Rohan Dennis repeats as world time trial champion ahead of teen

By OlympicTalkSep 25, 2019, 10:48 AM EDT

Australian Rohan Dennis, in his first race since quitting the Tour de France the day before that Grand Tour’s time trial, repeated as world champion in the time trial on Wednesday.

“Obviously, there’s been a lot of talk since Tour de France about what I’m doing,” Dennis said. “It’s just really special to back up this year. … To show that I haven’t hung the bike up.”

Dennis, 29, dominated by winning in 1 hour, 5 minutes, 10 seconds, beating 19-year-old Belgian Remco Evenepoel by 1:08 in a 33-mile time trial in Yorkshire, Great Britain.

Lawson Craddock was the top American in sixth. Full results are here.

“It’s been a lot tougher than what it looked out there,” Dennis said. “It was absolutely perfect today.”

Dennis was a bit of a wild card coming into Wednesday given the last two months.

He was last seen in competition on July 18, abandoning the Tour without explanation with about 50 miles left on the 12th stage, one day before he would be among the favorites to win the time trial. Dennis had not raced since.

He won individual time trials at all three Grand Tours and held the hour record for two months in 2015.

All this after a decorated track cycling career, including a 2012 Olympic team pursuit silver medal and a pair of world titles in that discipline. Dennis’ best Grand Tour finish was 16th in the 2018 Giro d’Italia.

Evenepoel, the 2018 World junior champion in the road race and time trial, became the youngest-ever male podium finisher in a senior worlds event, according to Gracenote.

MORE: World Road Cycling Championships TV Schedule

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He defends his WORLD TITLE! 🌈

Just look what it means to Rohan Dennis 🇦🇺 and his family! #Yorkshire2019 pic.twitter.com/fpeKetcUKO

— UCI (@UCI_cycling) September 25, 2019

French Open: Daniil Medvedev stunned by 172nd-ranked qualifier

By OlympicTalkMay 30, 2023, 11:52 AM EDT

Getty

No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev was eliminated by 172nd-ranked Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild in one of the biggest French Open first-round upsets,

Seyboth Wild, a 23-year-old in his second-ever Grand Slam main draw match, prevailed 7-6 (5), 6-7 (8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in more than four hours on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

“I’ve watched Daniil play for, like, my entire junior career until today, and I’ve always dreamed about playing on this court, playing these kind of players,” he said. “In my best dreams, I’ve beaten them, so it’s a dream come true.”

Seyboth Wild overcame the ranking disparity, the experience deficit (it was his first five-set match) and cramps. He began feeling them in the second set, and it affected his serve.

FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Women | Men | Broadcast Schedule

Seyboth Wild, who had strictly played in qualifying and lower-level Challenger events dating to February 2022, became the first man to take out a top-two seed at the French Open since Mark Philippoussis ousted No. 2 Pete Sampras in 2000.

It’s the most seismic win by a Brazilian at the French Open — and perhaps any major — since the nation’s most successful man, Gustavo Kuerten, won his third Roland Garros title in 2001.

Tuesday marked the 26th anniversary of Kuerten’s first big splash in Paris, a third-round win over 1995 French Open champion Thomas Muster en route to his first Roland Garros title.

As a junior, Seyboth Wild won the 2018 U.S. Open and reached a best ranking of eighth in the world. Since, he played eight Grand Slam qualifying tournaments with a 1-8 record before advancing through qualifying last week.

The 2021 U.S. Open champion Medvedev entered the French Open having won the first clay tournament title of his career at the Italian Open, the last top-level event before Roland Garros.

Seeds to advance Tuesday included No. 6 Coco Gauff, who rallied past 71st-ranked Spaniard Rebeka Masarova 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, plus No. 4 Elena Rybakina and No. 7 Ons Jabeur in straight sets.

The second round begins Wednesday, featuring Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.

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Olympians, Paralympians star on Top Chef World All-Stars in Paris

By OlympicTalkMay 30, 2023, 11:34 AM EDT

U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls get a taste of Paris in this week’s episode of Top Chef World All-Stars, premiering Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.

Olympic medalists Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Suni Lee and Paralympic medalists Mallory Weggemann and Hunter Woodhall team up with contestants for a cooking challenge in front of the Eiffel Tower, one year before the French capital hosts the Games.

Olympians have appeared on Top Chef before.

A 2020 episode set at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Coliseum included Diana Taurasi, Rai Benjamin, Nastia Liukin, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Christian Coleman and Kerri Walsh Jennings.

A January 2018 episode featured figure skater Meryl Davis, freeskier Gus Kenworthy and skeleton slider John Daly, one month before the PyeongChang Winter Games.

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