Breaking barriers: A timeline of men's and women's mile records
FILE - British athlete Roger Bannister breaks the tape to become the first man ever to break the four minute mile at Iffly Field, Oxford, England, May 6, 1954. (AP Photo, File) XJFM flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: pubinfo.section: cms.site.custom.site_domain : thestar.com sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false firstAuthor.avatar :
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Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
British and Irish Lions dominate Force in the opening game of their Australian tour
PERTH, Australia (AP) — Dan Sheehan made the perfect start on debut for the British and Irish Lions. The Ireland hooker led the Lions for the first game of their Australian tour, scored in the second minute and steered the team to a commanding 54-7 win over the Perth-based Western Force on Saturday. After an arm-wrestle of a first half where the Lions led 21-7 despite having only 40% of possession and spending most of the time in their own half, the bigger, more polished British and Irish lineup opened up and put five unanswered tries on a tiring defense in the second. Scrumhalf Tomos Williams scored a pair of tries before limping off with a left hamstring issue, fullback Elliot Daly scored two tries and flyhalf Finn Russell created two tries with his spur-of-the-moment judgement. He also kicked five goals. Henry Pollock, the 20-year-old England No. 8, played an integral hand in two tries and also spent 10 minutes in the sin-bin in his eventful debut start for the Lions. Early exchanges The Lions made changes after a 28-24 loss to Argentina in a warmup last week in Dublin, putting more emphasis on short, sharp passing. The Lions had the ball for 11 phases until Russell kicked high and wide to the right touchline where Sheehan took the ball high and tapped infield for winger James Low, who flicked an inside pass back to him to score. The Force equalized quickly after 14 phases of attack with veteran Wallabies scrumhalf Nic White sniping over from the base of a ruck in the fifth minute. The Force opted against taking penalty goals in order to keep up attacking intensity but the Lions held firm and relieved pressure with some crucial turnovers. Flyhalf Russell set up the first try with his pinpoint kick wide and the third with a quick penalty tap and go in the 35th, scooting up to the five-yard line before popping up a ball off the ground for fullback Daly to score. In between, Pollock was instrumental in the Lions' second try, bursting onto a sharp inside ball from openside flanker Josh van der Flier, stepping inside and out and going to ground before popping a ball up to scrumhalf Williams to score. The tourists went into halftime with a man down after Pollock was yellow carded for a ruck infringement deep inside his own quarter. The Force crossed the line from the resulting penalty but were held up. A key moment Williams finished off an 80-meter counter-attacking try seven minutes into the second half. Both wingers were involved, with Lowe making an initial break and then exchanging passes with Williams at the end. Williams limped off after scoring, and was replaced by Alex Mitchell. The Lions' attacking intent led directly to Garry Ringrose's try soon after that gave the Lions a 33-7 lead. Pollock, the youngest member of the Lions squad, was back in the attack quickly, chipping over the defense, regathering and almost scoring himself before the Lions shifted it quickly through the hands for lock Joe McCarthy to score out wide in the 55th. Daly scored in the 71st minute after sustained attack to help the Lions take a 40-point buffer. It was extended to 47 when Mitchell scored after the siren, taking the last pass from Australian-born Ireland winger Mack Hansen to put the final touches on the victory. The Lions are playing nine games in their first tour to Australia since 2013, including tests in Brisbane on July 19, in Melbourne on July 26 and in Sydney on Aug. 2. ___ AP rugby:
Winnipeg Free Press
19 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Power pairing of Stewart Cink and Padraig Harrington tied heading into weekend at US Senior Open
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Stewart Cink made up five shots over nine holes against Padraig Harrington in their head-to-head pairing at the U.S. Senior Open on Friday, leaving the major champions tied for the lead after their second rounds at the Broadmoor. Both players head into the weekend at 6-under 134, though they got there much differently. Opening on the more difficult back nine, Harrington shot 31 to open his five-shot lead. Then, Cink shot his own 31 on the second nine to pull back into a tie. Cink hit all 18 greens in regulation, making it 35 of 36 for the week. He called that stat overrated, especially at the Broadmoor, where the real test starts on the notoriously difficult-to-read greens that all cant away from a monument lurking above the course on Cheyenne Mountain. 'You don't want to be chipping downhill on this course, it's not a secret,' said the 52-year-old Cink, the 2009 British Open champion who is playing in his first U.S. Senior Open. After Harrington shot 31 on the more difficult nine, then kept the lead at five with a birdie on the par-5 third, he was thinking there might be an opportunity to open a big lead heading into the weekend. A pair of three-putts — one on the seventh and the other on the par-3 fourth green that has been slowed down to temper the severe slope — resulted in bogeys. Cink hit his approach on the par-5 ninth to 45 feet and two-putted for birdie to get to 6 under. His first putt showed Harrington the line after the Irishman, the winner of the 2007 and '08 British and 2008 PGA Championship, had short-sided himself in a greenside bunker, and he made his 20-footer for birdie and the tie. 'I got a lovely read off Stewart. I don't think I would have given it as much break, so that was nice,' said Harrington, who won the U.S. Senior Open in 2022. 'They're the breaks you get when things are going well.' Both players finished the round with dark clouds hovering, and the horn sounded right after they holed out, leading to a delay of about 60 minutes. They finished the day two ahead of first-round co-leader Mark Hensby, whose afternoon round got delayed. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Y.E. Yang, the 2009 PGA champion, was still on the course at 2 under and a group of five with the same score were waiting to tee off. Harrington and Cink, the only two players on the PGA Tour Champions who average 300 yards in driving distance, were well positioned to be playing together again to start the weekend. 'I love watching him play. I would hope that he probably feels similarly about me,' Cink said. 'We have mutual respect for each other. He's a world-class player and he's been doing it a long time. I would love it if we could go the distance here.' ___ AP golf:
Toronto Sun
a day ago
- Toronto Sun
Claims of Max Verstappen having 'conversations' with Mercedes could overshadow Red Bull's home race
Published Jun 27, 2025 • 4 minute read Max Verstappen gets out of the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 after the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Getty Images The idea of Max Verstappen joining Mercedes would have seemed outlandish when he fought Lewis Hamilton in the controversial title decider in 2021. Now it's the hot topic in the Formula 1 paddock. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The build-up Friday to the Austrian Grand Prix was dominated by comments made the day before by Mercedes driver George Russell to British broadcaster Sky Sports. Russell has yet to get a contract extension for 2026 and seemed to suggest that Verstappen and Mercedes were in talks. 'As Mercedes, they want to be back on top, and if you're going to be back on top you need to make sure you've got the best drivers, the best engineers, the best pit crew, and that's what Mercedes are chasing,' Sky Sports quoted Russell as saying. 'So, it's only normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing. But from my side, if I'm performing as I'm doing, what have I got to be concerned about? There are two seats in every Formula 1 team.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It would be one of the biggest driver changes ever in F1 — on par with Hamilton's switch to Ferrari — if Verstappen, a Red Bull driver since childhood, joined the team which has often been his toughest challenger. It would mean working with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who was left to exclaim 'that was so not right' at a decision which helped Verstappen beat then-Mercedes driver Hamilton to the 2021 title on the last lap of the season. Asked about Russell's comments and whether any talks with Verstappen were happening, Wolff signaled Mercedes would 'need to explore' future developments. 'I like what George says, and I'm always supportive of the driver, and there's no such thing as saying things I wouldn't want him to say. I think we are very transparent in the team for what we do, what we plan, and we've been like that since I was put in charge of that. So that's not the issue,' Wolff said. 'And at the moment, clearly you need to explore what's happening in the future, but it doesn't change anything of what I said before about George, about Kimi, about the lineup that I'm extremely happy of having.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Mercedes has yet to confirm either Russell or rookie Kimi Antonelli for 2026 despite both having strong seasons so far. Verstappen has a long-term contract through 2028, so in theory his Red Bull seat should be one of the safest on the grid. However, the deal has performance-related clauses which could reportedly allow a move. 'I don't think we need to talk about that,' Verstappen said Thursday when asked to confirm whether he'll stay with the team for 2026. 'It's not really in my mind. It's just driving and trying to push the performance, you know. And then we focus on next year.' Fast in Friday practice Red Bull's upgrades seemed to work well in Verstappen's first outing in Friday practice. He was second-fastest, 0.065 of a second off George Russell for Mercedes. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Standings leader Oscar Piastri was third-fastest for McLaren, .155 off the pace, but the star of the session was young driver Alex Dunne, who took over Lando Norris' McLaren for the session and placed fourth. Lewis Hamilton was ninth-fastest for Ferrari and Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda only 17th. Red Bull's challenge to adapt Dramatic changes to how F1 cars look and perform are coming in 2026, and Red Bull has to adapt more than most. For the first time in nearly two decades, it heads into a new era of F1 rules without design guru Adrian Newey, who left last year and is now at Aston Martin. The other leading teams are sticking with their current engine arrangements, but not Red Bull. The team has an in-house engine developer, Red Bull Powertrains, but it's switching partners for 2026 from Honda to newcomer Ford. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. No team in F1 depends as much on one driver as Red Bull does on Verstappen. He's scored 155 of the team's 162 points this season. His teammates — first Liam Lawson, then Tsunoda — have struggled all season. That's helped to restore the reputation of Sergio Perez, who was dropped by Red Bull after scoring barely one-third of Verstappen's points last season. 'I know, deep down, they really regret it,' Perez said on a podcast this week. 'And I know that from a very reliable source. It's tough. I have very good friends there, and people might think I take pleasure in what happened, but no.' Red Bull's car seems to favor Verstappen's driving style over anyone else's, but the Dutch driver says he can't diagnose the issue because he's been with the team since 2016 and has nothing else to compare it with. 'The thing is that I don't know any better, right?' he said Thursday. 'I mean, I've basically started with Red bull, so I only know one car and that's how I drive. I adapt to it. Is it the best? Is it the fastest? Is it not? I don't know.' Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Care for a wager? Head to our sports betting section for news and odds. Toronto Raptors News Music Toronto Raptors Canada
