BERLIN: Kemar Bailey-Cole kept Jamaica’s flag flying in the absence of compatriots Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake at the ISTAF event yesterday by winning the 100 meters and helping his team to victory in the 4x100 hurdles.
Bailey-Cole equaled his personal best of 10 seconds at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium to finish ahead of former world champion Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis and Jimmy Vicaut of France.
“Today I went out and executed my race. It wasn’t perfect because I wanted to run under 10 seconds. But I am satisfied to have achieved a new personal best,” Bailey-Cole said. “I’m a bad starter, like my compatriot Usain Bolt. I need to get a better drive.” The 20-year-old Bailey-Cole earlier anchored Jamaica to the relay win in 40.58 seconds, taking advantage of a mix-up between Darvis Patton and Wallace Spearmon of the US Collins said he was “definitely not running for my country anymore” in the wake of his expulsion from the St. Kitts and Nevis Olympic team for leaving the athletes’ village. Collins feels he was punished for spending time with his wife.
“Maybe at the Olympic Games in Rio, in 2016, I can run under the Olympic flag. If it’s possible. Or maybe I can run for another country, I don’t know yet,” Collins said. “I am disappointed that Kemar beat me but he is a talented athlete. I still feel good.” Olympic champion Aries Merritt set a meet record of 12.97 seconds to win the 110 hurdles, ahead of compatriot Ryan Wilson in 13.45 and Belgium’s Adrien Deghelt in 13.62.
“Today was not a world record, but there is still next year,” Merritt said.
Another American, Kellie Wells, claimed the women’s 100 hurdles in 12.72 before blowing kisses to the appreciative crowd.
“The time is good, I’m happy with it,” said Wells, an Olympic bronze medalist.
Queen Harrison of the US was second, with Canada’s Priscilla Lopes-Schliep third.
Kelly-Ann Baptiste of Trinidad and Tobago claimed the women’s 100 race in 11.25, ahead of Kerron Stewart of Jamaica and Myriam Soumare of France.
Olympic champion Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic captured the 400 hurdles, with Jamaica’s Leford Green second and Belgium’s Michael Bultheel third.
Nixon Kiplimo Chepseba led a Kenyan top-four sweep in the men’s 1,500, finishing in 3:33.11.
“The race wasn’t easy with all these fast Kenyans,” Chepseba said. “I know them because I train with them and they are all strong.” Another Kenyan, Pamela Jelimo, claimed the women’s 800 in 1:58.68, ahead of Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi and Abeba Aregawi of Ethiopia.
“Running 1:58 at the end of the season is OK,” Jelimo said. “My season has been very good for me and I’m happy.
Ethiopian pair Sofia Assefa and Mohammed Geleto Aman won the women’s 3,000 steeplechase and men’s 800, respectively.
In field events, Betty Heidler delighted her hometown fans by winning the hammer throw with a heave of 75.18 meters. Another local favorite, Olympic champion Robert Harting, claimed the discus with a throw of 67.4.
Sunette Viljoen of South Africa beat the Czech world record holder, Barbora Spotakova, to win the women’s javelin with a throw of 67.52.
Reese Hoffa of the United States claimed the shot put with a throw of 21.37. Poland’s Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski was second, followed by Americans Ryan Whiting and Cory Martin in third and fourth.
“I’ve been strong all year except for the Olympic Games,” Hoffa said, referring to his bronze medal in London. “I need to do a better job at the major competitions.” Olympic silver medalist Bjoern Otto of Germany won the men’s pole vault by reaching 5.78 meters, and Russia’s Aleksandr Menkov claimed the long jump.
Jamaica’s Bailey-Cole wins 100 meters in Berlin
Jamaica’s Bailey-Cole wins 100 meters in Berlin
How all 20 LIV Golfers finished at The Open Championship
LIV Golf’s major drought will extend into 2026, but the breakaway league did have a surprise top-10 finisher at Royal Portrush for The Open Championship.
A breakdown of how each of the 20 LIV players fared at Royal Portrush.
1. Bryson DeChambeau (-9, T10) DeChambeau leading the LIV pack would not have been a surprise at the start of the week despite his shaky history on links courses. But his rally to a tie for 10th was especially impressive considering his 78 on Thursday left DeChambeau ahead of only seven players in the entire field.
The two-time US Open champion fired a 65 on Friday to make the cut on the number and then posted 68-64 over the weekend to finish at 9 under. DeChambeau’s 64 on Sunday tied champion Scottie Scheffler (second round) for the low round of the tournament.
2. Tyrrell Hatton (-7, T16) The Englishman played his way onto the first page of the leaderboard through 54 holes, but Hatton’s legendary temper was on full display during a disappointing 72 on Sunday. After battling to stay in contention on the front nine, Hatton went 1 over on the back to slide out of the top-20.
3. Dustin Johnson (-6, T23) There was a D.J. sighting on the weekend of a major for the first time since The Open last year. It didn’t appear the drought was going to be snapped after opening with a 73, but Johnson went 69-67-69 to quietly move his way up the leaderboard.
T4. Sergio Garcia (-3, T34) Desperately trying to regain his form in time to convince European captain Luke Donald to consider him for the Ryder Cup, Garcia also made the cut on the number and then closed with a 68 for his low round of the tournament.
T4. Jon Rahm (-3, T34) After solid showings at each of the first three majors of the year, Rahm admitted he just couldn’t find his groove at Royal Portrush. His low round was a 69 on Saturday, and the Spaniard was never a factor this week.
T4. Lee Westwood (-3, T34) The Englishman qualified for The Open for the first time in three years and then made some early noise by going 3 under through his first seven holes of the tournament. Westwood wasn’t able to maintain the momentum for 72 holes and closed with a 73 that included a triple bogey on Sunday.
7. Jason Kokrak (-2, T40) Kokrak hasn’t made many waves with his performance and cruised his way through four rounds at Royal Portrush without breaking 70. But that was good enough for a T40 — the best finish among players who failed to post at least one score in the 60s this week.
8. Henrik Stenson (-1, T45) The 2016 Open champion rebounded from an opening 75 to make the cut on the number. The author of one of the most dramatic finishes in Open history was unable to generate much drama over the weekend this time, closing 69-71.
9. Marc Leishman (E, T52) Leishman book-ended a 73 and a 75 with a pair of 68s. The Australian was never really a threat after going 3 over through his first 12 holes of the event. Leishman did go 4 under over the next 40 holes but was unable to maintain the momentum. Many take shots at LIV’s 54-hole format, and Leishman is one of several who again struggled on Sunday.
10. Phil Mickelson (+1, T56) A hole-out as part of an opening 70 was Mickelson’s highlight for the week. He faded with a 72 on Friday that was followed by a 76 on Saturday. Mickelson did rebound for a closing 67 that saw him climb 10 spots on the leaderboard.
11. Dean Burmester (+3, T61) The South African made the cut with a stroke to spare but then tumbled with a 76 on Saturday. After opening the final round with three bogeys through four holes, Burmester did recover to post five birdies en route to a 69.
Missed the cut: Joaquin Niemann (144) Carlos Ortiz (145) Tom McKibbin (145) John Catlin (146) Lucas Herbert (146) Patrick Reed (147) Luis Oosthuizen (148) Brooks Koepka (149) Cam Smith (150)
The 20 LIV Golf players will now have a few days to relax locally before joining their league mates for this week’s LIV Golf IK starting Friday at the JCB Golf & Country Club.
Fury targets third fight against Usyk
LONDON: Tyson Fury says Oleksandr Usyk “knows” he is the only fighter who can beat him after the Ukrainian crushed Daniel Dubois to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion.
Usyk produced an emphatic fifth-round finish against his British opponent at Wembley on Saturday to reclaim the IBF title, further cementing his status as one of boxing’s all-time greats.
The undefeated 38-year-old added the IBF belt to his WBC, WBA and WBO belts when he beat Fury by split decision in Riyadh in May last year before he was forced to vacate his IBF title.
The British boxer retired after he lost to Usyk, again in Saudi Arabia, by unanimous decision in December, but he signaled his intention to return to the ring earlier this month.
The “Gypsy King” has angrily questioned the two defeats and remains confident he can get the better of Usyk.
Fury, 36, posted a video of himself on his Instagram account during a run, which was laden with expletives.
“Massive shout-out to Oleksandr Usyk, he said.
“He did a fantastic performance tonight over Daniel Dubois, a good, young, game lad who came for a good tear-up, so congratulations to both men but Oleksandr Usyk knows there is only one man who can beat him.”
“I did it twice before and the world knows it ... I took it like a man.”
He added: “No matter what anyone wants to say, I won ... those fights. Guaranteed, 100 percent. There is only one man. GK (Gypsy King) all day every day. Get up!”
Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, acknowledged a third fight with Usyk would be “big” but reiterated WBO mandatory Joseph Parker is next in line.
“Tyson has made it very clear to me he would love to fight at Wembley and would love to do that fight. And it would be a big fight, I am quite sure of it,” Warren said.
“As a fan, I would like to see the Joe Parker fight. Joe deserves it, he is on a run himself similar to what Daniel was on and that is the fight that has been ordered.
“One way or another it will either happen or Joe will fight for the vacant title.”
Gen.G Esports crowned League of Legends champions at Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh
- The Korean powerhouses now sit top of the Club Championship standings with 1,800 points
RIYADH: Gen.G Esports continued their dominant run on the international stage by capturing the League of Legends title at the Esports World Cup 2025 over the weekend, defeating AG.AL 3-2 in a dramatic Grand Final to claim their second international trophy in as many weeks.
The Korean powerhouses now sit top of the Club Championship standings with 1,800 points, following a historic run that has seen them go unbeaten in 26 consecutive matches, one of the most commanding streaks in the history of competitive League of Legends.
The title win in Riyadh follows closely on the heels of their victory at the Mid-Season Invitational, making this the fastest back-to-back international title haul ever recorded in the game.
Their flawless campaign at the Esports World Cup culminated in a thrilling five-game final against AG.AL, who had earlier stunned both Hanwha Life Esports and reigning champions T1.
“It’s a very meaningful win for our team,” said Kim "Kiin" Ki-in, who was later named tournament MVP and awarded a $10,000 prize.
“In the past in international events we feel that we have underperformed, so to achieve back-to-back wins in the Mid-Season Invitational and now here at the Esports World Cup means that we are still a top contender level team. We are right at the top.
“And on a personal level, the wins let me know that I’m still the player I know I can be and that we can continue to lift many trophies together.”
Teammate Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon praised the atmosphere in the Riyadh Arena for playing a key role in their final push.
“The atmosphere in the arena was amazing, you could really feel it and I think that support was what drove us to go on and win in the end,” he said.
“The overall support of the fans throughout the tournament was incredible, they were electric and energetic, and they continue to drive us to lift more trophies again as soon as we can compete again,” he added.
The Gen.G lineup of Joo "Duro" Min-kyu, Jeong, Kim "Canyon" Geon-bu, Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk, and Kim outclassed 11 other top-tier teams to secure the $600,000 winners’ prize and an additional 1,000 Club Championship points.
Arnold Hur, CEO of Gen.G Esports, hailed the team’s consistency and hunger for improvement.
“For us, the important thing is to keep on improving and delivering positive performances and results each year compared to the previous one, and that's what we're doing in this year's edition so far,” he said. “Everyone is working to help the club reach new heights and to keep rising.”
Reflecting on his MVP performance, Kiin added: “We were here last year, but we got eliminated early, so this time I wanted to lift the trophy, and I did. I'm really excited.”
Pakistan voice disappointment after ‘World Championship of Legends’ match against India called off
- WCL features retired, non-contracted players from India, Pakistan, England and other nations
- The match was called off after India’s Shikhar Dhawan withdrew from fixtures against Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani veteran cricket stars on Sunday voiced their disappointment after their match against India, part of the “World Championship of Legends (WCL)” tournament, was called off on Sunday, with Indian players withdrawing because of political tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi.
Sporting ties between arch-rivals India and Pakistan have remained limited due to years of political tensions, which heightened after the two countries engaged in a four-day military standoff over an attack in the disputed Kashmir region before a ceasefire was reached on May 10.
The WCL is a T20 tournament approved by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) held in England every year. The tournament features retired and non-contracted players from cricketing giants, including England, India, Pakistan, Australia, West Indies and South Africa.
“On behalf of Pakistan Champions, we express our deep disappointment over WCL’s decision to call off the match against India,” Pakistan Champions owner Kamil Khan said in a statement.
“This decision not only undermines the spirit of the game but has let down cricket fans across the globe.”
In a statement released on its social media accounts, the WCL said it had decided to call off the India-Pakistan match in Birmingham and apologized again for “hurting the sentiments” of Indian fans.
The league’s owners include its founder, Indian entrepreneur Harshit Tomar and Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn.
The WCL statement came hours after Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan wrote on X that he was withdrawing from India’s WCL matches with Pakistan.
“We believe cricket should rise above and transcend political differences,” Khan said.
Jeddah set to host $1m World Pool Championship as global stars descend on Saudi Arabia
- $1 million prize pool brings together 128 elite players from more than 40 countries
JEDDAH: The 2025 World Pool Championship, the most lucrative tournament in nine-ball history, is set to break new ground in Jeddah on Monday, marking the return of the sport’s flagship event to Saudi Arabia for the second consecutive year.
Being held from July 21 to 26 at the Green Hall venue, the tournament features a record-breaking $1 million prize pool and brings together 128 elite players from more than 40 countries, including powerhouses such as the US, Taiwan, Germany, the Philippines, the UK, and host nation Saudi Arabia.
Organized in partnership with the Saudi Arabian Billiard & Snooker Federation (SBSF), the Saudi Ministry of Sport and the World Nineball Tour, the event highlights the Kingdom’s growing stature in the global sporting calendar.
A press conference on Sunday officially launched the tournament, with top players and organizers expressing excitement and anticipation ahead of the opening matches.
Emily Frazer, CEO of Matchroom, unveiled the tournament’s striking new trophy and hailed Saudi Arabia’s growing role in cue sports.
“It is really an honor to be here in Saudi Arabia for the second year in a row,” she said.
“We are all super excited to get this tournament rolling tomorrow with the participation of the world’s finest players,” she added.
Nayef Aljawini, President of the SBSF, spoke of the tournament’s wider significance for sports development in the Kingdom.
“Today, we are witnessing a comprehensive renaissance in billiards and snooker, as is happening in all other sports within the Kingdom,” he said.
“The great support from the Ministry of Sports reflects our deep belief in the capabilities of our youth, and these hosting events are only the beginning of a promising future for this game and other sports.
“We look forward to warmly welcoming the very best snooker and pool players in the world to the Kingdom and taking their sports into the heart of our communities, while also giving emerging young Saudi players the chance to compete at this level for the second time at home,” he added.
Among the leading names in attendance was Fedor Gorst, the reigning world champion and current world number one.
“I am back in Jeddah to defend my title and I'm very much looking forward to competing amidst the best in the world,” he said.
Filipino star Johann Chua, winner of the Hanoi Open, said he would approach the event with positivity and calm.
“I’m really excited about it and I don’t think about the pressure at all. I’m looking forward to it and will just try and enjoy as much of it as possible.”
American legend Shane Van Boening, one of the sport’s most successful players, was equally confident.
“Yes, I am ready and looking forward to compete with other players and hope to win it this year,” he said.
Representing the host nation, Saudi rising star Khalid Al-Ghamdi expressed pride in taking part.
“We are really so excited to be part of the tournament which gathers the best in the world and we all hope to raise our level and reach good positions. Simply, we are all looking forward to be there among the best,” he said.
The competition will begin with a double elimination format, where players must win two matches in race-to-nine racks to progress. From there, the final 64 enter a single elimination phase of race-to-11 racks, culminating in Saturday’s final, a race-to-15 showdown.
Fans around the world will be able to follow the action live. Sky Sports will provide daily coverage from 7pm local time, while DAZN (USA, Spain), Vietcontent (Vietnam) and TAP (Philippines) are among several international broadcasters carrying the event.
