Sports & Competitions

Americans’ Triumph at Olympics Shows Greatness of Melting Pot, Not Diversity

AKUMAL, Mexico–As luck would have it, my family and I have been watching that feast of American greatness called the Olympics while in vacation here in Mexico. Our routine is pretty simple: we do some combination of hitting the beach, visiting Maya ruins or reading, and then have dinner at our hideaway before huddling in […]

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International, Sports & Competitions, USA

Marathon swimmers find Rio’s water to their taste

RIO DE JANEIRO — It was a picture-perfect Monday morning at Copacabana Beach, the kind that graces postcards and fills travel brochures. Blue water lapping on the white sand beneath palm trees and a warm cloudless sky. “It is a really nice day,” marveled Haley Anderson of Manhattan Beach, Calif., who decided to celebrate with

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International, Sports & Competitions, USA

Russia secure first women’s handball gold after beating France in Rio

Rio de Janeiro (dpa) – Russia’s female handball players are bringing home their first-ever gold medal after defeating France Saturday at the Rio Olympics. Russia hung on to their lead through much of the match, reaching 10-7 at the end of the first half before going on to win 22-19. France managed to equalize 14-14

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International, Sports & Competitions

Brazil net first men’s football gold after beating Germany

Brazilian players celebrate after winning the gold medal in men’s soccer in Rio de Janeiro on Aug 20, 2016. [Photo by Wei Xiaohao/chinadaily.com.cn] RIO DE JANEIRO — Neymar converted the decisive spot-kick as Brazil ended their long wait for Olympic soccer glory with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over their 2014 World Cup tormentors Germany

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International, Sports & Competitions, USA

Usain Bolt blames ‘really stupid’ schedule for slow 100m Olympic final

RIO DE JANEIRO – Usain Bolt is the fastest man alive and the only man ever to win three Olympic gold medals in the 100 metres. NBC may have called him ‘Andre de Grasse of France,’ but no one will forget Canadian now But the Jamaican superstar felt a tad, um, sluggish in the final

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International, Sports & Competitions, USA

Lochte takes full responsibility for alleged robbery episode

Washington (dpa) – US swimmer Ryan Lochte has taken “full responsibility” for the incident in Rio de Janeiro that landed him and three other American swimmers in trouble with authorities. Speaking in a TV interview with US broadcaster NBC, the 12-time Olympic medallist also admitted that what he had initially told Brazilian authorities – that

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International, Sports & Competitions, USA

That brief, shining moment when a country gets its first medal

The Olympic spirit is perhaps best in evidence when, for a brief, shining and historical moment, an outsider from a small nation grabs the glory with their first-ever medal. Rio de Janeiro (dpa) – Tears of joy, being overcome by emotion, instant fame, telephone calls from their rulers: Olympic athletes from small countries go through

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International, Sports & Competitions

Gold for Iran in Rio wrestling after US star Burroughs crashes out

Rio de Janeiro (dpa) – Wrestler Hassan Yazdanicharati on Friday took gold for Iran in the men’s 74-kilogram freestyle competition at the Rio Olympics, after US favourite Jordan Burroughs crashed out of the event. Burroughs, who won gold in London four years ago and is ranked first in the world, was stopped in his tracks

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International, Sports & Competitions, USA

American Gwen Jorgensen wins Olympic triathlon

RIO DE JANEIRO — Entering the Olympic women’s triathlon Saturday, Gwen Jorgensen took nothing for granted. Even though she had won a race over the Rio Games course last summer, she cautioned that her sport’s unpredictable nature meant anything could happen. “How the race played out last year isn’t necessarily how it’s going to play

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International, Sports & Competitions, USA

Malaysia refuses to host FIFA because of Israeli presence

Malaysia has decided it would rather not host the 67th FIFA Congress next year, as it means hosting an Israeli delegation as part of it. Malaysia was scheduled to host the Congress in its capital city of Kuala Lumpur on May 11-12, 2017. It refused to issue visas to Israeli delegates, and therefore had to

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International, Middle East, Sports & Competitions

Andre De Grasse gets his third Olympic medal as Canada blazes to bronze in men’s sprint relay

RIO DE JANEIRO – This time, the Canadians came out on the right side of the disqualification. Or did they? Canada won a bronze medal in the 4×100-metre relay Friday night at the Olympic Games, four years after being disqualified in the same race for the same medal because of a lane violation. On that

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International, Sports & Competitions, USA

Celtic Fans Fly Palestinian Flags Against Israeli Team

The fans of Scottish football team Celtic defied Europe’s footballing body and police to make a political protest against their team’s Israeli opponents, Hapoel Beer Sheva FC, on Wednesday night, with hundreds flying the Palestinian flag. Sections of Celtic Park in Glasgow became a sea of green , red, black and white as the Scots

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International, Middle East, Sports & Competitions

U.S. women’s water polo team gives grieving coach a reason to smile

RIO DE JANEIRO — There was less than three minutes to play in Friday’s women’s Olympic water polo final when the emotions started to kick in for Adam Krikorian. No women’s team had ever won consecutive gold medals in the sport, something Krikorian’s team was about to do. No team had ever scored more goals,

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International, Sports & Competitions, USA