ATHLETICS
Teen sets 200m record
Australian sprint prodigy Gout Gout yesterday clocked the fastest time ever by a 16-year-old to smash the national 200m record and do something even Usain Bolt never achieved. The teenager ran 20.04 seconds at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships at his home track in Brisbane, breaking Peter Norman’s national record of 20.06 seconds from the 1968 Olympics. Gout has been compared in local media to Bolt and his time is the fastest ever by a 16-year-old over 200m, World Athletics said. Gout also now holds the second-fastest time in history for athletes under the age of 18, overtaking Bolt’s 20.13 seconds. “These are adult times and me, just a kid, I’m running them. It’s going to be a great future for sure,” Gout said. “I didn’t expect it to be that fast, but I guess I ran Australia’s fastest-ever time in the 200. I have been chasing that record, but I didn’t think it would come this year. I thought maybe next year or the year after that.” It came a day after Gout clocked a wind-assisted 10.04 seconds in the 100m. “You know what they say: Pressure makes diamonds, and I guess I’m better than a diamond right now,” he said yesterday.
Photo: Reuters
RUGBY UNION
Wales player loses finger
Wales international Shane Lewis-Hughes has undergone a finger amputation after dealing with an injury in his right hand for years and aims to return to action within weeks, his club said on Friday. Lewis-Hughes, who has earned three caps for Wales, had the ring finger amputated just above the base knuckles, the Dragons said in a statement. “Surgery was a success. Spoke to the surgeon, he said it all went well. He’s expecting a full recovery ... assured me a couple of weeks,” the 27-year-old said in a video posted by Dragons on X. “Nine fingers now,” he added with a laugh, holding up his bandaged right hand.
MOTORSPORTS
Leclerc penalized 10 places
A grid penalty for Charles Leclerc left him and Ferrari needing an “amazing recovery” to beat McLaren to the Formula 1 constructors’ title. Ferrari had to change the battery pack on Leclerc’s car on Friday in the first practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. That means a 10-place penalty on the grid for today’s race. Despite being exhausted after a bout of food poisoning, Leclerc was fastest in the first session by .221 seconds from McLaren’s Lando Norris, with Lewis Hamilton third fastest for Mercedes. McLaren go into the race with a 21-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ standings.
Manchester City have reached do-or-die territory in the UEFA Champions League earlier than expected ahead of what Pep Guardiola has described as a “final” against Club Brugge today. City have disproved the suggestion a new format to Europe’s top club competition would remove any jeopardy for the top clubs as Guardiola stares down the barrel of failing to make the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in his career. The English champions have endured a torrid season both in their English Premier League title defense and on the continent. A run of one win in 13 games, which included Champions League
Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday poured in 35 points as the Thunder grabbed a bounce-back 118-108 victory in Portland to push their NBA-best record to 37-8. The Thunder, surprised by the short-handed Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, fended off a late surge from the Trail Blazers to snap their four-game winning streak. Jalen Williams scored 24 points and Isaiah Joe added 16 off the bench. Center Isaiah Hartenstein, back after a five-game absence with a calf injury, added 14 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a big block. The Western Conference leaders were under pressure late as Portland, trailing by 15 heading
The Golden State Warriors on Wednesday withstood Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 52-point outburst to beat the Western Conference leading Thunder 116-109. Andrew Wiggins scored 27 points and Warriors superstar Stephen Curry scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half as Golden State erased a double-digit deficit and pulled away late for the victory. “We just stayed solid,” said Curry, who entered the contest mired in a shooting slump and had just four points on one basket in the first half. “Just all-around effort.” The Thunder, fueled by 31 first-half points from Gilgeous-Alexander, led by as many as 14 in the
Ousmane Dembele on Wednesday scored a hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain romped to a 4-1 win at VfB Stuttgart and qualified for the UEFA Champions League knockout stages. PSG were at risk of elimination after a disappointing league stage, with three losses and a draw, but were utterly dominant against an outclassed Stuttgart side as they confirmed their place in the playoffs. With six minutes gone, Bradley Barcola headed PSG in front after Desire Doue stood a cross up at the back post following a corner. Stuttgart probed for an equalizer, but PSG hit on the counterattack, Dembele tapping a Barcola pass into an
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