DOHA: Caster Semenya breezed to victory on Friday in the women’s 800m at the Doha Diamond League meeting, clocking a world best time for 2016 of 1:58.26, just three months before the Olympics.
Semenya powered through the final 200m to head a world-class field and confirm her return to her very best form.
In doubly bad news for her rivals in an Olympics year, the South African admitted afterwards that she had held back from running at full pace during the race.
“I am just quite happy with anything under two minutes,” she said.
“We are just focused on the time. I had to hold back a bit as it wasn’t my pace. It’s all about running well in every race.”
Friday night’s time at the Qatar Sports Club stadium would have been good enough for her to finish sixth at the 2012 London Olympics.
She seemed to labor through the first 500m and was well down the field as they approached the final bend.
But then she eased past her rivals to secure first place.
Ethiopia’s Habitam Alemu came second in a personal best time of 1:59.14 and Eunice Jepkoech Sum was third in 1:59.74, a season’s best for the Kenyan.
Asked how she was achieving such good times so early on in the season, Semenya said: “I think it is just hard work, hard work, plus I have been patient for almost three years.”
Semenya says she has had knee problems over that time.
The 25-year-old’s impressive victory came after an astonishing performance last month back home winning three races — the 400m, 800m and 1500m — in one afternoon.
There she ran the 800m in 1:58.45.
Semenya has been dogged by controversy since bursting onto the scene in the 2009 World Championships.
Following that victory she was subject to a gender test before going on to secure silver medals at the 2011 World Championships and 2012 Olympics.
Her early season form suggests she could become one of the major talking points in an Olympics year, with some already suggesting her resurgence may be due to a decision last year by CAS to suspend testing on female athletes taking testosterone?suppressants.
It has not known, however, if Semenya has even ever been on such medication.
On Friday, she also seemed to dismiss running the 400m at the Olympics, even though ran that distance in a time of 50:78, another personal best.
“It’s all about the 800m, the 400m is all about playing around with my speed,” she said.
Semenya fires Olympic warning with world-leading 800m
Semenya fires Olympic warning with world-leading 800m
Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying hopes dealt major late blow; Egypt, Morocco move closer
- Zimbabwe’s Tawanda Chirewa scored in the final minute to silence the home fans in Uyo, Nigeria as the visitors claimed a 1-1 draw
- South Africa defeated Benin 2-0 to consolidate the top spot
Nigeria conceded a last-minute goal in a major blow to its World Cup qualifying hopes on Tuesday, when Egypt and Morocco all but booked their places at next year’s tournament.
Zizo’s goal was enough for unbeaten Egypt’s 1-0 win over Sierra Leone in Cairo, while Morocco looks assured of qualifying with a nine-point lead over its rivals after a 2-0 win over Tanzania.
Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz scored a penalty after Nayef Aguerd broke the deadlock on a rebound for Morocco’s fifth win from five games in Group E.
Zizo struck just before the break for Egypt to maintain a five-point lead over Burkina Faso, which had defeated Guinea-Bissau 2-1 on Monday in Group A.
Nigeria’s nightmare
Zimbabwe’s Tawanda Chirewa scored in the final minute to silence the home fans in Uyo, Nigeria as the visitors claimed a 1-1 draw.
Nigeria star Victor Osimhen put the Super Eagles on course to claim just their second win in Group C after Friday’s 2-0 victory over Rwanda had rekindled Nigeria’s qualification hopes.
But the 21-year-old Chirewa, a late substitute, equalized in the 90th to earn Zimbabwe’s draw.
Meanwhile, South Africa defeated Benin 2-0 to consolidate the top spot. Bafana Bafana leads with 13 points from six rounds, five clear of Rwanda (which drew with Lesotho 1-1) and Benin. Nigeria stayed fourth in the group with just seven points.
Only the nine group winners secure automatic qualification. The four best-placed runners-up will compete to be the African contender in FIFA’s six-country playoff for the last two qualification spots at the World Cup next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Algeria makes a statement
Wolfsburg forward Mohammed Amoura scored a hat trick as Algeria defeated Mozambique 5-1 to open a three-point lead over the visitors in Group G. Guinea’s qualification hopes are all but over after a 1-0 loss to Uganda, the team’s third defeat leaving it eight points behind Algeria in fifth.
Cape Verde remained top of Group D with a 2-1 win in Angola, though Cameroon responded with Vincent Aboubakar scoring twice in a 3-1 win over Libya. Cape Verde stayed a point ahead of Cameroon.
Sudan’s missed chance
Sudan lost control of Group B with David Sebit scoring in stoppage time to earn South Sudan a 1-1 draw.
It allowed both Congo and Senegal to take advantage, which they did with 2-0 wins over Mauritania and Togo, respectively.
Congo moved top of Group B on 13 points, one ahead of unbeaten Senegal and Sudan. Sudan dropped to third on goal difference.
Black Stars twinkling
Ghana moved atop Group I by scoring a total of eight goals in back-to-back wins over Chad and Madagascar, helping ease the disappointment of failing to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in November.
Otto Addo’s team eased to a 5-0 rout of Chad in Accra on Friday, then enjoyed a 3-0 win over Madagascar on Monday to seize control of the group.
Comoros, the surprise early leader, stayed three points behind Ghana on Tuesday with a 1-0 win over Chad.
Elephants hold on
Ivory Coast needed goalkeeper Yahia Fofana at his best as they held on for a 1-0 win over Gambia on Monday to stay a point above Gabon atop Group F.
Sébastien Haller’s early goal was enough for the Elephants to win in Abidjan, keeping the team top after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had scored twice for Gabon to beat Kenya 2-1.
Ivory Coast, the reigning Africa Cup champion, had previously beaten Burundi 1-0 in Morocco on Friday, while Gabon had a 3-0 win over the Seychelles on Thursday.
Tunisia consolidated top spot in Group H on Monday with two late goals to beat Malawi 2-0.
Four rounds of qualifiers remain.
Argentina beat Brazil 4-1 after securing their place at the 2026 World Cup
- After Bolivia’s 0-0 draw with Uruguay at El Alto, Argentina beat Brazil 4-1 in front of 85,000 fans at the Monumental de Nunez Stadium despite the absence of Lionel Messi
- Brazil are in fourth place in South American qualifying with 21 points, 10 behind Argentina but only two behind second-place Ecuador, which were held to a 0-0 draw by Chile
BUENOS AIRES: Defending champion Argentina had to put the celebrations on hold for a while after securing a place at the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday before kickoff against archrival Brazil.
Bolivia’s failure to beat Uruguay meant Argentina had enough cushion in South American qualifying to secure one of the continent’s six direct spots for the 48-team World Cup set to be co-hosted next year by the US, Canada and Mexico.
After Bolivia’s 0-0 draw with Uruguay at El Alto, Argentina beat Brazil 4-1 in front of 85,000 fans at the Monumental de Nunez Stadium despite the absence of Lionel Messi.
Brazil’s worst deficit in South American World Cup qualifying history compounded pressure on coach Dorival Junior, who took over in January of last year.
Brazil are in fourth place in South American qualifying with 21 points, 10 behind Argentina but only two behind second-place Ecuador, which were held to a 0-0 draw by Chile. Third-place Uruguay and fifth-place Paraguay also have 21 points, and Colombia is one point behind them in sixth. Seventh-place Venezuela has 15 points after a 1-0 win over 9th-place Peru.
Brazil were missing three regular starters — goalkeeper Alisson, defender Gabriel Magalhaes and midfielder Bruno Guimaraes — and wasn’t really competitive from start to finish.
It’s the first time Argentina have won both matches against Brazil in a World Cup qualifying tournament. The home victory was also Argentina’s first against the Brazilians since qualifying for the 2006 World Cup.
Argentina have led South American qualifying from the start, with few hiccups and major away wins at Brazil and Uruguay. But coach Lionel Scaloni has not fielded 37-year-old Messi in several games, which still raises doubts on whether the star will play at the World Cup next year.
Messi has an injury to his adductor and was not included in Argentina’s squad for the two latest matches.
ARGENTINE FLAIR, BRAZILIAN DESPAIR
Argentina scored thir two first goals in only 12 minutes of play, both thanks to accurate passing and some clumsy Brazilian defending.
Julian Alvarez netted the first in the 4th minute after Marquinhos, Murillo and Guilherme Arana failed to reach the ball. The Argentina striker shot between the legs of goalkeeper Bento from close range.
Argentina scored again eight minutes later with Enzo Fernandez, once again from close range after a low cross by Gonzalo Molina.
Brazil got one back via Matheus Cunha in the 26th after a mistake by Cristian Romero, who lost the ball to the Brazilian by the edge of the box. Enzo Fernandez found Alexis Mac Allister bursting into the penalty box unmarked 11 minutes later to make it 3-1 to Argentina.
During the break, Brazil sought to get some grip by boosting their presence in the midfield with Joao Gomes and the substitution of Murillo and striker Rodrygo. But it was to no avail, with Giuliano Simeone scoring for Argentina in the 71st minute.
“All of us can do better than this. It isn’t only about Dorival,” Brazil’s captain Marquinhos said. “This is not only the coach’s fault, it is the players too. We need to have our heads in the right place. They (Argentina) also had tough times before and they overcame it. We can do it too.”
Swiatek gets extra security after harassment
- The issue comes after British player Emma Raducanu was targeted by a stalker during last month’s Dubai Open
- “Security is a top priority,” a spokesperson for Swiatek told AFP
MIAMI: World number two Iga Swiatek is receiving additional security at the Miami Open after she was harassed by a spectator during her practice.
The issue comes after British player Emma Raducanu was targeted by a stalker during last month’s Dubai Open.
Media reports said that Swiatek was verbally harassed by a spectator, who has a history of online attacks against the player, during practice on Sunday.
“Security is a top priority. We monitor the network to catch these types of issues. Constructive criticism is one thing, and threats, hate speech or even disturbance during training is another — this cannot be condoned,” a spokesperson for Swiatek told AFP.
“We reported the matter to the tournament organizer, as well as to the WTA, which reacted immediately and took additional precautions, such as additional security, for which we are very grateful.
“Ensuring the safety of the players is crucial, they are the ones at the center of the event, and it is our job to protect them,” the spokesperson added.
The WTA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Raducanu was left distraught after a man later said to be displaying “fixated behavior” appeared at a courtside seat during her defeat to Karolina Muchova.
The man was escorted away by security, subsequently given a restraining order and banned from attending WTA Tour events.
Big bucks Iyer leads Punjab Kings to win over Gujarat Titans in IPL
- Iyer’s 42-ball knock steered the team to 243-5
- Gujarat finished on 232-5 despite a valiant 41-ball 74 by opener Sai Sudharsan
AHMEDABAD: India batsman Shreyas Iyer led from the front with an unbeaten 97 to set up a 11-run win for Punjab Kings in a big-hitting IPL clash with Gujarat Titans on Tuesday.
Iyer’s 42-ball knock steered the team to 243-5 after being invited to bat first at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.
Gujarat finished on 232-5 despite a valiant 41-ball 74 by opener Sai Sudharsan who set up a blazing start to the run chase, featuring a 84-run second wicket stand with England’s Jos Buttler (54).
Both sides walloped 16 sixes each across the two innings on the fourth day of the cash-rich Indian Premier League T20 tournament.
Iyer, who led Kolkata Knight Riders to a title win last year, has already gone some way to justifying his top price tag, after Punjab paid a whopping 3.17 million dollars in the November auction.
The top-order batter started with a boundary off Gujarat’s South African import Kagiso Rabada and three balls later smashed a six.
He allowed attacking opener Priyansh Arya to take charge as the Indian young left-hander hammered 47 off 23 deliveries before being denied his fifty by Afghanistan spin wizard Rashid Khan.
Gujarat’s Sai Kishore joined the bowling charge to strike twice in two balls, including trapping Australia’s Glenn Maxwell lbw for a first-ball duck, but Marcus Stoinis avoided the hat-trick.
Maxwell walked back without a review but tracking technology later revealed the ball would have gone over the stumps as a dejected Punjab coach Ricky Ponting looked upset.
Iyer stood strong as he took on the attack with sixes and fours and found support from Australian hard-hitter Stoinis, who smashed a 15-ball 20 before becoming Kishore’s third wicket.
Iyer reached his fifty in 27 balls and kept up the charge as he struck three sixes and a four in a 24-run over off seam bowler Prasidh Krishna.
Iyer went past his previous IPL best of 96 but missed out on his century as partner Shashank Singh dominated the strike in the latter stages and finished on an unbeaten 16-ball 44.
Iyer and Shashank hammered 81 runs between them in 28 balls to finish with a flourish.
In reply, the left-handed Sudharsan and skipper Shubman Gill, who hit 33 off 14 balls, handed Gujarat a blazing start but the ever-increasing run-rate made the home team fall behind the chase despite having wickets in hand.
Sudharsan fell to left-arm pace bowler Arshdeep Singh and Buttler, after reaching his fifty, was bowled by South African left-arm quick Marco Jansen.
Impact player Sherfane Rutherford, a left-handed West Indian hard-hitter, made a desperate effort to pull off a miracle with his 28-ball 46 before falling to Arshdeep in the final over.
Real Madrid making progress on Alexander-Arnold transfer: reports
- The defender has long been linked with a move to the Bernabeu on a free transfer
- Alexander-Arnold is one of three key Liverpool players out of contract at the end of the season
LONDON: Trent Alexander-Arnold is closing in on a move to Real Madrid when his Liverpool contract expires at the end of the season, according to reports on Tuesday.
The defender has long been linked with a move to the Bernabeu on a free transfer and talks between the 26-year-old and the Spanish giants are understood to be making progress.
The England international, who came through the youth ranks at Liverpool and has been at the Premier League club for more than two decades, has been able to discuss terms with overseas clubs since January.
Alexander-Arnold made his Liverpool debut as an 18-year-old in 2016.
The right-back has won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and Club World Cup with his boyhood club and is on course to add a second league crown this season, with Arne Slot’s side currently 12 points clear at the top of the table.
Alexander-Arnold is one of three key Liverpool players out of contract at the end of the season, with the futures of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk still unclear.
Alexander-Arnold is currently out of action with an ankle injury and missed Liverpool’s defeat to Newcastle in the League Cup final earlier this month.
Liverpool have declined to comment on the reports.
