Thread: Sporting News

Asian Games 2023 baseball: Republic of Korea win fourth straight gold with 2–0 shutout victory over Chinese

The Republic of Korea made it four gold medals in a row in Asiad baseball after their pitching staff held Chinese Taipei to a four-hit shutout in the final on Saturday night (7 October) at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou, winning 2–0.

Starter Moon Dong-ju fired six strong innings of shutout ball at the Shaoxing Baseball Stadium, striking out seven Chinese Taipei hitters and not allowing a walk, while the bullpen completed the deal – albeit with a ninth-inning scare.

Moon Bo-gyeong got things going for the South Korean team in the second inning with a right-field double, eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly; Kim Hyung-jun would also score in that frame on a wild pitch by Chinese Taipei starter Lin Yu-Min.

Chinese Taipei threatened in the bottom of the ninth, getting two runners on against closer Go Woo-suk. However, Wu Nien-Ting – who could have been the winning run – grounded into a double play to end the game.

• Asian Games 2023: India Finish With Historic 107 Medals

The Indian contingent impressed everyone with their brilliant performances at Asian Games 2023 and finished with a historic haul of 107 medals. It included 28 gold medals - a record for India in the history of the competition - as well as 38 silver medals and 41 bronze medals. India were on the verge of reaching the 100-medal mark at the start of Saturday's order of play and with gold medals in men's and women's kabaddi, men's cricket and men's doubles badminton, they were able to finish the Asiad on a high. (Asian Games Medals Tally)

On the other hand, Pakistan could only manage to win 3 medals at Asian Games 2023 - one silver and two bronze. The two bronze medals came in kabaddi and shooting while the silver medal came in the men's team squash event where they were beaten by India in a hard-fought summit clash.

• Thai taekwondo star Panipak claims 50th career title at World Grand Prix Championship

Taekwondo star Panipak “Tennis” Wongpattanakit on Tuesday (October 10) defeated her arch-rival from China in the World Taekwondo Grand Prix in Taiyuan, China, to win her 50th title.

In the final round of the women’s under-49kg, Panipak overpowered China’s Qing Guo, her long-time rival, 3-0 and 8-3.

The 26-year-old native of Surat Thani province, had recently beaten Guo 2-1 in the final of the Hangzhou Asiad to defend her Asian Games title.

Thai taekwondo star Panipak claims 50th career title at World Grand Prix Championship

Before entering the final at Taiyuan 2023, Panipak had beaten Kazakhstan’s Rita Bakisheva 8-1 and 10-0, then Ela Aydin from Germany 9-0 and 6-2, before outwitting South Korea’s Mi-reu Kang 16-5 and 8-3 in the semi-final.

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This happened on the last day of apparatus finals | Gymfed

Men’s vault

The one to watch was the reigning world champion, Artur Davtyan of Armenia. He is known for great execution and stuck landings. In his first vault he got 0.3 deduction and scored 14.549 points in total. Joining him in this final were two Ukrainians, including the experienced 30-year-old Igor Radivilov. He got 14.750 which was just not enough for podium. There were also two gymnasts each from the USA and Great Britain as well as one from Bulgaria. Of these, Jake Jarman (GBR) did the best job scoring a massive 15.050 claiming the first gold medal of the day!

JARMAN Jarman (GBR) - 15.050 points

YOUNG Khoi (USA) - 14.849 points

CHEPURNYI Nazar (UKR) - 14.766 points

Women’s balance beam

This was be a battle between the dynamic Simone Biles (USA), the precise Chinese gymnasts Zhou Yaqin and Zhang Qingying, and the elegant German, Pauline Schaefer-Betz. Such contrasting styles gave this final an interesting twist. Because of the withdraw of World champion 2022 Jessica Gadirova (GBR), Olympic champion 2016 Sanne Wevers (NED) could fill in and shine once more in Antwerp. She enjoyed the moment en scored 14.100 points. But in the end the goat scored the highest points, 14.800 for Simone Biles (USA).

BILES Simone (USA) -14.800 points

ZHOU Yaqin (CHN) - 14.700 points

ANDRADE Rebeca (BRA) - 14.300 points

Men’s parallel bars

The standout names in this final were Lukas Dauser of Germany and Illia Kovtun of Ukraine, both of whom have won multiple medals on this apparatus in the past. Dauser was the current world silver medallist and Kovtun was inspired by capturing the all-around silver medal three nights ago. They both did very well but Luka Dauser got the highest score of all and is the new World champion on the parallel bars! Third men on the podium was Sugimoto Kaito (JPN) with his routine.

DAUSER Lukas (GER) - 15.400 points

SHI Cong (CHN) - 15.066 points

SUGIMOTO Kaito (JPN) - 15.00 points

Women’s floor exercise

The women’s competition wrapped up with the supremely entertaining floor routines. The all-around champion Simone Biles (USA) dominated with her amazing tumbling and scored her second apparatus gold of the day. 2022 all-around silver medallist Rebeca Andrade (BRA) took silver with her excellent routine. Team mate Flavia Saraiva (BRA) took her first individual medal of this championships!

BILES Simone (USA) - 14.633 points

ANDRADE Rebeca (BRA) - 14.500 points

SARAIVA Flavia (BRA) - 13.966 points

Men’s horizontal bar

The world championships concluded with the most thrilling apparatus of all. Gymnasts fly above and around the bar executing a daring display of somersaults and swings. Since his emergence at the Olympic Games in 2021, this event has been dominated by Hashimoto Daiki of Japan. The all-around world champion 2023 qualified in first place as the only gymnast to break into the 15 point scoring range, and did it all over in the final! What a day!

HASHIMOTO Daiki (JPN) - 15.233 points

SRBIC Tin (CRO) - 14.700 points

SU Weide (CHN) - 14.500 points

• China tops table as India gifted cricket gold

After two weeks of competition involving 12,500 participants from 45 nations and territories in 481 events across 40 sports and 61 disciplines, the postponed 2022 Asian Games came to a close in Hangzhou, China, on Sunday.

Predictably, hosts China top the medal table with a total of 382 medals, 200 of them gold, followed at some distance by Japan (51 golds) and South Korea (42), with just two more finals to come on Sunday in artistic swimming and men's karate.

As well as seeing debuts for new events such as e-sports and breakdancing, the Games have also seen a number of sporting and political controversies.

Shriners Children's Open

Buick LPGA Shanghai - Qizhong Garden Golf Club - Shanghai, China

Jordanian teams shine with 9 Asian Games medals...

The Jordanian national teams have concluded their remarkable participation in the ongoing Asian Games in China, securing an impressive total of 9 medals.

A particularly notable achievement was the historic silver medal won by the national basketball team. This marks a significant milestone as it represents the first-ever medal for a Jordanian team in the history of the Asian Games, the Jordan News Agency, Petra reported.

Additionally, the karate and Taekwondo teams contributed to Jordan's medal tally, showcasing their prowess and determination on the international stage.

The outstanding performances of the Jordanian athletes have not only brought glory to their country but have also underscored their exceptional skills and unwavering commitment to excellence in the realm of sports.

Vittoria Bussi takes back the Hour Record, breaks through 50km mark

Vittoria Bussi has reclaimed the UCI Hour Record at the Velodromo Bicentenario in Aguascalientes, Mexico, fulfilling her aim of becoming the first woman to break the 50km mark.

Bussi covered 50.267km adding more than a kilometre to the previous record held by Ellen Van Dijk, who set the distance to beat at 49.254km in May of last year.

"I'm thrilled to have beaten the UCI Hour Record timed by Tissot for the second time in my career, covering the distance of 50.267 kilometres in the same velodrome where I previously broke it in 2018," said Bussi in a UCI statement.

"I owe this to all those who supported me throughout the years, believing in me and my project. This achievement is the result of outstanding teamwork, and I want to thank everyone who contributed to make it happen."

The 36-year-old professional cyclist with a PhD in Pure Mathematics from the University of Oxford held the top spot from September 2018 to September 2021, with a distance of 48.007km. British rider Justine Lowden topped that with a 48.405km effort before Van Dijk pushed out the record to a much higher 49.254km.

The previous two records were set in Switzerland, but Bussi had turned to crowdfunding to help her make the attempt in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The rider surpassed her €10,000 target, hitting €12,064 as she sought not to just break the record but also the 50km barrier as she combined her two strengths, cycling and maths.

"As a mathematician, I contribute to aerodynamic and technological studies, aiming to break the 50km mark in the next attempt at the women's UCI Hour Record," she explained during the build-up.

Rui Costa wins three rider sprint to claim rain-soaked Japan Cup

Rui Costa (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) took victory in the rain at the Japan Cup, beating his break companions in a three-way sprint to take his fifth win in a resurgent season.

Felix Engelhardt (Jayco-AlUla) took second, his challenge fading in the closing metres, while Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) was gapped in the final charge and took third place.

“Winning this Japan Cup has a special meaning for me," said Costa. "I started the season by winning my first race in the Mallorca Challenge in January and today I took the win in my last race in Japan.

"Just like then, it was a very hard day because of the cold and the ongoing rain from start to finish."

The 1.Pro race was expected to play out over 16 laps of the Utsunomiya circuit, with its climb of Mt Kogashi, for a total distance of 164.8km. However, before the race started organisers announced that due to bad weather it would be cut to 13 laps for a total of 133.9km.

With the shortened distance, it was aggressive racing from the start and by the last few laps a group of around 15 had made its way up the road. The race, with its solid climb and technical and wet descent, however, split up further as the final laps approached.

Costa was out the front alone to claim the last mountain points on the 12th lap, but he was later joined by Martin and Engelhardt, with the trio entering the final lap together.

"In the last kilometre I tried to go early, but I didn’t quite have the legs anymore and I blew up in the last 75 metres," said second-placed Engelhardt. "But I’m really happy with the result and it’s great to get a result again after struggling a bit at the Vuelta."

Racing in the Rolex Sydney Hobart? You've got two weeks left to enter!

With entries for the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race closing in two weeks’ time and less than 75 days to its start on Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day, the organizer of the 628 nautical mile ocean classic, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, is encouraged by the quality and breadth of the fleet already confirmed.

89 boats in total have entered to date.

There are nine international entries: Antipodes and SHK Scallywag (Hong Kong), Eye Candy (New Caledonia), Caro and Niksen (New Zealand), Lenny (USA), Teasing Machine (France), Rockall 8 (Germany) and Cinnamon Girl (Ireland). This list includes race yachts that have previously featured on Rolex Sydney Hobart podiums for both scratch (Line Honours) and handicap (IRC Overall) standings. It features boats that have triumphed in recent offshore races around the globe.

Local entries come from all states of Australia – 41 from NSW, 16 (QLD), 12 (VIC), one (SA), two (WA) and five (TAS) and represent some of the finest teams in the Southern Hemisphere.

The 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Overall Winner, Sam Hayne’s TP52 Celestial will be back to defend her Tattersall Cup title, having also placed 2nd in the 2021 Race:

Neeraj Chopra wins gold, India's medal count climb to 81

India clinched gold in the compound archery mixed team final on Day 11 of the ongoing Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou on Wednesday. Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Pravis Ojas Deotale were in hot form as they took India past their best Asiad medal tally. Their current tally is 81, better than their previous best in Jakarta 2018 (70). India also bagged bronze in the 35km race walk mixed team final. While Lovlina Borgohain won silver after losing 0-5 in women's 75 kg boxing final. Parveen settled for bronze after going down in the 57kg women's boxing semifinal. Sunil Kumar won a bronze in men's Greco-Roman 87Kg wrestling after. He beats Kyrgyzstan Atabek Azisbekov 2-1.

• 'We’re the best team in the world’ - UAE Team Emirates celebrate topping 2023 UCI teams ranking

Jumbo-Visma may have won all three Grand Tours but UAE Team Emirates can claim to be the best team in the world in 2023 after topping the UCI team ranking for the first time.

Thanks to Tadej Pogčar again topping the individual points rankings and the other leading riders all scoring a haul of points, UAE Team Emirates were ranked best team with a total of 30,958 points according to a table published by directeur sportif Joxean Matxin.

Jumbo-Visma were second with 29,651 points, Soudal-QuickStep a distant third at 18,697 and Ineos Grenadiers fourth with 17,807 points.

World’s fastest monohull: Malizia-Seaexplorer IMOCA 60

The IMOCA 60 Malizia-Seaexplorer is the world’s fastest monohull, having set a blistering 24-hour record of 641.08 nautical miles while competing in The Ocean Race transatlantic leg

Followers of the IMOCA 60 fleet will know that two names have dominated the class over the past two generations when it comes to design: VPLP and Verdier. So, it’s no surprise that all five of the IMOCAs competing in The Ocean Race come from those same drawing boards (and in the case of the oldest boat in the fleet, the 2015-launched Guyot Environnement, a VPLP/Verdier partnership).

Of the four designs, three are by Verdier – 11th Hour Racing Team, Holcim-PRB, and Biotherm. This leaves Boris Herrmann’s Malizia-Seaexplorer as the sole latest generation VPLP IMOCA in the race, but the differences in its design concept run much deeper. Malizia-Seaexplorer was, uniquely among the fleet, designed from the outset for both the 2023 Ocean Race and the 2024 Vendée Globe. The result is a distinctively different looking IMOCA.

VPLP explains that the design differs markedly from previous iterations of IMOCA, particularly in the shape of the hull. Much of this was the result of lessons learned during the 2020 Vendée Globe. The main aim of the hull studies VPLP undertook was to optimise Malizia-Seaexplorer’s performance in the heavy seas of the Southern Ocean without compromising its ability to perform in the more moderate conditions expected on the Atlantic stages of both The Ocean Race and Vendée Globe.

• Cheng and Hughes dethrone Duda and Ana Patrícia for world title

The United States are back at the top of the women’s podium at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships after 14 years as Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes triumphed in the 14th edition of the tournament, which came to an end on Sunday in Tlaxcala.

In an exciting gold medal match, Cheng and Hughes dethroned defending champions Eduarda ‘Duda’ Lisboa and Ana Patrícia Ramos of Brazil, who got to the last day of the event undefeated and with no sets dropped, to secure a two-set (21-16, 24-22) victory. Their compatriots Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss took bronze, making the Americans have two teams on the podium for the first time since 1999.

https://en.volleyballworld.com/beach...or-world-title

• America's Cup: What do we know about the teams with 1 year to go

There is now just 1 year to go until the America’s Cup proper kicks off in Barcelona, where Emirates Team New Zealand will take on the winner of the challengers selection series to fight for the ultimate prize in sailing, the America’s Cup. It has been a long time since we last saw cup teams racing, but the Preliminary Regatta last month has served as something of a line in the sand for fans, who can now start to get excited about the build up to the competition.

With this in mind, the sight of America’s Cup sailors out of their aerodynamically sleek cockpits hanging off shrouds and standing on the bow of their AC40s trying to get boats moving in displacement mode was probably not the image that the organisers had hoped for after racing in the first America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta came to a close over the weekend of 14-16th September. But it is the image many viewers will remember as the racing was marred by poor conditions.

Although racing was cancelled on day one due to no wind, was adversely affected on day two for the same reason and was forced to finish early on day three, there was still some thrilling action on the race course for those patient enough to keep watching through the lulls (both figuratively and literally).

What did we learn from the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta?

The simplest answer to this question is ‘not very much at all’. How teams perform in their one-design AC40 foilers bears very little resemblance to how they might perform at the America’s Cup proper in late 2024, when they will be racing their AC75 America’s Cup yachts which have a much more open class rule and which teams are developing behind the scenes right now.

But there is a little more nuance than that. American Magic, with two of the best foiling sailors in Tom Slingsby and Paul Goodison won the event.

They have spent plenty of time sailing their AC40 – of which they now have two. Even if the team felt they came into the race a bit “underprepared” as Goodison put it as the sailors had been focussed on sailing against, not with, each other.

It may be a small surprise that Emirates Team New Zealand with the three generational talents of Peter Burling, Nathan Outteridge and Blair Tuke onboard did not win the regatta. They have also been sailing plenty in their two AC40s, but at least the Preliminary Regatta showed the all-powerful Kiwi team can be beaten.

Collin Morikawa halts winless string with stunning Sunday and six-shot win in Zozo

Collin Morikawa is a Los Angeles guy through and through. He was born in L.A., grew up in the suburb of La Canada Flintridge, honed his game at public courses all around the Southland, and bleeds Dodger blue and Laker purple. His Japanese heritage? Considering the great grandparents on his dad’s side moved to Hawaii decades ago, the golfer admits he hadn’t thought much about family lineage until the PGA Tour started playing the Zozo Championship in 2019 at Narashino Country Club, 60 miles east of Tokyo.

Even during this week at the Zozo, as Morikawa moved into contention, he downplayed what it might mean for him to win in Japan. “Look,” he said, “a win’s a win. I’ll take it anywhere, right?”

Spoken like a man who hadn’t lifted a trophy on the PGA Tour since July 2021, when the 26-year-old captured his second major in his inaugural Open Championship start at Royal St. George’s. Morikawa also won the DP World Tour Championship late in ’21, but since then had some big misses on Sundays, with four runners-up, including blowing a six-shot lead at the 2023 season-opening Sentry Tournament of Champions and falling over the summer in a playoff in the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where Rickie Fowler ended his own long dry spell.

As it turned out, Morikawa’s six-shot victory on Sunday in the Zozo—forged with a nearly flawless seven-under 63 as much of America slept—created deep satisfaction for the World No. 20 on numerous levels. He snapped his winless streak in his last official tour start of ’23, created tremendous confidence heading into the new year and cemented his standing as yet another hero in Japan golf.

Minjee Lee wins the BMW Ladies Championship on the first extra hole.

Minjee Lee has won the 2023 BMW Ladies Championship with rounds of 64, 69, 71, and 68, finishing with a total score of 272 strokes (16 under par). The 27-year-old Australian clinched her second LPGA title of the season with a birdie on the first extra hole, edging out American Alison Lee. Lydia Ko (NZL), the defending champion, finished third at Seowon Valley Country Club, just two strokes behind.

“I would like to congratulate Minjee Lee on winning the 2023 BMW Ladies Championship. She gave an impressive performance to overcome a world-class field and is the well-deserved BMW Ladies Champion,” said Sangyun Han, Director and President of BMW Group Korea. “It has been a thrilling week with many highlights and a fantastic premier at Seowon Valley Country Club. Thank you to all the tournament partners, supporters, volunteers, fans and everyone involved for contributing to this successful event.”

Minjee Lee laid the foundation for her tenth LPGA Tour victory with an outstanding opening round of 64 (-8). In a field of players that could rival a major tournament, only Alison Lee could keep pace over four rounds, having even started slightly better with a 63 on Thursday. However, in playoff, the two-time major winner, Minjee Lee, once again showed greater composure. She had previously secured her first win of the season at the Kroger Queen City Championship last month in a playoff against Charley Hull from England.

“Going into the back nine, the first probably five holes, I wasn't quite as nervous. I was probably a bit more excited,” said Minjee Lee. “These last few holes, I was quite excited to play, and you know, we always want to be putting ourselves in that position, in the contending position, week-in, week-out and I was lucky enough to do it this week. It's just really fun to play in those type of conditions and those situations, so I think I really had fun out there this week.”

The shot of the tournament came from Linn Grant in the final round on the 17th hole. After hitting the first shot into the water on the short Par 4, she holed out her third shot from the tee using a 3-wood. “It was a good shot, obviously way better than the first one. It just kept rolling and then it went in. It was crazy”, Grant said. “I love playing here. It's different from home and our usual venues in the USA or Europe. I really enjoyed the BMW Ladies Championship, and it was nice to finish the tournament with a good round.”

Grant's third shot was somewhat of an ace, although it won't officially go down as one. No “real” hole-in-ones happened during the entire tournament, so the two full-electric Hole-in-One Awards, the BMW i5 at the 14th hole and the BMW i7 at the 16th hole, went unclaimed. Last year, it was quite the opposite – both Hole-in-One cars were won in the third round on the same day.

However, even without an ace, the players enjoyed fully electric premium mobility throughout the tournament week, as they all enjoyed the BMW i7 shuttle service. More than 100 BMW vehicles were used to transport players, officials, and fans comfortably and safely to and from the golf course.


Win: Minjee Lee, -16, $330,000

• Tour de France 2024 route revealed as race finishes outside Paris for first time in 120-year history

The unique 2024 Tour de France will begin in Florence and end with a potentially dramatic time-trail in Nice, as the race finishes outside Paris for the first time in its 120-year history while the capital focuses on the Olympic Games.

In another first, Italy will host the Grand Depart and the first three stages of the race, before an early climb into the Alps on stage four, from the Italian town of Pinerolo to Valloire in France. The race will then head to the vineyards around Dijon, the Massif Central and over the Pyrenees, before returning to the French Alps and down to the Riviera for a finale against the clock, from Monaco to Nice.

The final section in the Alps is set for a stage 20 showdown on the Col de la Couillole (15.7km at 7.1 per cent average gradient), ahead of the first competitive 21st stage since 1989, as a time-trial replaces the traditional Parisian parade before a sprint on the Champs-Elysees.

“It’s difficult to replace Paris, so what better scenery could we give than than a dazzling Monaco to Nice time-trial,” said race director Christian Prudhomme, at the route’s unveiling. Of the stage-four ascent in the Alps, he added: “The Tour has never climbed so high, so early.”

• New British women's team is aiming for the Tour de France Femmes - with a budget to match its ambitions

A new women’s cycling team is set to join the British scene next year, and hopes to compete at the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, on its way to being the leading British squad.

Hess Cycling, founded by Swiss businessman Rolf Hess, has applied for a British Continental race license, which it expects to receive in the coming weeks.

The squad competed last year under a Luxembourg licence, and is now likely to be one of seven women’s Continental teams on the British circuit in 2024.

“Today is the start of our journey to elevate Hess Cycling to become Britain’s leading professional women’s cycling team,” Hess said in a statement shared on Wednesday.

• Elite cycling the target of Saudi-backed Champions League-style calendar

Cycling could be on the verge of a LIV Golf moment after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) was linked to a wholesale restructure of the European racing calendar.

As the 2024 Tour de France was launched in Paris this week, speculation increased that a multimillion-euro Champions League-style format would be in place by 2026, with PIF cited by sources as a possible investor. The Saudi investment in several sports has been controversial and created rifts in golf after the establishment of the LIV Series, which harvested marquee names from the long-established PGA Tour.

Elite cycling, despite a packed schedule, remains reliant on the interest generated by one race, the Tour de France. Much of the European calendar remains underfunded and under-realised. But the Observer understands that the Tour organisation, which also owns several other major races, remains resistant to the proposal, at least for now.

• United States overcomes adversity to take remarkable first win of Season 4 at Spain Sail Grand Prix

Jimmy Spithill and the United States claimed an emotional and remarkable first win of SailGP Season 4 at the Spain Sail Grand Prix in Cádiz, Andalucía. Having lost flight controller Hans Henken to injury in Taranto, and after scraping into the final after a huge New Zealand error, the United States produced a stunning race to win the fifth event.

Nicolai Sehested's ROCKWOOL Denmark SailGP Team was undoubtedly the favorite for a historic first ever SailGP victory after dominating wins in races four and five - however the Danes got caught in a battle with Tom Slingsby's Australia. That allowed Spithill and the United States, with Taylor Canfield coming in as flight controller after Henken's unfortunate injury, to pounce and never look back.

Spithill said:

"We really want to dedicate this win to Hans. It was such a massive blow for the team in Italy and a tough moment to go through but it inspired us and gave us a real amount of purpose.

"At the same time, I really want to credit Taylor. He jumped in at the deep end with such a great attitude and hunger for knowledge. The start [in the final] was 100 percent my fault but it doesn't faze this team. It doesn't matter where we are, we're just going to fight until the end. From then on we extended and built a great lead."

2023 Maybank Championship

The LPGA was in Malaysia this week for the first-ever Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur CC. The event offered a $3 million prize purse, one of the largest non-major prizes on the LPGA this year.

Celine Boutier took the $450,000 first-place check, outlasting Atthaya Thitikul in a nine-hole playoff.