Kaillie Humphries keeps U.S. from winning everything in Lake Placid

Kaillie Humphries, Heather Moyse
0 Comments

Canada spoiled a potential U.S. bobsled and skeleton weekend sweep.

Olympic and world champion Kaillie Humphries also kept Elana Meyers from a three-race World Cup winning streak, taking the Lake Placid World Cup two-woman bobsled in a two-run time of 1 minute, 53.66 seconds on Saturday.

Meyers, with push athlete Lauryn Williams, was second and .12 of a second behind. Americans Jamie Greubel and Katie Eberling were third, followed by Jazmine Fenlator and Emily Azevedo.

The Canadian Humphries bounced back after finishing seventh in Park City, Utah, last week, her worst World Cup result in nearly two years. She dominated the World Cup tour last season, winning six of nine races.

Did that seventh last week inspire her?

“I don’t know if inspire’s the right word, but it definitely fueled the fire for sure,” Humphries said.

Meyers, an Olympic bronze medalist, broke through early this season with two wins in Park City after taking second to Humphries in the season opener at Calgary, Alberta.

Humphries broke the track record in her first run, which was .02 of a second faster than Meyers. Meyers and the three-time Olympic sprinter Williams made an error near the start in their second run to give Humphries a cushion.

“I made some major mistakes that cost us,” Meyers said. “We’ve got to clean those mistakes up. Lauryn did a great job pushing me. I need to follow it up with a good drive. Kaillie definitely deserved the medal today.”

Meyers kept her World Cup overall lead. She and Greubel are the only drivers to make the podium in all four races this season.

The U.S. had won the first four events of the Lake Placid World Cup on Friday and Saturday and was in the running to become the first nation to sweep a World Cup stop since Germany in Altenberg, Germany, in December 2008.

The women’s bobsled World Cup continues in January in Winterberg, Germany.

Lake Placid Women’s Bobsled
1. Kaillie Humphries/Heather Moyse (CAN) 1:53.66
2. Elana Meyers/Lauryn Williams (USA) 1:53.78
3. Jamie Greubel/Katie Eberling (USA) 1:54.00
4. Jazmine Fenlator/Emily Azevedo (USA) 1:54.07

Historic sweep in men’s bobsled

2023 French Open women’s singles draw, scores

1 Comment

At the French Open, Iga Swiatek of Poland eyes a third title at Roland Garros and a fourth Grand Slam singles crown overall.

The tournament airs live on NBC Sports, Peacock and Tennis Channel through championship points in Paris.

Swiatek, the No. 1 seed from Poland, can join Serena Williams and Justine Henin as the lone women to win three or more French Opens since 2000.

Turning 22 during the tournament, she can become the youngest woman to win three French Opens since Monica Seles in 1992 and the youngest woman to win four Slams overall since Williams in 2002.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Men’s Draw

But Swiatek is not as dominant as in 2022, when she went 16-0 in the spring clay season during an overall 37-match win streak.

She retired from her most recent match with a right thigh injury last week and said it wasn’t serious. Before that, she lost the final of another clay-court tournament to Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed, and Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, the No. 4 seed and Wimbledon champion, are the top challengers in Paris.

No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 6 Coco Gauff, runner-up to Swiatek last year, are the best hopes to become the first American to win a Grand Slam singles title since Sofia Kenin at the 2020 Australian Open. The 11-major drought is the longest for U.S. women since Seles won the 1996 Australian Open.

MORE: All you need to know for 2023 French Open

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

2023 French Open Women’s Singles Draw

French Open Women's Singles Draw French Open Women's Singles Draw French Open Women's Singles Draw French Open Women's Singles Draw

2023 French Open men’s singles draw, scores

French Open Men's Draw
Getty
1 Comment

The French Open men’s singles draw is missing injured 14-time champion Rafael Nadal for the first time since 2004, leaving the Coupe des Mousquetaires ripe for the taking.

The tournament airs live on NBC Sports, Peacock and Tennis Channel through championship points in Paris.

Novak Djokovic is not only bidding for a third crown at Roland Garros, but also to lift a 23rd Grand Slam singles trophy to break his tie with Nadal for the most in men’s history.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Women’s Draw

But the No. 1 seed is Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who won last year’s U.S. Open to become, at 19, the youngest man to win a major since Nadal’s first French Open title in 2005.

Now Alcaraz looks to become the second-youngest man to win at Roland Garros since 1989, after Nadal of course.

Alcaraz missed the Australian Open in January due to a right leg injury, but since went 30-3 with four titles. Notably, he has not faced Djokovic this year. They could meet in the semifinals.

Russian Daniil Medvedev, who lost in the French Open first round in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, is improved on clay. He won the Italian Open, the last top-level clay event before the French Open, and is the No. 2 seed ahead of Djokovic.

No. 9 Taylor Fritz, No. 12 Frances Tiafoe and No. 16 Tommy Paul are the highest-seeded Americans, all looking to become the first U.S. man to make the French Open quarterfinals since Andre Agassi in 2003. Since then, five different American men combined to make the fourth round on eight occasions.

MORE: All you need to know for 2023 French Open

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

2023 French Open Men’s Singles Draw

French Open Men's Singles Draw French Open Men's Singles Draw French Open Men's Singles Draw French Open Men's Singles Draw