CYCLING
Cavendish wins final race
Mark Cavendish on Sunday sprinted to victory in the Tour de France Singapore Criterium with a signature surge to the line in his final race. “I really wanted that so bad,” the 39-year-old British cycling great said after the 166th victory of his career. “I’m terribly emotional. I realized in the last five laps that this was the last 15km of my career and I felt that, but I was so much on the limit.” Coming out of the last bend, Cavendish, who holds the record for most stage wins on the Tour de France, briefly latched onto the wheel of defending champion Jasper Philipsen before pulling away and raising his arms in triumph one last time, to deafening cheers from the crowd who had gathered for the race.
Photo: Reuters
SURFING
Surfers mass for record
Three hundred surfers over the age of 50 gathered at the weekend in Sao Paulo to attempt a world record for the most people riding the same wave. Participants, many of whom took up surfing later in life, arrived early, eager to hit the water. “I had a crazy desire to learn [to surf] and when I started, I couldn’t stop,” Christiane Melin said. “It’s an addiction, but an addiction that’s really good.” The event, organized by a local surf school specializing in teaching older adults, emphasized community and well-being. “This is a great example to show the world the importance that, after the [COVID-19] pandemic and beyond politics, we can all be together on the same wave,” organizer Cisco Arana said. With 98 surfers riding a wave together, the group fell short of the 110 achieved in South Africa in 2009.
Photo: Reuters
SOCCER
Israel tells fans to skip match
Israel has urged fans to avoid Thursday’s France-Israel tie, which authorities fear could become a flash point following violence in Amsterdam surrounding a match involving an Israeli team. Despite a large police presence and the expected attendance of French President Emmanuel Macron, Israeli officials on Sunday warned fans to stay away because of fears they could be targeted after clashes at a match in Amsterdam left about two dozen people injured and were condemned as anti-Semitic by Israeli, US, Dutch and European leaders. A right-wing Jewish group has nevertheless announced a rally ahead of this week’s UEFA Nations League tie. Describing the France-Israel fixture as high risk, Paris Police Chief Laurent Nunez said 4,000 gendarmes would be deployed around Stade de France.
SHOOTING
Kim Ye-ji to take a break
Olympic shooting star Kim Ye-ji is temporarily putting down her gun to spend time with family, her agency said on Sunday, saying she was exhausted from competition and the huge public attention her nonchalant cool has generated. The 32-year-old shooter rose to stardom during the Paris Olympics — where she won a silver in the women’s 10m air pistol — after a video of her calmly taking a shot and unloading her gun went viral. The clip, which was actually taken from a competition in May 2024, triggered an Internet frenzy, with people praising her “main character” energy. Kim would “temporarily suspend her sports career ... to have some time together with her young daughter,” her agent Yang Yong-sik said. She would also not renew her contract with her team, which expires in December, he added.
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) is considering reducing its pitch clock by two seconds to help players better adjust to the rules applied at the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The proposal aims to shorten the pitch timer from 25 seconds to 23 seconds with the bases empty, and from 20 seconds to 18 seconds with runners on base. Currently, the WBC mandates that pitchers deliver a pitch every 18 seconds with the bases empty and 15 seconds with runners on base. The issue was raised during a pre-season CPBL managers’ meeting on Tuesday by Rakuten Monkeys bench and batting
‘SETTING THE TONE’: Donovan Mitchell said that their determination to dominate had nothing to do with past results, but was about a potential post-season clash The Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday boosted their NBA-best record with a 142-105 romp past the New York Knicks, tightening their grip on the Eastern Conference lead with an all-around dominant display. Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points to lead six Cavs players to score in double figures, connecting on five of seven three-pointers as Cleveland drilled 19 from beyond the arc. “I think the biggest thing was just try to set the tone early,” Mitchell said, adding that the determination to dominate had nothing to do with the Knicks’ first-round playoff win over the Cavs two seasons ago and everything to do with
BELGIANS ADVANCE: Club Brugge gave Atalanta a lesson in efficiency, as Gian Piero Gasperini’s team had 29 efforts at goal, compared with seven from the visitors Seldom has a player’s sending off had such an influence on a game. AC Milan was to left rue Theo Hernandez’s second yellow card — for diving — as Feyenoord advanced to the UEFA Champions League last 16 at the former European champion’s expense with a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their playoff on Tuesday, giving the Dutch team a 2-1 win on aggregate. Bayern Munich, Club Brugge and Benfica also won their playoffs, eliminating Celtic, UEFA Europa League winner Atalanta BC and French team AS Monaco respectively. “In soccer everything changes in a second,” said Milan forward
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