John-Henry Krueger, Maame Biney back for short track worlds; schedule

By Nick ZaccardiMar 15, 2018, 6:56 PM EDT

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Olympic medalists John-Henry Krueger and J.R. Celski and world junior champion Maame Biney headline the U.S. team for the world short track speed skating championships, which begin Friday in Montreal.

Qualifying heats are Friday, with finals Saturday (1500m, 500m) and Sunday (1000m, 3000m, relays).

Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA will air same-day coverage of Saturday’s competition at 8:30 p.m. ET and Sunday’s competition at 12 a.m. ET.

A full race schedule is here.

The U.S. last earned world champs medals in 2014 (Celski, Jessica Kooreman) but rides the momentum of Krueger’s silver (the first individual U.S. Olympic speed skating medal since 2010) and Biney’s world junior title (first-ever by a U.S. woman in any short track event) in the 500m on March 3.

Biney, 18, made the 500m quarterfinals in PyeongChang and was eliminated in the first round of the 1500m.

Celski, who owns three Olympic medals between 2010 and 2014, will look to rebound after not making a final in PyeongChang.

The international men’s field will rival the Olympics, given the addition of Viktor Ahn, the six-time Olympic champion left off the list of Russians invited to PyeongChang by the International Olympic Committee.

Italian Arianna Fontana, the most decorated short track skater in PyeongChang with a medal of every color, will compete only in the relay in Montreal due to emotional exhaustion, according to her social media.

Brit Elise Christie, the 2017 World overall champion, is out of the championships altogether after suffering ankle ligament damage in a crash at the Olympics.

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MORE: Best short track moments from PyeongChang

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World Short Track Speed Skating Championships Schedule

Day	Time (ET)	Events	Network
Friday	9 a.m.-3 p.m.	Qualifying
Saturday	1:30-5:20 p.m.	1500m, 500m, relay semis	Olympic Channel (8:30 p.m.)
Sunday	1-3:45 p.m.	1000m, 3000m, relay finals	Olympic Channel (12 a.m.)

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

2023 French Open men’s singles draw, scores

By OlympicTalkMay 28, 2023, 5:00 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.

Main draw play began Sunday, live on Peacock.

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

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2023 French Open Women’s Singles Draw

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2023 French Open Men’s Singles Draw

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