Category: Other Sports

George Russell demonstrated his experience and a detailed understanding of the rules on Saturday to steer through a controversial final flying lap and seize pole position for Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver, who struggled on Friday as team-mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli set the pace in practice, bounced back by topping final practice and then grabbing pole after Max Verstappen crashed in his Red Bull.

The four-time champion’s accident — he was unhurt after hitting the barriers at Turn Nine — prompted waved single yellow flags that Russell knew he should lift for while others behind him, including Italian teenager Antonelli, mistakenly believed they were double yellows and aborted their laps.

This meant Russell lost time, but not his lap as he outpaced both Ferraris to secure his fourth pole of the season and 11th of his career, leaving Antonelli lamenting his error of judgement.

“The lap was unbelievable,” said British driver Russell, who was immediately behind Verstappen on track when he crashed.

“I don’t know where it came from. I saw the single yellows and made a big lift off in mid-corner. I saw the green flag. I lost a lot of time, three or four tenths or more.”

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Antonelli was five seconds behind Russell on his own late flying lap when he came to Turn Nine and the caution signals.

“I thought it was a double yellow,” he admitted. “So, I aborted completely and I missed the front row. It was my mistake. We were very close with George, only a tenth between us.”

Russell added that he was aware of the visible difference on an electronic display screen between a solid yellow sign, denoting a single yellow, and a flashing diagonal signal denoting a double.

“It’s not easy, but once you know it, you know it,” he said.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, he added: “It’s going to be very hot! The Ferraris are looking incredibly fast. In the corners, they are the fastest team, but they are a bit more ‘draggy’ than us, which may help us to defend.”

Russell took pole with a best lap in one minute and 06.113 seconds to outpace Charles Leclerc by 0.295 and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton by 0.295 in a dramatic end to an intriguing qualifying hour.

Antonelli was fourth and Verstappen fifth ahead of defending champion Lando Norris and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, and the two Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson and impressive British rookie Arvid Lindblad.

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Lewis Hamilton claimed his first victory for Ferrari on Sunday at the Barcelona-Catalunya Formula One Grand Prix, ending championship leader Kimi Antonelli’s five-race winning streak.

The seven-time world champion finished ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris, while Antonelli was forced to abandon in the final stages because of a technical problem.

Hamilton, 41, cut down Antonelli’s title lead to 41 points by triumphing on a Sunday nearly two years after he last won a race.

“It’s not over, that’s for sure,” said Hamilton, also second in Monaco last weekend, of the championship race.

Mercedes polesitter Russell came in 19 seconds behind Hamilton, with Norris completing an all-British podium, the first since the 1968 United States Grand Prix.

“You have helped me so much to achieve this dream, I cannot thank you enough,” said Hamilton over team radio, after becoming the first driver for a team other than Mercedes to win a race this season.

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“To the fans, thank you for reminding me who I am. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Russell, pre-season favourite for the championship, arrived in Barcelona bemoaning bad luck for his recent struggles but after team-mate Antonelli edged in front of him late on he had some good fortune to cut the gap on the teenager to 50 points after the Italian abandoned.

“Good to be back on the podium and have a clean race, but Ferrari were mighty today so we need to keep pushing,” said Russell.

“The last stints were difficult, but it’s good to be back here. The pace today was insane from Lewis, they are coming I think.”

With track temperatures up at 51 degrees Celsius, Hamilton opted for a three pit-stop strategy and it worked to perfection, with the third of those fortuitously coming while the virtual safety car was deployed.

Ferrari’s heavily upgraded car may well have been fast enough for Hamilton to triumph anyway, as he recorded the 106th victory of his career.

“(All of them are) special in their own way but this one is something else,” said Hamilton.

“When I was young, I watched Ferrari have all their success on TV. I always wondered what it would feel like — and it’s come.”

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen came in fourth, ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Isack Hadjar in the other Red Bull.

Russell got off to the perfect start from pole, holding off Hamilton on softs, with the Ferrari driver cutting off Antonelli.

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Hadjar, who started in position six, was slow off the line and overtaken by eight cars.

Charles Leclerc, in the second Ferrari, admitted he was “ashamed” by his crash in qualifying which left him starting in 10th but expertly weaved his way up to sixth, although he was later forced to retire.

Hamilton took an early pit stop on lap 12 to swap his softs for hards, with Mercedes responding on the following lap with hards for Russell.

Russell was worried his stop “exposed” him to Antonelli but retook the lead from Hamilton with his teenage team-mate back in third after his own stop to bolt on the hards.

With Hamilton 2.3 seconds behind Russell he said “we are on Plan C” over team radio.

The seven-time champion pitted for the second time in the 28th lap, with Mercedes deciding not to do the same because of the threat of 2025 champion Norris.

Antonelli moved right behind Russell, who was forced to fend off his team-mate.

Russell was called in for fresh hards before Antonelli followed suit, allowing Hamilton into the lead, with Ferrari telling the Briton this was the “critical time” for his race.

Home favourite Alonso, in what he said was probably his final appearance in Barcelona which is not in the calendar next year, was forced to retire because of a suspected battery issue.

It brought out a yellow flag with the virtual safety car deployed, offering Hamilton an ideal chance for a cheap stop.

That worked brilliantly for Hamilton who emerged from his third stop with fresh rubber 2.6s ahead of Russell with 24 laps remaining.

With clean air Hamilton was able to stretch his lead comfortably to triumph in style.

The victory was sweetened further by late drama as Antonelli retired from second place in the 62nd lap to blow open the championship.

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The Cape Town Marathon on Wednesday was confirmed as the eighth and the first Abbott World Marathon Major (AbbottWMM) to be held on African soil.

The event has successfully completed the second and final stage of its Abbott World Marathon Majors evaluation, earning its spot as the eighth member of this highly prestigious marathon series worldwide.

The decision comes after the latest edition, held on 24 May in Cape Town. The marathon will formally enter the series at its next edition on 23 May 2027.

Following the confirmation, AbbottWMM CEO Dawna Stone welcomed Cape Town’s inclusion in the series, describing it as a significant addition that would bring a new dimension to the competition.

“It gives me huge pleasure to welcome Cape Town to the family,” she said.

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“After watching the race grow in size and stature during its candidacy, and also seeing the resilience and dedication of the team led so wonderfully by Clark Gardner, Africa’s first Major has finally arrived.”

“The unique culture, the welcome from the people of the city, and the wonderful setting Cape Town provides will bring a whole new dimension to our series. I know runners in Africa and across the world will have a phenomenal experience at this race.” she added.

 

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It is worth mentioning that Cape Town Marathon’s elevation to a Major event is expected to bring significant economic activity to Cape Town and the surrounding region.

Organizers project that the event will contribute around 800 million rand to the local economy, driven by spending on domestic travel, accommodation, and food.

The addition of Cape Town also places it among a select group of races shaping the next phase of the series. With eight Majors now confirmed, attention is turning to whether and when a ninth Major could complete the series, alongside the existing Six Star and proposed Nine Star finisher medals.

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For those unaware, the World Marathon Majors are a series of the most prestigious races in the world. The term “Majors” refers to the individual elite marathons that are officially included in this global championship-style series.

These races bring together the world’s top long-distance runners, who compete across multiple events throughout the season to earn points and fight for the overall World Marathon Majors title.

At present, the Majors include iconic races such as the Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City, Tokyo, and Sydney marathons.

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Roger Federer will play in a US Open one-night exhibition event that also includes long-time rivals Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, and Andy Roddick, the US Tennis Association said on Monday.

The 44-year-old retired Swiss superstar, who won five of his 20 Grand Slam singles titles in New York, will play in “Roger Federer: An Icon Returns to New York” on August 25 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Federer last played in the US Open in 2019, reaching the quarter-finals. He won at Flushing Meadows from 2004 through 2008, the only man or woman to capture five consecutive singles titles on the New York hardcourts.

“The US Open has always been one of the most special tournaments for me,” Federer said in a statement.

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“So many unforgettable moments of my career happened in New York, and Arthur Ashe Stadium is a place that means a great deal to me.

“I’ve missed being part of that atmosphere and feeling the incredible energy that the fans bring every year. To return to Arthur Ashe and share the evening with Andy, Andre and John makes it even more meaningful.

“I’m looking forward to celebrating those memories, seeing the fans again, and enjoying a very special night together.”

The event comes four days before Federer will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.

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Alexander Zverev finally secured his maiden Grand Slam title with a dramatic five-set victory over Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in the French Open final on Sunday.

The second seed became the first German man to win a major tournament since Boris Becker at the 1996 Australian Open with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 victory after four hours and 16 minutes.

“This court is so special to me in so many ways… but now finally, it’s a happy end,” said Zverev, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the 2022 semi-final against Rafael Nadal on Court Philippe Chatrier, where he was also edged out in five sets by Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 final.

It was Zverev’s fourth Grand Slam final and second at Roland Garros after some heartbreaking near misses in his career.

“We’ve been through losses, we’ve been losers at times as well in the most important moments,” he said during the trophy presentation, turning to his team.

“But at the end of the day, we’re Grand Slam champions now, and that’s what counts.”

Cobolli, the 10th seed, was bidding to become the first Italian man since Adriano Panatta to win the French Open in 50 years.

The 24-year-old had never even played a Slam semi-final before, let alone a final, after his last-four opponent Matteo Arnaldi withdrew from the tournament through illness.

“It’s not easy for me to talk right now,” said Cobolli after receiving his runner-up trophy from Panatta, before addressing Zverev.

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“I’m happy for you, but I’m also sad because I was close and I feel it. So now you’ve achieved your dream, let me win the next time.”

Both players appeared to struggle with nerves at various points in the match, especially Cobolli during an error-strewn first set.

But Zverev’s greater experience showed in a deciding set that was far tenser than the scoreline suggested, as he managed to get over the line.

The 29-year-old was handed a golden opportunity to break his Grand Slam duck by the injury-enforced absence of reigning champion Alcaraz and surprise early exits for Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.

The world number three was not always in control, making 54 unforced errors, but did enough to finally shed the tag of being one of the best players to have never won a major.

Alexander Zverev had previously also lost in six Slam quarter-finals and seven semi-finals, alongside his three final defeats.

The most agonising miss of all was his first major final when he blew a two-set lead and failed to serve for the championship against Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open.

The now-retired Thiem was watching on from the stands at Roland Garros as Zverev belatedly put the memories of that match to bed six years later.

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Reigning world champion Marc Marquez won on a Sunday for the first time this season as he held off young Spanish compatriot Pedro Acosta to take the Hungarian MotoGP.

Francesco Bagnaia finished a distant third while the top two in the standings, Aprilia pair Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin, crashed out on the first corner.

In a battle of the generations, 33-year-old Marquez, who also won Saturday’s sprint, and Acosta, 22, exchanged the lead a couple of times before the veteran pulled away in the closing laps.

Marquez beat Acosta by just over 1.343 seconds. It was the veteran’s 100th victory across all categories, and Ducati’s 100th win in the sport.

“I’m super happy,” said Marquez who rushed back after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder and a broken foot after a crash at the French Grand Prix in early May.

“The price was expensive, but happy to have another comeback.”

The 4.8km Balaton Park circuit, which hosted its first MotoGP last year, is narrow, twisty, and not conducive to overtaking. Most riders do not like it, but Marc Marquez feels right at home. Last year, the Spaniard swept the board taking pole position, sprint race, fastest lap, and overall victory.

An additional advantage for Marquez is that Balaton Park is one of the six circuits this season that run counter-clockwise. The Spaniard has always prefered left-hand corners but they was even more helpful this weekend because he was nursing his right shoulder.

“I don’t know if I’ll have chances like this again in the upcoming races. I wasn’t feeling great on Friday, but I made a good step forward on Saturday,” he said.

Bagnaia finished 11.632 seconds behind Marquez on a matching factory Ducati, a ride that Acosta, who is with KTM, is widely expected to take over next season.

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At the start, bikes tumbled like bowling pins going into at the first corner.

Martin, who is second in the standings, locked up coming out of the short starting straight, lost control and he, and his bike, flew into the tightly-bunched pack hitting Bezzecchi. Fermin Aldeguer of Ducati Gresini, Raul Fernandez of Trackhouse and Fabio di Giannantonio on a VR46 Ducati also went down.

Bagnaia said he saw Martin coming out of the corner of his eye.

“When I started to break, I just saw something arriving so fast, and it was Martin arriving at double speed.”

“Maybe he was too inside and locked the front, because the new tarmac on corner one was very slippery.”

Di Giannantonio remounted and collected four points as he trailed in 12th.

Marquez had sped off from pole position and was already clear of the chaos behind him. Only Acosta, who narrowly outpaced the wave of crashing bikes, was able to give chase and quickly closed and shot past.

By halfway, the leading pair had pulled six seconds clear of Bagnaia

Marquez overtook on lap 14 and held off 22-year-old Acosta’s instant counter-attack pulling clear before relaxing in the fnal lap.

“We tried everything, it was a really good battle, I hope that everyone at home in enjoyed it,” said Acosta who is still chasing his first MotoGP victory. “The pace was good. qualifying again was good. Back-to-back podiums, I’m quite happy.”

Ai Ogura on a Trackhouse was fourth and Luca Marini fifth for Honda.

Bezzcchi, Martin and Di Gianntonio stayed in the first three places in the standings. Acosta jumped to fourth and Marquez into fifth.

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The Las Vegas Grand Prix has secured its place on the Formula One calendar at least until 2037 with a new 10-year contract extension.

The deal was announced on Thursday in the run-up to the Monaco Grand Prix.

The first race in the US gambling and entertainment capital was held in 2023 and has drawn hundreds of thousands of visitors every November.

It has generated more than $3 billion in economic impact for southern Nevada over its three editions, and images of single-seat racecars tearing down the neon-lit Las Vegas Strip have become iconic.

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“We are thrilled that Formula One will continue racing in Las Vegas for many years to come,” F1 president and chief executive Stefano Domenicali said in a statement.

“We always believed that Las Vegas would become a cornerstone of our presence in the United States, and this extension, together with the success of recent years, reinforces our long-term commitment to this important market.”

Max Verstappen has won two of the three Vegas Grands Prix, in 2023 and 2025. George Russell won a scintillating 2024 edition that still saw Verstappen secure his fourth straight world driver’s championship.

The fourth edition is scheduled for November 19-21 and will be the 20th of 22 rounds of the 2026 season.

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World number one Aryna Sabalenka made a startling admission after crashing out of the French Open, revealing that she briefly felt like quitting tennis following a stunning quarter-final defeat to Diana Shnaider on Wednesday.

Sabalenka appeared firmly in control of the contest on Court Philippe Chatrier after claiming the opening set and racing to a 4-1 lead in the second with a double-break advantage.

However, the Belarusian suffered a remarkable collapse as Shnaider stormed back to secure a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory and book her place in the semi-finals.

The top seed struggled badly as the match slipped away, committing 57 unforced errors and losing the final 10 games of the contest in one of the most dramatic turnarounds of the tournament.

Speaking moments after the defeat, Sabalenka did not hide her frustration when asked about her emotions.

“No thoughts, no emotions. Just want to quit tennis right now,” she said during her post-match press conference. “But we’ll see. We’ll see in a few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.”

The three-time Grand Slam champion later elaborated on her mental struggles during the match, admitting she found herself unable to recover after momentum shifted in Shnaider’s favour.

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“I don’t know when was the last time that happened to me, that I lost 10 games in a row. I don’t know. I guess mentally I got into very deep, deep, dark hole over there, and I just couldn’t get back mentally on track,” Aryna Sabalenka told reporters.

Despite establishing herself as one of the dominant players on the WTA Tour, Sabalenka’s greatest successes have come on hard courts, where she has won all four of her Grand Slam titles. Her quest to capture a maiden French Open or Wimbledon crown, however, continues to prove elusive.

The latest defeat echoed last year’s heartbreaking French Open final loss against Coco Gauff, another match in which Sabalenka failed to convert a strong position.

The 28-year-old insisted she remains comfortable on clay and grass courts but acknowledged that her desire to break through on those surfaces may be creating additional pressure.

“I really feel great on clay. I feel great on grass,” she said. “I think maybe I’m focusing too much on the fact that I never won a Slam on either surface. Maybe that’s making me overthink things and become too emotional in certain moments.”

Sabalenka added that managing her emotions has become a priority as she looks to bounce back from another painful Grand Slam disappointment.

“This is something I have to step back and find a solution for because I’m tired of losing matches in this way simply because I became overemotional,” she concluded.

READ: Pakistan’s Hassan Ali Bhola wins silver medal at Asian Grappling Championship 2026

Pakistan continued its impressive run on the international wrestling stage as Hassan Ali Bhola secured a silver medal in the 70kg category at the Asian Grappling Championship 2026.

The young wrestler delivered a series of strong performances throughout the competition to reach the final and add another international medal to Pakistan’s tally.

Hassan began his campaign with a convincing victory over the Philippines’ Angelo Lucian Salud in the quarterfinals before overcoming a wrestler from Kazakhstan in the semifinals to book his place in the gold-medal bout.

In the final, Hassan put up a spirited fight but ultimately had to settle for silver after losing to Kazakhstan’s Shynggyskhan Seidakhmet, who claimed the gold medal in the category.

The achievement marks Hassan’s second medal at the continental level this year. Earlier in 2026, he also captured a silver medal at the U-17 Asian Beach Wrestling Championship, underlining his emergence as one of Pakistan’s most promising young wrestlers.

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Following the success, Pakistan Wrestling Federation’s Secretary General, Muhammad Inam Butt, congratulated Hassan, coach Ghulam Fareed and the entire contingent for their efforts.

He said the consistent performances of Pakistan’s young wrestlers on the international stage reflect the country’s growing potential in the sport and demonstrate their ability to compete against the strongest athletes in Asia.

Pakistan Wrestling Federation President Arshad Sattar also praised the team’s achievements, stating that the recent successes at both the Asian Beach Wrestling Championship and the Asian Grappling Championship have strengthened Pakistan’s hopes of securing qualification for the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026.

The Pakistan Wrestling Federation extended its congratulations to the athletes, coaches and support staff, expressing confidence that the country’s wrestlers will continue to earn honours and raise Pakistan’s profile in international competitions.

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Nepali climbing guide, Hillary Dawa Sherpa, who went missing on Mount Everest for six days and was feared dead, has been found alive after crawling back to Base Camp, officials told AFP on Thursday.

The experienced climber vanished on the upper reaches of the world’s highest mountain early on May 30.

He was found on Thursday morning close to Base Camp by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), a Nepali team that helps set routes on Everest and clean up waste left behind.

“He was crawling down,” Pemba Sherpa of 8K Expeditions, which was overseeing search and rescue efforts, told AFP. “A helicopter has been sent to bring him to a hospital in Kathmandu.”

Climber Chris Thrall, a former British Royal Marine, said he successfully summited the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) peak with Sherpa around 5:00 pm on May 29.

He posted a video message on Instagram on Wednesday, mourning what he thought was the death of Sherpa. He called Sherpa an “absolute gentle giant of a man and a true ‘tiger of the mountains'”, in a post that assumed the worst.

Thrall described how on May 30, he had begun to descend from Camp Four — at around 7,950m — and just below the low-oxygen “death zone”.

He said that as he descended, Sherpa stopped.

“He sat down for a rest with his backpack, these guys carry huge loads,” he said. “And I turned, and I said, ‘Hillary, are you okay, brother?’ He said, ‘Yes, yes, fine, Chris, please go, go!’ This is nothing new, you know, I’d go ahead, he’d go ahead.”

As Thrall went down, he found a Polish climber who was struggling after running out of supplementary oxygen and had suffered frostbite.

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“It had been a long summit push. What should have been five days to the summit and back took us 11 days, that’s how challenging the conditions were,” said Thrall.

“So, do I go back for Sherpa, who’s probably going to rock up and be fine, as he has done hundreds of times before?” he added.

“Or do I help my fellow climber, who’s got no oxygen, frostbite in his fingers, and obviously you’re never far off hypothermia up there?”

Thrall described tough conditions, sharing his oxygen cylinder with the Pole as they descended, taking 11 hours to get to Camp Three. It would usually take two hours.

He said: “I realised we had a really serious situation.”

Search teams set out to find Hillary Dawa Sherpa, but he was not seen again until Thursday morning, having made his way down on his own.

The climb was one of the last of the season, meaning that there were few other mountaineers on the peak.

At least five people have died this season, two Indians and three Nepali climbers involved in Everest preparations.

More than one thousand climbers reached the summit of Everest this season, according to initial tallies by Nepali officials, making it the busiest season on record.

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