Olympics fans know all about Winter Games gold medalists Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn, and Evan Lysacek, but here are a few more athletes to watch leading up to the Sochi Olympics next February.
VIDEO: Winter Olympic athletes to watch heading to 2014
Eliud Kipchoge breaks marathon world record in Berlin
Getty
Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge broke his own world record in winning the Berlin Marathon, clocking 2:01:09 to lower the previous record time of 2:01:39 he set in the German capital in 2018.
Kipchoge, 37 and a two-time Olympic champion, earned his 15th win in 17 career marathons to bolster his claim as the greatest runner in history over 26.2 miles.
His pacing was not ideal. Kipchoge slowed in the final miles, running 61:18 for the second half after going out in an unprecedented 59:51 for the first 13.1 miles. He still won by 4:49 over Kenyan Mark Korir.
“I was planning to go through it [the halfway mark] 60:50, 60:40,” Kipchoge said. “My legs were running actually very fast. I thought, let me just try to run two hours flat, but all in all, I am happy with the performance.
“We went too fast [in the first half]. It takes energy from the muscles. … There’s still more in my legs [to possibly lower the record again].”
MORE: Berlin Marathon Results
Ethiopian Tigist Assefa won the women’s race in 2:15:37, the third-fastest time in history for somebody who ran one prior marathon in 2:34:01. Only Brigid Kosgei (2:14:14 in Chicago in 2019) and Paula Radcliffe (2:15:25 in London in 2003) have gone faster.
American record holder Keira D’Amato, who entered as the top seed, was sixth in 2:21:48. D’Amato, who went nearly a decade between competitive races after college, owns the American record of 2:19:12 and now also the 10th-best time in U.S. history.
“Today wasn’t my best day ever, but it was the best I could do today,” she said in a text message, according to Race Results Weekly, adding that she briefly stopped and walked late in the race.
The last eight instances the men’s marathon world record has been broken, it has come on the pancake-flat roads of Berlin. It began in 2003, when Kenyan Paul Tergat became the first man to break 2:05.
The world record was 2:02:57 — set by Kenyan Dennis Kimetto in 2014 — until Kipchoge broke it for the first time four years ago. The following year, Kipchoge became the first person to cover 26.2 miles in under two hours, clocking 1:59:40 in a non-record-eligible showcase rather than a race.
Kipchoge’s focus going forward is trying to become the first runner to win three Olympic marathon titles in Paris in 2024. He also wants to win all six annual World Marathon Majors. He’s checked off four of them, only missing Boston (run in April) and New York City (run every November).
OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!
Follow @nbcolympictalkThe moment @EliudKipchoge wrote another chapter of his incredible story. 2:01:09. #BerlinMarathon #AbbottWMM pic.twitter.com/i1VwQyZ7Ex
— Abbott WMMajors (@WMMajors) September 25, 2022
2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup schedule, results
Getty
The U.S. goes for its fourth consecutive title at the FIBA World Cup in Sydney — and eighth global gold in a row overall when including the Olympics.
A’ja Wilson, a two-time WNBA MVP, and Breanna Stewart, the Tokyo Olympic MVP, headline a U.S. roster that, for the first time since 2000, includes neither Sue Bird (retired) nor Diana Taurasi (injured).
The new-look team includes nobody over the age of 30 for the first time since 1994, before the U.S. began its dynasty at the 1996 Atlanta Games. The Americans have won 52 consecutive games between worlds and the Olympics dating to the 2006 Worlds bronze-medal game.
The field also includes host Australia, the U.S.’ former primary rival, and Olympic silver medalist Japan.
Nigeria, which played the U.S. the closest of any foe in Tokyo (losing by nine points), isn’t present after its federation withdrew the team over governance issues. Spain, ranked second in the world, failed to qualify.
OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!
Follow @nbcolympictalk2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Round |
| Wed., Sept. 21 | 8:30 p.m. | Puerto Rico 82, Bosnia and Herzegovina 58 | Group A |
| 9:30 p.m. | USA 87, Belgium 72 | Group A | |
| 11 p.m. | Canada 67, Serbia 60 | Group B | |
| Thurs., Sept. 22 | 12 a.m. | Japan 89, Mali 56 | Group B |
| 3:30 a.m. | China 107, South Korea 44 | Group A | |
| 6:30 a.m. | France 70, Australia 57 | Group B | |
| 8:30 p.m. | USA 106, Puerto Rico 42 | Group A | |
| 10 p.m. | Serbia 69, Japan 64 | Group B | |
| 11 p.m. | Belgium 84, South Korea 61 | Group A | |
| Fri., Sept. 23 | 12:30 a.m. | China 98, Bosnia and Herzegovina 51 | Group A |
| 4 a.m. | Canada 59, France 45 | Group B | |
| 6:30 a.m. | Australia 118, Mali 58 | Group B | |
| Sat., Sept. 24 | 12:30 a.m. | USA 77, China 63 | Group A |
| 4 a.m. | South Korea 99, Bosnia and Herzegovina 66 | Group A | |
| 6:30 a.m. | Belgium 68, Puerto Rico 65 | Group A | |
| Sun., Sept. 25 | 12:30 a.m. | France 74, Mali 59 | Group B |
| 4 a.m. | Australia 69, Serbia 54 | Group B | |
| 6:30 a.m. | Canada 70, Japan 56 | Group B | |
| 9:30 p.m. | Belgium vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina | Group A | |
| 11:30 p.m. | Mali vs. Serbia | Group B | |
| Mon., Sept. 26 | 12 a.m. | USA vs. South Korea | Group A |
| 2 a.m. | France vs. Japan | Group B | |
| 3:30 a.m. | China vs. Puerto Rico | Group A | |
| 6:30 a.m. | Australia vs. Canada | Group B | |
| 9:30 p.m. | Puerto Rico vs. South Korea | Group A | |
| 11:30 p.m. | Belgium vs. China | Group A | |
| Tues., Sept. 27 | 12 a.m. | USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina | Group A |
| 2 a.m. | Canada vs. Mali | Group B | |
| 3:30 a.m. | France vs. Serbia | Group B | |
| 6:30 a.m. | Australia vs. Japan | Group B | |
| Wed., Sept. 28 | 10 p.m. | Quarterfinal | |
| Thurs., Sept. 29 | 12:30 a.m. | Quarterfinal | |
| 4 a.m. | Quarterfinal | ||
| 6:30 a.m. | Quarterfinal | ||
| Fri., Sept. 30 | 3 .m. | Semifinal | |
| 5:30 a.m. | Semifinal | ||
| 11 p.m. | Third-Place Game | ||
| Sat., Oct. 1 | 2 a.m. | Final |
