Nathan Adrian sets swim meet return from testicular cancer

By Nick ZaccardiMay 10, 2019, 12:57 PM EDT

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Five-time Olympic champion Nathan Adrian headlines next week’s Tyr Pro Swim Series meet in Bloomington, Ind., his first competition since his testicular cancer diagnosis and a pair of surgeries.

Adrian, a 30-year-old, three-time U.S. Olympian, is entered in his primary events — the 50m and 100m freestyles. Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA airs live coverage of finals next week on Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. Coverage also streams on NBCSports.com/live, the NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com and the Olympic Channel app for subscribers.

Katie Ledecky, Simone Manuel, Lilly King and Michael Andrew are the other marquee names entered. Ledecky is set to race new Canadian rival Taylor Ruck in the 200m free. Ruck, an 18-year-old who trains in the same Stanford pool as Ledecky, beat Ledecky in the 200m free at last August’s Pan Pacific Championships.

But let’s focus on Adrian here.

The gentle giant announced Jan. 24 that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and that the prognosis was good.

Lance Armstrong and fellow swimmer Eric Shanteau, fellow Olympians who overcame testicular cancer, were among those who reached out. Adrian and Shanteau, both Olympic rookies in 2008, spoke at length, according to FINA World Aquatics Magazine.

“Hearing his experience – especially from someone who was the same level as me [athletically] was really important because there is not a whole lot you can find online about that,” Adrian said, according to the magazine.

Adrian and others are gearing up for the world championships in July in Gwangju, South Korea. Though Adrian last summer failed to qualify for an individual event at worlds, ending a 10-year streak of racing individually at major international meets, he is part of the 4x100m freestyle relay pool.

Of course the road back will be difficult. Adrian spent two weeks out of the pool after his inpatient surgery and said it was probably his longest break from swimming since he was 5, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Adrian lost 10 to 15 pounds and, though he was back to full training in early March, said he could feel the loss of explosiveness, especially on turns, according to FINA.

“I have to be much more cognizant about each and every movement to relearn it,” he said, according to the magazine.

MORE: U.S. swimmers qualified for world championships

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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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