Duplantis soars to outdoor pole vault record, Olympic champion Jacobs in late withdrawal

Sweden’s Armand Duplantis in action during the men's pole vault at the Diamond League meet in Stockholm on Thursday. (Reuters)
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Updated 01 July 2022
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Duplantis soars to outdoor pole vault record, Olympic champion Jacobs in late withdrawal

  • In yet another dominant pole vaulting display in the final major meet before the July 15-24 worlds in Eugene, Oregon, Duplantis had the competition wrapped up after his third effort at 5.83m

STOCKHOLM: Armand Duplantis warmed up for next month’s world championships in perfect style at Stockholm’s Diamond League meet on Thursday, delighting home fans by setting an outdoor pole vault record.

While Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs was a late withdrawal from track’s blue riband event, the men’s 100m, Duplantis ensured there was drama guaranteed to the end in the field.

In yet another dominant pole vaulting display in the final major meet before the July 15-24 worlds in Eugene, Oregon, Duplantis had the competition wrapped up after his third effort at 5.83m.

The US-born vaulter then nailed 5.93 and 6.03m before clearing 6.16 on his second attempt, the best-ever performance outdoors that bettered by 1cm his previous outdoor best set in Rome in September 2020.

“I feel like I am definitely in shape to win my title and maybe to do something special in Eugene,” said the 22-year-old Olympic champion who holds the overall world record of 6.20m, set at the world indoor championships in Belgrade in March.

The outdoor record, Stockholm-based Duplantis said, felt “quite amazing... but really wasn’t that much of a surprise for me.”

“There’s better things that I can do. I felt really good jumping today but it wasn’t like I did everything so perfect that I don’t think I can do any better.

“It’s extra special when you’re jumping on the track where you train. I live about 10 minutes away so you want to defend your home territory first and foremost!“

With little time to fine-tune preparations ahead of the Eugene worlds, Jacobs— a shock gold winner at the Tokyo Olympics last year — pulled out of the 100m in another blow to his injury-hit season.

His coach Paolo Camossi, however, played down the latest setback for his sprinter, who kicked off the season with world 60m indoor gold in Belgrade before a thigh injury in mid-May disrupted track plans.

“The situation is under control,” Camossi said. “He has a little pain in his glute muscle.

“It would have been too risky to run today, that’s why we decided to withdraw him from the 100m. The risk is just too high with the eye on the world championships in Eugene next month.”

In the absence of Jacobs, South African Akani Simbine clocked a season’s best of 10.02sec to win the 100m ahead of the fastest European this year, Britain’s Reece Prescod (10.15).

World champion Dina Asher-Smith of Britain edged Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji, the world indoor 60m champion, in a photo-finish in the women’s 200m, both sprinters credited with 22.37sec.

Femke Bol ensured that, come Eugene, there will be anything but a smooth ride for American Sydney McLaughlin, who set a new world record of 51.41sec in winning the women’s 400m hurdles at the US trials last weekend.

The Dutch hurdler won in Stockholm in a Diamond League record of 52.27sec and her clash with Olympic champion McLaughlin and US teammate and reigning world champion Dalilah Muhammad will undoubtedly be one of the track highlights of the world champs.

“I am still hoping to do something very special also in Eugene,” Bol said. “It was a good race today but not perfect. In the end, I am very glad for this time.

“I am so excited for Eugene. When you see the results from the Hayward Field stadium, I am so excited to go there and I have some great competitors out there.”

India’s Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra threw a national record of 89.94m, but that was only good enough for second place behind Anderson Peters of Grenada (90.31).

“I thought I could throw even over 90m today,” said Chopra, whose gold in Tokyo was India’s first ever Olympic track and field triumph.

“I am close to 90m now and I can throw it this year. Despite the fact that I did not win tonight, I feel very good because I did my best.”

Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos bested Karsten Warholm’s meet record as he set a world lead of 46.80sec in the men’s 400m hurdles.

“I am so proud about this performance. My preparations went well and this result shows it,” said the Brazilian who won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics.

“I think about the world record every day, every night, the Japanese capital.


Michael Jordan, fellow team owners head to federal court for hearing in antitrust fight against NASCAR

Updated 05 November 2024
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Michael Jordan, fellow team owners head to federal court for hearing in antitrust fight against NASCAR

  • The two teams say NASCAR gave all Cup Series teams a last-minute, take-it-or-leave-it offer in September that both 23XI and Front Row refused to sign
  • In a brief comment outside court, Jordan said he didn’t think the legal battle would detract from 23XI’s effort to win the championship with Reddick

CHARLOTTE, N.C.: Retired NBA great Michael Jordan and his fellow owners of two NASCAR teams went to federal court Monday for a hearing in their antitrust fight against the stock car series over what they say is an unfair business model.

23XI Racing, which is owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, sued NASCAR and chairman Jim France in October after months of tense negotiations over NASCAR’s charter system, which is essentially a franchise model that includes revenue sharing.

The two teams say NASCAR gave all Cup Series teams a last-minute, take-it-or-leave-it offer in September that both 23XI and Front Row refused to sign. The owners contend the charter system limits competition by unfairly binding teams to the series, its tracks and its suppliers, and they called the France family and NASCAR “monopolistic bullies.”

The two teams are represented by Jeffrey Kessler, the top antitrust lawyer in the country, who argued repeatedly they are only asking for a temporary injunction that allows them to compete without the clause that would prevent their ongoing lawsuit.

He said NASCAR has since rescinded the charter agreements offered to 23XI and FRM in September.

“We do not challenge the entire charter agreement. We want a return to status quo,” Kessler said. “We are not seeking a seven-to-14-year argument. Let us operate under the terms they offered for the duration of the (court) case and race under the charter terms for the duration of the case.”

Kessler said NASCAR is fighting the injunction because NASCAR does not believe it has a winnable case.

The fight is playing out as NASCAR heads into its championship weekend, with the title-deciding race set for Sunday in Phoenix with 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick among the four drivers who can win.

After a hearing that lasted nearly two hours, US District Judge Frank D. Whitney said he’d have a decision on 23XI and FRM’s request for a preliminary injunction to be recognized in 2025 as chartered teams by Friday — when cars hit the track in Phoenix to begin preparations for the title-deciding race.

Jordan listened to Kessler’s arguments from the front row of the gallery, and he leaned forward intently for the entirety of NASCAR’s case before the court.

In a brief comment outside court, Jordan said he didn’t think the legal battle would detract from 23XI’s effort to win the championship with Reddick.

“No, I’ve been in situations of disparity. I think the race team is going to focus on what they have to do this weekend, which I expect them to do,” Jordan said. “I think Jeffrey did an unbelievable job today, and I think I put all my cards on the table. I’m looking forward to winning a championship this weekend.”

At issue before the court is 23XI and FRM’s request to be released from a clause in NASCAR’s agreement that prohibits teams from suing the sanctioning body. Both teams have said they will operate as “open” teams in 2025 if they don’t receive the injunction, but even that agreement prevents them from suing NASCAR.

Also, an “open” team is not guaranteed a spot in the weekly 40-car field, does not receive the same amount of revenue as chartered teams, and its drivers and sponsors potentially could leave because they are associated with unprotected chartered teams.

The charter system began in 2016 and has now twice been extended, with the deals signed by 13 organizations set to run from 2025 through 2031.

Christopher Yates, of Latham & Watkins LLP, represented NASCAR and France. He said the teams have plenty of options outside of NASCAR.

“Mr. Jordan had a choice: They could invest in NASCAR, IndyCar, buy another NBA team,” Yates said, “but they chose to invest in NASCAR.”

Yates also disputed the notion that the 13 teams who signed the charter agreements 48 hours before the playoffs began in September did so under coercion, but he used slides that cherry-picked quotes that left out the parts where owners admitted to reporters that NASCAR threatened to kill the entire charter process if it did not receive signed agreements within a very short time period.

“We’re talking about Roger Penske, Rick Hendrick and Joe Gibbs — people who do not get pushed around,” Yates said.

Kessler called Yates’ synopsis a “complete distortion” of the facts.

Kessler also argued that the terms of the new charters potentially could put the two teams out of business, and cause Reddick to leave 23XI even if he wins the championship Sunday.

“We have a potential champion who would be free to leave and we’d never get him back,” Kessler said. “This could put these teams out of business. You can’t go to a stock car team and ask them to become a Formula 1 team.”

Whitney last week denied an expedited discovery request from 23XI and Front Row for NASCAR to produce documents prior to Monday’s preliminary injunction hearing.

“While the proposed discovery requests may help plaintiffs show a likelihood of success on the merits, they are not sufficiently narrowly tailored,” Whitney wrote.

Jordan, Hamlin and Curtis Polk of 23XI were joined by Jenkins and Front Row President Jerry Freeze for the hearing, which is crucial to how next season will proceed for the two teams.

The teams argue that NASCAR would not be harmed by the injunction because the series had planned to have 36 chartered teams and allowing them to compete as chartered teams while pursuing the lawsuit was maintaining the status quo.

NASCAR now says it plans to run 32 chartered teams and eight open cars (instead of four) in its 40-car field each week. Front Row and 23XI currently have two charters apiece that they did not sign, and both have deals with Stewart-Haas Racing to buy one charter each.

Those deals have not closed and NASCAR has indicated it won’t recognize the sales. NASCAR is alleging it is only honoring the 32 charter agreements that were signed in September.

NASCAR contends the two teams don’t meet the requirements for an injunction because they can still compete as open teams and that any damages that they suffer if they prevail in the case can be covered monetarily.


Man City will ‘struggle’ to overcome injury crisis, says Guardiola

Updated 05 November 2024
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Man City will ‘struggle’ to overcome injury crisis, says Guardiola

  • Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, who is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury, leads a stellar cast of absentees in Guardiola’s squad
  • Guardiola urged City not to make excuses despite their injury woes

LISBON: Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City will struggle to overcome a mounting injury crisis but encouraged the English champions to bounce back in Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Sporting Lisbon.

City travel to Portugal after consecutive defeats to Tottenham in the League Cup and Bournemouth on Saturday, which ended an 11-month unbeaten run in the Premier League.

Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, who is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury, leads a stellar cast of absentees in Guardiola’s squad that also includes Oscar Bobb, Ruben Dias, Jack Grealish and John Stones.

Kevin De Bruyne could make his first appearance seven weeks but is unlikely to start, while Kyle Walker, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Jeremy Doku and Savinho are also not fully fit.

“You know the situation with Rodri, nominated the best player in the world,” said Guardiola at his pre-match press conference on Monday.

“We know we will struggle, and we have to accept that, and it is fine.

“The games will be difficult; in previous seasons it was smooth. Personal reasons, injuries, we won six Premier Leagues in seven years. Things change, we have to accept that.”

Guardiola will come against one of his future rivals as Sporting boss Ruben Amorim takes charge of the Portuguese champions for the penultimate time before beginning his role as Manchester United manager.

The sides last met in the last 16 of the 2021/22 Champions League when City romped to a 5-0 victory in Lisbon and on aggregate.

“They have changed players but have same manager and same mentality,” added Guardiola on the challenge Sporting provide.

“Winning the league for first time in 20 years and then doing it again last season shows what a good job he has done.”

Bernardo Silva scored twice in City’s 5-0 win over Sporting two years ago on his return to Lisbon, where he began his career at Benfica.

He urged City not to make excuses despite their injury woes.

“With a full squad we are stronger, there’s no denying that. We have a lot of unbelievable players missing,” said Silva.

“We have not been able to count on Kevin for six weeks. Rodri is out for the season and other players out shorter times. But we never find excuses. This club was never about that.”

Both sides are unbeaten in the new Champions League format with seven points from their opening three matches.


Neymar injured again as Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli maintain perfect records in AFC Champions League

Updated 05 November 2024
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Neymar injured again as Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli maintain perfect records in AFC Champions League

  • The Riyadh side defeated Esteghlal of Iran 3-0, while their Jeddah rivals thrashed Iraqi side Al-Shorta 5-1 in the 4th round of games in the league stage
  • Neymar, making only his second appearance in 13 months, came on early in the 2nd half but was withdrawn shortly before full time after pulling up as he stretched for the ball

Apart from another Neymar injury scare, Saudi teams enjoyed another great night in the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday, as Al-Hilal defeated Esteghlal of Iran 3-0 and Al-Ahli thrashed Iraqi side Al-Shorta 5-1.

Both teams now have four wins out of four and sit joint top of their 12-team league. Al-Hilal has a slight edge on goal difference but even at this early point, with four games left to play in the league stage, both sides are all-but guaranteed to be one of the top eight teams that advance to the knockout phase.

With Neymar seemingly picking up a muscle injury after 30 minutes of action in Riyadh, Aleksandar Mitrovic was the undoubted star for Al-Hilal, scoring all three goals in what was ultimately a comfortable win, although Esteghlal did almost shock the Blues early on. Gael Kakuta’s perfect cross from the right found the head of a diving Ramin Rezaeian, only for the ball to hit the post, with Yassine Bounou beaten.

After 15 minutes, however, the home side were ahead. A pass from Nasser Al-Dawsari evaded a number of players, both home and away, before finding its way to Mitrovic at the far post, where the Serbian striker made no mistake from close range.

As both teams continued to push forward, Salem Al-Dawsari and Abdullah Al-Hamdan forced the Esteghlal goalkeeper make saves but it was not long before the lead was doubled. Renan Lodi, who has been in fine form this season, with a number of impressive assists, broke free down the left side of the area just after the half-hour mark and pulled a low pass across goal to Mitrovic, who was waiting to take another poacher’s chance.

There were more cheers from the home fans 10 minutes into the second half when Neymar came off the bench for only his second appearance since picking up a serious injury in October 2023. The Brazilian superstar was soon treating fans to flicks and feints as Al-Hilal started to move the ball around even more.

It was no surprise when they sealed the victory 16 minutes from time. Joao Cancelo crossed the ball for that man Mitrovic to once again head home at the far post for his fourth goal of the tournament.

The only downside for Al-Hilal came when Neymar was withdrawn shortly before the final whistle, after pulling up as he stretched for the ball.

Over in Jeddah, Al-Ahli kept pace in the competition with their Riyadh rivals thanks to a convincing 5-1 win against visiting Al-Shorta. The home side have been inconsistent in terms of domestic form but perfect in the Asian campaign so far. And it did not take long for the hosts to take the lead.

With 14 minutes on the clock, Ziyad Al-Johani floated over a long ball from a deep position down the left. Roberto Firmino timed his run perfectly to break into the area and direct an equally perfect header into the top corner of the goal.

Ten minutes later, the men in white had the perfect opportunity to extend their lead and take total control of the tie but Franck Kessie’s effort was saved by Ahmed Basil.

Then, just before the half-hour mark, Al-Shorta were suddenly level as a result of some slack defending that ended with Mohammed Dawood feeding the ball through to Sajad Jassem, who rounded goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi to score.

However, Al-Ahli went in at the break with their lead restored. Deep into added time, Firmino, who had just missed another glorious chance, grabbed his second of the game from close range after Firas Al-Buraikan skipped past the goalkeeper and fed the ball to the former Liverpool star, who found the back of the net from close range.

Firmino returned the favor eight minutes after the restart, delivering a low cross from the right that bounced all the way through to the far post where Al-Buraikan made no mistake.

Just after the hour mark, the Saudi international once again turned provider to feed Riyad Mahrez on the right corner of the area, and the Algerian fired his shot into the opposite corner. In the 65th minute, Al-Johani produced another perfect pass from the left, which Mahrez latched onto to grab his second and complete the 5-1 win.

Al-Nassr, who have two wins and a draw from their first three games in the competition, can move into third place in the group on Tuesday with a win against defending champions Al-Ain, who are second bottom with just one point after two defeats and a draw.


NEOM Beach Games opens with Supertri event

Updated 05 November 2024
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NEOM Beach Games opens with Supertri event

  • 1,000 international triathletes, coaches, team officials attend

NEOM: The NEOM Beach Games launched its third edition on Sunday with the much-anticipated Supertri NEOM event, which drew 1,000 international triathletes, coaches, and team officials.

The opening competition featured Olympic gold medalists Cassandre Beaugrand and Alex Yee, who claimed victory in the women’s and men’s Supertri NEOM categories.

The event served as the season’s finale of the Supertri League, with Georgia Taylor-Brown and Hayden Wilde emerging as champions for 2024, while Crown Racing triumphed in the teams category.

Jan Paterson, managing director of NEOM Sport, highlighted the significance of this year’s event, saying: “The launch of NEOM Beach Games for the third consecutive year reflects NEOM’s commitment to providing a unique environment that enables emerging and competitive sports talent.

“It fulfills NEOM’s aspirations to build a global, multicultural society, with sport acting as a bridge between peoples and cultures. The success of Supertri NEOM highlights its aspiration to become a premier destination for high-performance sports.”

As part of NEOM’s broader mission to support the development of triathlon, Supertri partnered with local initiatives like the Stars of Tomorrow program, allowing young Saudi athletes to train alongside elite Olympic and world champions.

Race weekend activities included school visits, clinics with professional triathletes, and training sessions for officials, underscoring NEOM’s commitment to empowering the Saudi Triathlon Federation and fostering homegrown talent in the sport.

Supertri CEO and co-founder Michael D’hulst praised the event’s success, saying: “(It) was a fitting conclusion to a spectacular season, delivering thrilling racing in an incredible setting. It has been a brilliant Supertri League season, and I am very happy that we were able to finish it again in NEOM, bringing a unique blend of entertainment and inspiration.

“I am proud of the work we’ve done together with NEOM to grow and develop the sport in the Kingdom and look forward to continuing to build on this legacy.”

The action continues this week with the FIBA 3x3 World Tour NEOM 2024, which is set to begin on Thursday.


Sabalenka beats Paolini in straight sets to reach last four of WTA Finals

Updated 05 November 2024
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Sabalenka beats Paolini in straight sets to reach last four of WTA Finals

  • Top-ranked Sabalenka cruised in the first set after building a 4-0 lead, then saved two set points in the second to advance at the year-ending tournament
  • Sabalenka has won 22 of her last 23 matches, and three of the last four tournaments in which she played

RIYADH: Aryna Sabalenka reached the semifinals of the WTA Finals with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Jasmine Paolini on Monday for a second straight victory in the group stage.
The top-ranked Sabalenka cruised in the first set after building a 4-0 lead, then saved two set points in the second to advance at the year-ending tournament for the top eight ranked players.
Sabalenka will face already eliminated Elena Rybakina on Wednesday in the final group match of the week.
Sabalenka has won 22 of her last 23 matches, and three of the last four tournaments in which she played.
Another round-robin win will secure her the year-end No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career.
In the other Purple Group match, Zheng Qinwen defeated Rybakina 7-6 (4) 3-6, 6-1 to maintain chances of advancing.
It was Zheng’s first career win over Rybakina in three tries.
Rybakina sits at 0-2 and can’t advance to the semifinals. She lost to Paolini on Saturday, while Sabalenka eased to a straight-set victory over Zheng in the opening match in Saudi Arabia.
Zheng and Paolini will play each other on Wednesday, with the winner advancing to her first WTA Finals semifinal to face the winner of the Orange Group.