Sivasangari's fine run helps her return to world No. 8
The 26-year-old had her best performance ever at the world meet last week when she made it to the quarter-finals for the first time after defeating American favourite Amanda Sobhy in straight games before losing to world No. 4 American Olivia Weaver.
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New Straits Times
13 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Teenage kicks: McIntosh, 12-year-old Yu set to rule the pool at LA 2028
SINGAPORE: The Los Angeles Olympics are three years away, but Summer McIntosh showed at the swimming world championships why she will be one of the stars of the Games while 12-year-old Yu Zidi is shaping up to be a major threat. The United States also demonstrated that tales of their demise were exaggerated as teams embarked on the long road to the LA 2028 at the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore over the past week. Canada ended the world championships on Sunday with four gold medals, all won by the 18-year-old phenomenon McIntosh. Yet it was the one that got away that rankled with the teenager, having been forced to settle for bronze in the 800m freestyle which American great Katie Ledecky won for a seventh time. It meant that three-time Paris Olympics gold medallist McIntosh fell just short of matching Michael Phelps's feat of five individual titles at a single world championships. "I think it's just going to keep me hungry and push, and keep moving forward," said McIntosh. "Even if I were to get five golds, I would still want more. That's just my mentality." McIntosh broke three world records in a matter of days at the Canadian trials in June and then powered to gold in the 200m and 400m individual medleys, 400m freestyle and 200m butterfly in Singapore. Chinese schoolgirl Yu became the youngest medallist in world championships history, taking home a relay bronze. Racing against McIntosh, Yu narrowly missed out on an individual medal by finishing fourth in each of her events – the 400m medley, 200m butterfly and 200m medley where she touched just 0.06 seconds from a bronze medal. Already her rivals are predicting Yu will be a major force at the 2028 Olympics. Canada's Mary-Sophie Harvey, who held off Yu for bronze in the 200m medley, said: "I think going into LA we're probably going to see her a lot more." American Alex Walsh, who took silver, said Yu was "phenomenally talented at such a young age." But there are also concerns about the physical and mental toll on someone so young. "Now she's gonna have a lot of pressure," said Harvey. The United States, who will be under huge pressure to deliver in the pool at their home Games, endured a turbulent time in Singapore. Most of the squad had to battle acute gastroenteritis following a pre-competition camp in Thailand. That led to stinging criticism from Phelps and fellow Olympic swimming great Ryan Lochte, with wider concerns about the management of the team in and out of the pool. Lochte shared an image on Instagram depicting a funeral that featured a tombstone inscribed: "In loving memory of United States Swimming." "They set the bar high – until they stopped reaching for it," the inscription said, with Lochte adding the caption: "Call it a funeral or call it a fresh start. We've got 3 years." The slight did not go down well in Singapore, with three-time Olympic gold medallist Bobby Finke among the American swimmers biting back. "There's just so much stupid stuff that's getting said," said Finke. The United States set two relay world records in Singapore and topped the final medals table with nine golds, one ahead of Australia. Third were France, with Leon Marchand blowing off the post-Paris Olympics cobwebs to smash Lochte's 200m individual medley world record from 2011. The 23-year-old Marchand, the face of the Paris Games with four individual golds, also romped to victory in the 400m medley. "It's not perfect, because it's never perfect, but it's more than I expected, especially the world record in the 200m medley," he said.
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Swiatek crashes out of WTA Canadian Open, Osaka races through
MONTREAL: Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek became the latest seed to fall at the WTA Canadian Open on Sunday, stunned 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 by 19th-ranked Dane Clara Tauson in the fourth round. Swiatek, ranked third in the world and seeded second in Montreal, followed top-seeded Coco Gauff, third-seeded two-time defending champion Jessica Pegula and fourth-seeded Mirra Andreeva out the door. Fifth-seeded American Amanada Anisimova followed later with a straight-sets loss to Elina Svitolina. Tauson avenged a fourth-round loss to Swiatek at Wimbledon and called her second career victory over a top-five player "unreal." "Obviously it's really great and it shows all the hard work I've been doing has been the right thing," Tauson said. "I'm getting more confidence in this kind of level and feeling like I belong here a bit more. I think that really helped me today in the important points." Tauson booked a quarter-final berth against Australian Open champion Madison Keys, who saved two match points on the way to a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Czech Karolina Muchova. It was the American's third match win of the year in which she overcame a match point. Meanwhile, it was clear sailing for former world number one Naomi Osaka, who needed just 49 minutes to blast past Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 6-0. The second-quickest win of Osaka's career put her into her first quarter-final at the 1000 or Grand Slam level since Doha in 2024. Swiatek, playing her first tournament since winning her sixth Grand Slam title at the All England Club last month, looked out of sorts from the start on a breezy centre court. She fell behind a quick break and failed to convert a pair of break chances in the eighth game as Tauson took a 5-3 lead in the first set. The Polish star appeared to be finding her rhythm as she won the next three games to get her nose in front 6-5. But Tauson, who won her third WTA title and her first since 2021 in New Zealand in January, held to force the tiebreaker and dominated, Swiatek surrendering the set with a double fault on the Dane's first set point. Swiatek had saved a pair of break points in the eighth game of the second set when another untimely double fault gave Tauson the break and a 5-3 lead. Tauson calmly served it out, claiming the victory when Swiatek belted a backhand into the net. Tauson will be up against a battle-tested opponent in Keys, who saved two match points on her own serve in the 10th game of the third set, striping a forehand on the first and escaping the second as Czech Muchova misfired on a service return. "I'm really happy to get that win," Keys told the crowd. "After losing the first set and even being match point down, being able to figure it out — it's always a great day." Osaka, who has struggled for consistency since returning from maternity leave last year, said the coaching shakeup she instigated this week — parting with Patrick Mouratoglou after less than a year and teaming up on a trial basis with former Swiatek coach Tomasz Wiktorowski — had energized her. "I enjoy his coaching style. He's very direct and to the point. For someone like me, who my thoughts scatter around often, it's very helpful," said Osaka, who lost in the first round of the French Open and the third round at Wimbledon and arrived in Montreal ranked 49th in the world.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Noah Lyles and Jefferson-Wooden dominate US trials with world-leading performances
NOAH Lyles delivered a statement performance at the US trials, winning the men's 200m in a world-leading 19.63 seconds, while Melissa Jefferson-Wooden secured a sprint double in the women's events. Lyles, the reigning world champion in both 100m and 200m, surged past Kenny Bednarek in the closing stages, crossing the line in 19.63s. The race ended with tension as Lyles turned to stare at Bednarek, who responded with a shove post-finish. 'Under coach's orders, no comment,' Lyles said, while Bednarek criticized the gesture as 'unsportsmanlike.' Jefferson-Wooden continued her dominance, adding the 200m title (21.84s) to her 100m victory. Olympic champion Gabby Thomas narrowly secured third place, earning her spot for the World Championships in Tokyo. Elsewhere, Rai Benjamin (400m hurdles) and Dalilah Muhammad (women's 400m hurdles) booked their Tokyo tickets with commanding wins. Donavan Brazier marked his comeback with an 800m victory (1:42.16), while 16-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus set a new under-18 world record (1:42.27). Sha'Carri Richardson missed the 200m final after her recent arrest, limiting her to the 100m in Tokyo. - AFP
