David Rudisha beaten, Keni Harrison wins in Stockholm as Olympic Trials near

By Nick ZaccardiJun 16, 2016, 5:04 PM EDT

Kenyan Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha was fourth, while rising U.S. hurdles star Keni Harrison prevailed Thursday in a cold and wet Stockholm, site of the final Diamond League stop before Olympic Trials meets.

Rudisha was passed in the final straightaway by countryman Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich, France’s Pierre-Ambroise Bosse and Poland’s Adam Kszczot.

“I am really in good form, so I am a bit sad I can’t run far in these conditions,” Rudisha said, according to the IAAF.

Rudisha, also the reigning World champion and world-record holder, was fifth in his previous 800m race on May 14, one that was marred by a faulty starter’s gun. The Kenyan Olympic Trials are June 30-July 1.

Full Stockholm results are here.

In the women’s 100m hurdles, Harrison remained undefeated this year. She clocked 12.66 seconds, her slowest time of 2016, into a slight headwind and on that wet track.

“Conditions slowed me down a little, but I’m happy,” Harrison said, according to the IAAF.

Nia Ali and Queen Harrison, Olympic hopefuls behind Harrison, were second (12.85) and third (12.87) against a weak field in Stockholm.

The U.S. Olympic Trials are July 1-10 in Eugene, Ore., (broadcast schedule here), with the women’s 100m hurdles semifinals and final July 8. The top three will make the Olympic team.

In the Stockholm men’s 400m hurdles, the fastest American from 2015 failed to start the race. And the fastest American from 2014 failed to finish it.

Bershawn Jackson, the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, was disqualified for a false start.

Michael Tinsley, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist, curiously stopped with a little more than 100 meters to go but was not noticeably limping.

In their absences, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Javier Culson of Puerto Rico won in 49.43 seconds. That time won’t worry American Johnny Dutch, who was not in Stockholm but owns the two fastest times in the world this year — 48.10 and 48.36.

Dutch appears a strong favorite going into the Olympic Trials, with Jackson and Tinsley among those in the mix to finish in the top three to make the Olympic team as well.

Serbian Ivana Španović prevailed in a meeting of every 2015 World Championships medalist, plus Olympic champion Brittney Reese, in the long jump. Španović leaped 6.90 meters, which is not among the best marks this year.

Reese placed second at 6.88 meters, with countrywoman and World champion Tianna Bartoletta third at 6.68 meters, continuing her underwhelming start to 2016.

French Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie won a head-to-head with Canadian World champion Shawn Barber in the pole vault. Lavillenie cleared 5.73 meters for the victory, with Barber failing all three attempts at that height.

“It wasn’t the worst conditions I have competed in, but it was one of the worst,” Lavillenie said, according to the IAAF.

American Sam Kendricks, who beat Lavillenie and Barber on May 14, wasn’t in Stockholm but remains the top-ranked vaulter this year with a clearance of 5.92 meters.

American Christian Taylor won his 10th straight triple jump competition, according to Tilastopaja.org. Taylor, the Olympic and World champion, registered 17.59 meters, which is farther than any other man has triple jumped this year.

Taylor’s best triple jump this year was 17.76 from the Pre Classic on May 28.

U.S. Olympic hopefuls Chris Carter (16.52 meters), Chris Benard (16.39) and Omar Craddock (16.29) struggled behind Taylor in the tough conditions.

The Diamond League resumes in Monaco on July 15.

MORE: Usain Bolt says ‘not a problem’ if he must return gold in Carter case

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2023 French Open men’s singles draw, scores

By OlympicTalkMay 31, 2023, 6:46 PM EDT

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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, the No. 2 seed, was upset in the first round by 172nd-ranked Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild. It marked the first time a men’s top-two seed lost in the first round of any major since 2003 Wimbledon (Ivo Karlovic d. Lleyton Hewitt).

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

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2023 French Open Men’s Singles Draw

At the French Open, a Ukrainian mom makes her comeback

By OlympicTalkMay 31, 2023, 5:15 PM EDT

Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, once the world’s third-ranked tennis player, is into the French Open third round in her first major tournament since childbirth.

Svitolina, 28, swept 2022 French Open semifinalist Martina Trevisan of Italy, then beat Australian qualifier Storm Hunter 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 to reach the last 32 at Roland Garros. She next plays 56th-ranked Russian Anna Blinkova, who took out the top French player, fifth seed Caroline Garcia, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 on her ninth match point.

Svitolina’s husband, French player Gael Monfils, finished his first-round five-set win after midnight on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. She watched that match on a computer before going to sleep ahead of her 11 a.m. start Wednesday.

“This morning, he told me, ‘I’m coming to your match, so make it worth it,'” she joked on Tennis Channel. “I was like, OK, no pressure.

“I don’t know what he’s doing here now. He should be resting.”

Also Wednesday, 108th-ranked Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis ousted three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3 in four and a half hours. Wawrinka’s exit leaves Novak Djokovic as the lone man in the draw who has won the French Open and Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz as the lone men left who have won any major.

The top seed Alcaraz beat 112th-ranked Taro Daniel of Japan 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. The Spaniard gets 26th seed Denis Shapovalov of Canada in the third round. Djokovic, the No. 3 seed, swept 83rd-ranked Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 7-6 (2), 6-0, 6-3 to reach a third-round date with 29th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain.

FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Women | Men | Broadcast Schedule

Svitolina made at least one major quarterfinal every year from 2017 through 2021, including the semifinals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2019. She married Monfils one week before the Tokyo Olympics, then won a singles bronze medal.

Svitolina played her last match before maternity leave on March 24, 2022, one month after Russia invaded her country. She gave birth to daughter Skai on Oct. 15.

Svitolina returned to competition in April. Last week, she won the tournament preceding the French Open, sweeping Blinkova to improve to 17-3 in her career in finals. She’s playing on a protected ranking of 27th after her year absence and, now, on a seven-match win streak.

“It was always in my head the plan to come back, but I didn’t put any pressure on myself, because obviously with the war going on, with the pregnancy, you never know how complicated it will go,” she said. “I’m as strong as I was before, maybe even stronger, because I feel that I can handle the work that I do off the court, and match by match I’m getting better. Also mentally, because mental can influence your physicality, as well.”

Svitolina said she’s motivated by goals to attain before she retires from the sport and to help Ukraine, such as donating her prize money from last week’s title in Strasbourg.

“These moments bring joy to people of Ukraine, to the kids as well, the kids who loved to play tennis before the war, and now maybe they don’t have the opportunity,” she said. “But these moments that can motivate them to look on the bright side and see these good moments and enjoy themselves as much as they can in this horrible situation.”

Svitolina was born in Odesa and has lived in Kharkiv, two cities that have been attacked by Russia.

“I talk a lot with my friends, with my family back in Ukraine, and it’s a horrible thing, but they are used to it now,” she said. “They are used to the alarms that are on. As soon as they hear something, they go to the bomb shelters. Sleepless nights. You know, it’s a terrible thing, but they tell me that now it’s a part of their life, which is very, very sad.”

Svitolina noted that she plays with a flag next to her name — unlike the Russians and Belarusians, who are allowed to play as neutral athletes.

“When I step on the court, I just try to think about the fighting spirit that all of us Ukrainians have and how Ukrainians are fighting for their values, for their freedom in Ukraine,” she said, “and me, I’m fighting here on my own front line.”

Svitolina said that she’s noticed “a lot of rubbish” concerning how tennis is reacting to the war.

“We have to focus on what the main point of what is going on,” she said. “Ukrainian people need help and need support. We are focusing on so many things like empty words, empty things that are not helping the situation, not helping anything.

“I want to invite everyone to focus on helping Ukrainians. That’s the main point of this, to help kids, to help women who lost their husbands because they are at the war, and they are fighting for Ukraine.

“You can donate. Couple of dollars might help and save lives. Or donate your time to something to help people.”

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2023 French Open Men’s Singles Draw

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