U.S./World Sports category, Page 7
Venus Williams’ age gets attention at the US Open but players think her icon status matters more
NEW YORK — It’s a given that much of the coverage and attention devoted to Venus Williams’ return to the U.S. Open, where play begins Sunday, has focused — and will focus — on how old she is. The American is, after all, 45, an age at which no one...
Mirra Andreeva, Vicky Mboko, João Fonseca and Learner Tien are teens to watch at the US Open
NEW YORK — There is a fascination in all sports — all walks of life, maybe — with young stars, those such as tennis player Mirra Andreeva, a Russian who is still only 18 yet already has been a Grand Slam semifinalist and is seeded No. 5 at the U.S....
Former NBA star Shawn Kemp gets 30 days of home monitoring for Washington parking lot shooting
TACOMA, Wash. — Former NBA star Shawn Kemp was sentenced Friday to 30 days of electronic home monitoring for shooting at two men inside a vehicle in a Washington state mall parking lot. Kemp must begin home monitoring within two weeks, The Seattle Times reported. He must also serve one...
US women keep reaching Slam finals and claiming titles. Can an American man win the 2025 US Open?
NEW YORK — If there’s such a thing as momentum from tournament to tournament in tennis, the American men have some right now. Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul are getting within reach of ending the country’s unprecedented Grand Slam men’s title drought, so maybe they’re finally...
NASCAR’s Daytona race to finalize playoff lineup with 2 spots up for grabs
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR returns to Daytona International Speedway to finalize its 16-car playoff lineup, with two spots up for grabs and a win-and-you’re-in opportunity for any driver yet to visit Victory Lane this season. Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman hold the final two tenuous positions in the Cup...
Unique Kobe Bryant-Michael Jordan card set to break price record on Mamba’s birthday
LOS ANGELES — The record for the amount paid for a basketball card is about to be broken by Kobe Bryant on what would have been his 47th birthday … with some help from his “big brother,” Michael Jordan. The 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs card featuring...
Ron Turcotte, Hall of Fame jockey who rode Secretariat to 1973 Triple Crown, dies at 84
Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte, who rode Secretariat to the Triple Crown in 1973, has died. He was 84. Turcotte’s family said through his longtime business partner and friend Leonard Lusky that the Canada-born jockey died of natural causes Friday at his home in Drummond, New Brunswick. He won...
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, aka Sincaraz, rule men’s tennis
NEW YORK — OK, sure, maybe it wouldn’t be rational to say there’s no point in actually holding the full U.S. Open and instead just fast-forwarding to the inevitable matchup for the men’s championship between Jannik Sinner — assuming he’s healthy — and Carlos Alcaraz on Sept. 7. Seems reasonable,...
Man arrested for WNBA sex-toy throwing at Liberty game, the 3rd arrest in string of disturbances
NEW YORK — An Ohio man was arrested for the throwing of a sex toy at a WNBA game in New York, police said Thursday. It’s the latest development in a string of disturbances where similar toys were tossed at WNBA games across the country, resulting in at least three...
Gymnast who sparked FBI sex abuse inquiry into coach says she’s proud to come forward
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Recalling the damage her now-arrested coach inflicted on her and many of her gymnast friends, Finley Weldon said she feels a sense of pride. Free from the grip that Sean Gardner had during her years of training at an Iowa academy known for producing Olympians, Weldon...
CFP committee adding weight to games against strong opponents, limit reward for beating weak foes
The College Football Playoff selection committee announced Wednesday it will place more emphasis on strength of schedule this year when determining which teams make the 12-team field. The committee said in a statement that the schedule strength metric has been adjusted to apply greater weight to games against strong opponents....
10 House Democrats ask NCAA about plans to protect women as ways to pay college athletes increase
Ten Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives have asked the NCAA if and how college sports’ major governing body plans to protect the interests of female athletes as the largest portion of NIL and revenue-sharing payments continue to be directed to male athletes. The lawmakers, in a letter...
Years after abuse reports, ex-coach at renowned U.S. gymnastics academy arrested by FBI
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The U.S. gymnastics world was only just recovering from a devastating sexual abuse scandal when a promising young coach moved from Mississippi to Iowa to take a job in 2018 at an elite academy known for training Olympic champions. Liang “Chow” Qiao, the owner of Chow’s...
Austin Dillon equals a Dale Earnhardt feat with his convincing NASCAR win at Richmond
In his playoff-clinching victory at Richmond Raceway, Austin Dillon shared some NASCAR history on the venerable short track with the most famous driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet. Dale Earnhardt, the late seven-time Cup Series champion who amassed 76 victories in a Hall of Fame career, was the last Richard...
Top accessory this year at the Little League World Series? Hype Fire bat that looks like sour gummy worms
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT — It’s not an ice-cream cone. It’s not an Italian rainbow cookie. It’s the baseball bat being used at the Little League World Series. Easton’s 2026 Hype Fire USA Bat with the neon green grip and the pink-and-neon yellow barrel is hard to miss at the plate. And...
With Cup playoffs at stake, controversial limits of rough driving could be tested again at Richmond
NASCAR playoff desperation reached a controversial peak at Richmond Raceway last year. At the mercy of securing a victory to make the 16-driver field that competes for the Cup championship, Austin Dillon wrecked Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in the final two corners of the last lap to claim his...
Ryan Preece earns 2nd career pole position in hunt for NASCAR playoff spot at Richmond
RICHMOND, Va. — Ryan Preece will start from the pole position Saturday night at Richmond Raceway while trying to lock in a spot for the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Preece earned his second career pole in 212 Cup starts with a lap at 121.381 mph around the 0.75-mile oval in...
Over-the-counter soap recalled for ‘life-threatening sepsis’ risk
Over a dozen soap and sanitizer products are being recalled because they could cause health complications. DermaKleen lotion soaps, Perigiene antiseptic and KleenFoam soap are among those recalled, according to the Friday announcement by DermaRite Industries LLC, People reported. The products were sold nationwide and in Puerto Rico, the manufacturer...
Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon strikes tentative deal to buy the Portland Trail Blazers
PORTLAND, Ore. — A group led by Carolina Hurricanes owner Don Dundon has reached a tentative agreement with Paul Allen’s estate to buy the Trail Blazers and keep the team in Portland. Dundon confirmed the agreement in a text exchange with The Associated Press on Wednesday. His group includes Portland-based...
Judge tosses convictions in 2002 killing of NBA star Chris Paul’s grandfather
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A North Carolina trial judge has thrown out the convictions of four men in the 2002 death of basketball star Chris Paul’s grandfather. Now, state attorneys are considering their next moves, including an appeal. Superior Court Judge Robert Broadie vacated and dismissed their convictions late last week...
A UFC fight at the White House? Dana White says it’s happening as part of deal with Paramount
Hours after Paramount and UFC announced a billion-dollar rights deal, Dana White said he had yet to hear from his friend, President Donald Trump, on his thoughts about the fight company’s new streaming home. That was fine with White. The UFC CEO was set to travel to Washington on Aug....
Happy move for Cristiano Ronaldo as Georgina Rodríguez announces their engagement
Soccer great Cristiano Ronaldo and his long-term partner Georgina Rodriguez are engaged. The 31-year-old Rodríguez announced the happy news on Instagram on Monday with a photograph showing a huge ring on her finger. “Yes, I do,” read the caption in Spanish. “In this and in all my lives.” Rodríguez and...
Robbie Brewer dies after medical emergency during race at Bowman Gray Stadium
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A veteran stock-car driver at a North Carolina short track died over the weekend after suffering a medical emergency while competing in a race, officials said. Robbie Brewer’s car struck head-on a wall on the quarter-mile track at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem and came to a...
Paramount will become the new home to all UFC events in the U.S. under 7-year deal with TKO Group
NEW YORK — Paramount will become the new home to Ultimate Fighting Championship events across the U.S. next year, through a seven-year agreement announced with TKO Group on Monday. The news comes just days after Skydance and Paramount officially closed their $8 billion merger — kicking off the reign of...
A power loss changed everything: How Palou secured his fourth IndyCar title
Alex Palou wrapped up his fourth IndyCar championship in the last five seasons Sunday at Portland International Raceway when title contender Pato O’Ward lost power early in the race. O’Ward started from the pole and was the only driver mathematically eligible to beat Palou for the championship. Palou went into...
