Sprinter false starts on purpose at track worlds (video)

By Nick ZaccardiAug 11, 2017, 1:27 PM EDT

Brazil’s Rosangela Santos has a shoulder tattoo of a star with the word “WINNER” inside of it, but her goal in the world championships 200m semifinals was to be disqualified.

Mission accomplished.

Santos, 26, said she false started on purpose on Thursday after feeling unfit during warm-up in order to save her strength for the 4x100m relay on Saturday, according to Globosporte.com..

The website reported that the IAAF determined that neither Santos nor Brazil would be booted from the 4x100m for not giving an honest effort in the 200m.

Santos already had the result of her life in the 100m in London, finishing seventh after breaking the South American record in the semifinals. She ran 10.91 in the semis, lowering her personal best by .13, but dropped to 11.06 in the final.

Still, Santos became the first Brazilian woman to make an Olympic or world 100m final after bowing out in the semifinals at the 2015 Worlds and Rio Olympics.

Santos is weaker in the 200m. She is ranked 78th in the world this year and was among the slower qualifiers into the semifinals.

Brazil is not a medal favorite in the women’s 4x100m. It has one woman ranked in the top 50 in the 100m in the world this year (Santos) and two in the top 100.

In Rio, the Brazilian women were disqualified from the 4x100m heats for bumping Allyson Felix, which led to the U.S.’ famous solo relay re-run. Brazil crossed the finish line fourth in its heat before the DQ.

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2023 French Open women’s singles draw, scores

By OlympicTalkJun 2, 2023, 5:56 PM EDT

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.

Having turned 22 on Wednesday, 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 last pre-French Open match with a right thigh injury 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, the highest-seeded American man or woman, was eliminated in the third round.

No. 6 Coco Gauff, runner-up to Swiatek last year, is the best hope 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.

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2023 French Open Women’s Singles Draw

2023 French Open men’s singles draw, scores

By OlympicTalkJun 2, 2023, 5:56 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 and No. 12 Frances Tiafoe are the highest-seeded Americans, 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.

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2023 French Open Women’s Singles Draw

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