Motorsport – Even from 15th place, Verstappen remains a major threat; Asian Olympic Athletes Support Paris Trail for Russians, Belarusians & More
Below is a summary of breaking sports news.
Motorsport-Even from 15th place, Verstappen remains a great danger
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will start the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 15th place but none of his rivals ruled out the Formula One championship leader, who was in contention for victory on Sunday. The two-time world champion retired from qualifying on Saturday due to a sudden drive shaft failure after dominating every practice session.
Olympic Asia Athletes Support Path Of Paris For Russians And Belarusians
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) continued to pave the way for Russian and Belarusian athletes to qualify for next year’s Paris Summer Games through events in the region when its Athletes’ Forum endorsed the principles behind it. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is under immense pressure from 35 governments including the United States, Britain and France to ban athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus for invading Ukraine.
Women’s NCAA summary: No. 12 in Florida Gulf Coast upsets No. 5 in Washington state
For the second year in a row, Florida Gulf Coast — again seeded at No. 12 — upset a No. 5 seed in the first round of the NCAA tournament, this time giving Pac-12 champion Washington State a 74-63 loss in Villanova, Pennsylvania. , on Saturday. FGCU (33-3) shot 55.6 percent from the floor and was led by Sha Carter’s sharp shot that earned 24 points. Tishara Morehouse scored 16 points for the Eagles.
Rugby Crusaders have beaten Blues as Chiefs, Brumbies are setting the super rugby pace
The Canterbury Crusaders made a statement with a dramatic 34-28 win over the Auckland Blues at Eden Park, but it was the Waikato Chiefs and ACT Brumbies who continued to dominate in the fourth round of Super Rugby Pacific. The often slow-starting Crusaders had lost two of their first three games of the season, including a stunning upset against Fijian Drua last week, but made a sizeable move in Saturday’s final replay.
BBC football commentator Lineker returns after being suspended for criticizing the government
Former England football captain Gary Lineker returned to present on the BBC’s flagship football show on Saturday, a week after his suspension for criticizing the government’s immigration policy sparked a row over the channel’s impartiality rules. BBC executives reversed their decision to suspend Lineker, the channel’s highest-paid presenter, after his colleagues last weekend refused to work in solidarity and forced him to broadcast football matches without normal commentary.
Tennis-Alcaraz and the red-hot Medvedev prepared the final showdown in Indian Wells
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz was far from at his best but did enough to beat Italy’s Jannik Sinner 7-6 (4) 6-3 on Saturday and a final showdown in Indian Wells with red-hot Russian Daniil Medvedev in the Californian organizing the desert. In a rematch of their thrilling US Open quarterfinals, which the 19-year-old Spaniard won in five tough sets en route to winning the title, Alcaraz had to save a set point in the opening frame against Sinner before regaining control.
Tennis-Djokovic misses Miami Open due to vaccination status
Novak Djokovic will miss next week’s Miami Open after the Serb was denied a special permit that would have allowed him to enter the United States despite not being vaccinated against COVID-19, tournament director James Blake said on Friday. “We tried to get Novak Djokovic to get an exemption but it wasn’t possible,” Blake told Tennis Channel.
Despite having a target on his back, Tennis-Alcaraz still tries to have fun
Teenager Carlos Alcaraz said he was unfazed by the pressure of being perceived as a favorite following his meteoric rise to the top of tennis, adding that he won’t be distracted by the lure of being world number one and just trying to enjoy every game. The 19-year-old Spaniard, second in the world rankings, became the youngest-ever number one after winning the US Open in September. He can return to the top with a win over Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s Indian Wells final.
Tennis-coffee-fueled Bopanna becomes Indian Wells’ oldest Masters champion
Coffee connoisseur Rohan Bopanna credited the special Indian blends he consumes on tour for his success after the 43-year-old became the oldest ATP Masters 1000 champion by winning the men’s doubles title on Saturday. Bopanna and his playing partner Matthew Ebden from Australia defeated the top duo of Dutchman Wesley Koolhof and Briton Neal Skupski 6-3, 2-6, 10-8 to claim their second joint title and first of the season.
NHL Sharks goalie Reimer declines to wear the Pride jersey
San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer said he will not wear the National Hockey League team’s Pride jersey during warm-up ahead of their game against the New York Islanders on Saturday because they disagree with his religious beliefs. The 35-year-old Canadian said the decision was based on his Christian faith, adding that he “has always strived to treat everyone I meet with respect” and that all members of the LGBTQ+ community should be welcome in hockey .
(With agency contributions.)
