CYCLING
Race brings back metal
A lightweight wooden medal proved an inadequate reward for the thousands of amateur cyclists who completed the RideLondon mass participation event last year so organizers have bowed to pressure and are to reinstate metal medallions instead. Eco-friendly wooden medals have become more common for sporting events, but they have not been to everyone’s liking. Finishers in next year’s race, which takes riders from central London out to the countryside of Essex and back, would be decorated with medals made from recycled zinc alloy. “We listened to the feedback from riders and the strong preference for a metal finisher’s medal,” RideLondon route director Kevin Nash said in a statement. Zinc alloy is said to be more recyclable than aluminum alternatives, and any leftovers are to be melted down and made into new products, organizers said.
ICE HOCKEY
Wild fire Dean Evason
The Minnesota Wild on Monday fired coach Dean Evason and replaced him with John Hynes after losing seven straight games and 14 of their first 19 to start to the NHL season. General manager Bill Guerin announced the moves, including the firing of assistant Bob Woods. Hynes, the former New Jersey and Nashville coach, is to take over. Evason, 59, had three full seasons in charge of the Wild, who gave him his first head coaching job in the NHL on Feb. 14, 2020, when Bruce Boudreau was fired and he was promoted from his assistant role. He went 147-77-27 in 251 regular season games and 8-15 in the post-season without winning any series.
ATHLETICS
Athletes train for combat
Hundreds of athletes as young as seven are undergoing military training in Shanghai designed to instill discipline and “good fighting ability,” the city said. The athletes are to “deeply study” the Chinese military’s “sense of standards and combat spirit,” the Shanghai Sports Bureau said. Chinese soccer teams have previously undergone similar training, which is largely performative and part of a wider campaign to promote Chinese Communist Party values. He Youxiao, head coach of a men’s gymnastics team participating in the training this week, said that the age range of his athletes spanned from seven to 25. “No matter how old or young, everybody deeply cherishes this opportunity,” a sports bureau news report quoted He as saying. The training started on Monday and is scheduled to last until Tuesday next week. It involves 932 athletes from 11 sports centers across the city.
TENNIS
No penalty for Russia event
The WTA said that while it does not support an exhibition event in Russia this weekend, players who compete in it would not be sanctioned. The second edition of the Northern Palmyra Trophies tournament, sponsored by Russian energy giant Gazprom, is to be held from Friday to Sunday in St Petersburg, while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues. Among the WTA players participating are former French and US Open quarter-finalist Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, Russian world No. 28 Anastasia Potapova and former Roland Garros quarter-finalist Veronika Kudermetova, also from Russia. ATP players include world No. 15 Karen Khachanov of Russia, Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain and France’s Adrian Mannarino, the event’s Web site shows.
OFFENSE SHINES: First baseman Pan Chie-kai hit a solo homer in the fifth inning as all 10 batters Taiwan used contributed at least one hit toward their team total of 14 One day after their first shutout loss at the WBSC Premier12, Taiwan yesterday bounced back with a commanding 8-2 victory over the US, keeping their hopes for a spot in tomorrow’s final alive. The win in the Super Round marked Taiwan’s first triumph over the US at a top-tier international baseball tournament since 2003. Their previous win over the US was at the 2003 Baseball World Cup, with only one win in the previous 10 matchups since 1999. Yesterday’s game was tightly contested through the first six innings, with the margin never exceeding two runs. However, the tide turned in the top of
“Please love us. Please cheer us on. We have been working hard. Do not give up on us.” Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien’s heartfelt plea echoed across the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 tournament after a historic victory. Rather than boasting, Chen was making an earnest appeal after leading Taiwan to a 4-0 victory over Japan to claim their first major international baseball title at the senior level. Chen’s decisive three-run homer in the fifth inning and his Premier12 leading .632 batting average secured him the Premier12’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) title. He was also named one of the tournament’s outstanding defensive players
WELL-AGED: Although the youngest team in the tournament, Taiwan featured several veteran stars, including Sunday’s home-run hero Chen Chieh-hsien “I will never forget today,” veteran Taiwanese pitcher Chen Kuan-yu said after Taiwan on Sunday night blanked Japan to secure their first ever gold in the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 championship. Chen, who at 34 is the oldest member on the team, said Taiwan “made every difficult step to come to today’s victory. I will never forget today.” Taiwan made history when they won their first gold medal of the Premier12 tournament, beating Japan in a 4-0 shutout victory in the final at the Tokyo Dome. It was a jaw-dropping victory for many baseball commentators who went into the game with
Nikola Jokic on Saturday scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to spark the Denver Nuggets over the Los Angeles Lakers 127-102, continuing their dominance of the NBA rivalry, while Scotty Pippen Jr scored a career-best 30 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies past the Chicago Bulls, 142-131. The Nuggets won for the 13th time in the past 14 contests against the Lakers, including ousting the Lakers in the playoffs the past two seasons. Serbian star Jokic failed to achieve his sixth consecutive triple-double, managing only eight assists, but his effort was plenty as Michael Porter Jr added 24 points and 11
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