Redemption for Olympic champions in Diamond League final

By Seth RubinroitSep 1, 2017, 4:12 PM EDT

2016 Olympic champions Elaine Thompson and Shaunae Miller-Uibo both failed to earn a medal in their signature event at August’s world track and field world championships.

But they both returned to the top of the podium Friday in the second of two Diamond League finals in Brussels.

Thompson won the 100m title, crossing the finish line .01 seconds ahead of Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast.

Thompson, the 2016 Olympic 100m and 200m champion, did not earn a medal of any color at August’s world championships, despite having run the year’s fastest 100m time (10.71 seconds) in June. The Jamaican sprinter joked that she watched the 100m race from Worlds, when she finished fifth, “over 1,000 times” trying to figure out what went wrong.

Three of the four women who finished ahead of Thompson at Worlds were not in the field in Brussels. Ta Lou was the silver medalist.

Miller-Uibo claimed the 400m title by clocking the year’s fastest time, 49.46 seconds.

At Worlds, she came off the final turn in the lead, but faded late to finish fourth behind Phyllis Francis, Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser and Allyson Felix.

Neither Francis nor Felix raced in Brussels. Naser finished second, breaking the national record in 49.88 seconds.

Miller-Uibo also won the 200m title last Thursday in the first Diamond League final. By winning both races, she earned a combined $100,000 in prize money.

Full Brussels results are here.

Four U.S. athletes earned a Diamond Trophy in Brussels, in addition to pole vaulter Sam Kendricks, who received his last Thursday in the first Diamond League final meet in Zurich.

2016 Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad edged two-time world champion Zuzana Hejnova of the Czech Republic by .04 seconds to claim the 400m hurdles title.

Noah Lyles chased down fellow American Ameer Webb from the outside lane to win the 200m title by just .01 seconds. It was the first race for the 20-year-old Lyles since June.

Christian Taylor and Will Claye claimed the top two spots in the triple jump. Taylor, a two-time Olympic champion, has won the Diamond League triple jump title for six consecutive years.

Competing Friday night in a scenic venue in the center of Brussels, Darrell Hill held off compatriot Ryan Crouser, the Olympic champion, for the shot put title.

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Canada wins men’s hockey world title; Latvia wins first medal

Associated PressMay 28, 2023, 8:00 PM EDT

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TAMPERE, Finland — Samuel Blais scored two goals to rally Canada to a 5-2 victory over Germany in the final of the world men’s hockey championship on Sunday.

It’s a record 28th world title for Canada, and its second in three years. Russia has 27 while Germany has never won the trophy.

Blais netted with a backhand 4:51 into the final period for a 3-2 lead for Canada, which was playing in its fourth straight final.

“It feels really good,” Blais said. “We’ve been in Europe for a month and we’ve all waited for that moment to play for the gold medal game. And we’re lucky enough to have won it.”

Lawson Crouse, Tyler Toffoli and Scott Laughton also scored for Canada, Peyton Krebs had two assists and goaltender Samuel Montembeault stopped 21 shots.

Toffoli stretched the lead to 4-2 from the left circle with 8:09 remaining and Laughton made it 5-2 with an empty net goal.

Adam Fantilli became only the second Canadian player after Jonathan Toews to win gold at the world juniors and world championship the same year.

Canada had to come back twice in the final.

John Peterka wristed a shot past Montembeault from the left circle 7:44 into the game. It was the sixth goal for the Buffalo Sabres forward at the tournament.

Blais was fed by Krebs to beat goaltender Mathias Niederberger and tie it 1-1 at 10:47.

Daniel Fischbuch put the Germans ahead again with a one-timer with 6:13 to go in the middle period.

Crouse equalized on a power play with 2:32 remaining in the frame.

It was the first medal for Germany since 1953 when it was second behind Sweden.

The two previously met just once in the final with Canada winning 6-1 in 1930.

LATVIA GETS BRONZE

Defenseman Kristian Rubins scored his second goal 1:22 into overtime to lead Latvia to a 4-3 victory over the United States and earn a bronze medal earlier Sunday.

It’s the first top-three finish for Latvia at the tournament. Its previous best was a seventh place it managed three times.

The U.S. lost in the bronze medal game for the second straight year. The U.S. team was cruising through the tournament with eight straight wins until it was defeated by Germany in the semifinal 4-3 in overtime.

Rubins rallied Latvia with his first with 5:39 to go in the final period to tie the game at 3 to force overtime.

Roberts Bukarts and Janis Jaks also scored for Latvia.

Rocco Grimaldi scored twice for the U.S. in the opening period to negate Latvia’s 1-0 and 2-1 leads.

Matt Coronato had put the U.S. 3-2 ahead 6:19 into the final period.

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2023 French Open women’s singles draw, scores

By OlympicTalkMay 28, 2023, 5:15 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.

Main draw play began Sunday, live on Peacock.

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

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2023 French Open Women’s Singles Draw

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