investigating Russian doping but not adjudicating it. The Herculean task of doing that now falls to the international federations , who could spend months if not years pursuing anti-doping rule violations against the hundreds of athletes involved in the Russian state-sponsored system.