Sevilla midfielder Hiroshi Kiyotake has re-signed with former club Cerezo Osaka, an official of the J. League first-division side said Wednesday. Cerezo team director Kiyoshi Okuma said Kiyotake will return on a full transfer as the winter transfer market closed Tuesday. Cerezo have been promoted to the J. League top flight for this season. The […]
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Shohei Otani said Tuesday he will not throw for Japan in the upcoming World Baseball Classic due to an ankle injury the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters ace suffered last autumn, although he may still hit. “This is a chance that doesn’t often come your way and I wanted to play. I’ve been preparing because I […]
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Diego Costa’s missed second-half penalty cost Premier League leader Chelsea a victory at Liverpool on Tuesday but a 1-1 draw did little damage to its title prospects as closest rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur dropped points. Spain striker Costa was denied by Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet, who made amends for being caught off guard by […]
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Kashima Antlers midfielder Gaku Shibasaki has signed for Tenerife in the Spanish second division on Tuesday after his proposed transfer to La Liga side Las Palmas fell through. The 24-year-old Shibasaki was expected to join Las Palmas by Tuesday’s winter transfer deadline after he flew to Spain on Saturday for final negotiations. But Las Palmas […]
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IAAF chief Sebastian Coe has denied that he misled a British Parliamentary committee investigating doping in sport when he appeared before it last December. Central to Coe’s evidence was his insistence that he did not know the specific detail of an email sent to him by former London Marathon race director David Bedford, which Coe […]
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Star guard Yuki Togashi of the Chiba Jets and twin brothers Kosuke and Joji Takeuchi of the Tochigi Brex and Alvark Tokyo, respectively, headline the 15-man national team roster for an upcoming international exhibition series against Iran, the Japan Basketball Association announced on Tuesday. Led by interim head coach Luka Pavicevic, the Akatsuki Five will […]
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Kashima Antlers midfielder Gaku Shibasaki’s proposed transfer to La Liga side Las Palmas has fallen through, but he is now expected to sign with Spanish second-division club Tenerife, sources said Tuesday. The 24-year-old Shibasaki was expected to join Las Palmas by Tuesday’s winter transfer deadline and flew to Spain on Saturday for final negotiations. But […]
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Stanford will open the upcoming football season in Australia against Rice. Stanford announced Monday that the schools had gotten approval to move the game that had been scheduled to be played in Houston to Sydney. The game will be moved up a week and played on Aug. 26, which will be Aug. 27 in Australia. […]
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The Houston Texans have added Wes Welker to their coaching staff as an offense and special teams assistant. Welker wrapped up a 12-year playing career in 2015. He had 9,924 yards receiving and scored 50 touchdowns playing for five teams, including spending six seasons with the New England Patriots. Houston also made some adjustments to […]
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Barclays Center, which opened in Brooklyn in 2012, is planning on not being the home of the New York Islanders after the 2018-19 season, according to reports Monday. Bloomberg and the New York Daily News reported that the arena, built as the home of the Brooklyn Nets, has concluded it can make more money without […]
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Gonzaga, the last unbeaten team in Division I, moved to No. 1 in The Associated Press college basketball poll for the second time in school history. The Zags (22-0) jumped up from third when Villanova and Kansas both were beaten in a week when seven of the top 10 lost. Gonzaga received 46 first-place votes […]
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Former Mongolian-born komusubi Tokitenku died Tuesday of malignant lymphoma, the Japan Sumo Association said. He was 37. Tokitenku, who only retired last August and became sumo elder Magaki, competed in 63 grand sumo tournaments, including three at the fourth highest rank of komusubi, and won one Technique Prize during his 13-year career. Tokitenku obtained Japanese […]
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The U.S. government has told the U.S. Olympic Committee that the travel ban put in place over the weekend shouldn’t impact athletes traveling to the United States for international events. In a statement Monday, USOC leaders said the government told them it would work to ensure athletes from all countries would have expedited access to […]
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Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Monday he is confident the Los Angeles 2024 Olympic bid will be evaluated on its merits even in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s new immigration ban. A temporary ban on immigrants from seven majority-Muslim nations was imposed Friday by an executive order from Trump, sparking protests around […]
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When you declare yourself the king, as LeBron James did and Henry VIII in England, and it looks like Donald Trump in the United States these days, then you’ll probably act like the world is your kingdom — heck, LeBron calls it the (his?) Land — and your actions will be erratic and often damaging […]
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Yogi Ferrell was hours away from playing in an NBA Development League game when he got a call that Dallas wanted to sign him. Three days, two games and about 2,400 km later, Cleveland stars LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, along with the defending champion Cavaliers, know a little more about the rookie guard from […]
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Collecting her second straight European title with a world-record score last Friday, Evgenia Medvedeva emphatically reinforced that she is a prohibitive favorite for the gold medal in Pyeongchang next year. This is presuming that she and her fellow Russians will be allowed to compete in South Korea. In the wake of the Sochi doping scandal, […]
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The St. Louis Cardinals were stripped of their top two picks in this year’s amateur draft Monday and ordered to give them to Houston along with $2 million as compensation for hacking the Astros’ email system and scouting database, the final step in an unusual case of cybercrime involving two Major League Baseball teams. Baseball […]
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A man traipsing around Monday’s Super Bowl opening night in a full-length gown declaring himself “The Empress of Austria, Elizabeth I” was the most outrageous guest at what was a rather tame media night compared to the circus this event has been in the past. The Empress, otherwise known as Julian Kurzwernhart, who said he’d […]
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Billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson pulled out of a deal Monday to build a $1.9 billion domed stadium for the Oakland Raiders in Las Vegas The move deprives the team of a chief financial backer as it seeks to bring pro football to Las Vegas for the first time. Adelson played an instrumental role in […]
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Rio de Janeiro Olympic gold medalists Kosuke Hagino and Rie Kaneto shared the top prize for their achievements in 2016 from the Japan Swimming Federation at the annual Japan Aquatic Awards on Monday evening. Hagino captured the gold medal in the men’s 400-meter individual medley and added a silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley […]
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Matt Giteau on Monday announced his departure from Toulon at the end of the French Top 14 season to embark on a new chapter in his career in Japan. “Taking this decision was the most difficult of my rugby career but it’s the best for my family to be closer to Australia,” the Wallaby playmaker […]
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The Top League will undergo yet another change next season, as the Japan Rugby Football Union tries to give Super Rugby side the Sunwolves more preparation time amid concerns for the welfare of the nation’s top players. The 2017-18 season, which is set to start on Aug. 18 and finish on Jan. 14, sees the […]
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Roger Federer always believed he had more Grand Slam titles left in him. He just didn’t think it would happen like this, playing in his first tournament following a six-month injury layoff. Or against his biggest rival in the game, Rafael Nadal. “I said that also before the finals: if I were to win against […]
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Throwing a baseball isn’t rocket science. Unless, apparently, that ball is the official baseball of the World Baseball Classic and is being thrown by a member of Samurai Japan. For all the preparation the Japanese baseball apparatus has put into March’s 2017 World Baseball Classic — that would be years of prep work for a […]
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Paul Millsap made the decisive basket in a four-overtime game that lasted almost four hours and proclaimed it to be great fun that he never wants to experience again. Millsap had a season-high 37 points, including the go-ahead layup with 27 seconds remaining in the fourth OT, as the Atlanta Hawks overcame Carmelo Anthony’s season-high […]
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Jon Rahm’s heart was beating so fast he couldn’t think as he studied the 60 feet from his golf ball on the back fringe to the cup at the bottom of the slope on the 18th hole at Torrey Pines. The 22-year-old from Spain had enough wits to seek advice from his caddie, Adam Hayes, […]
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Japan’s two-way phenom Shohei Otani rung up a fever of 38.5 that forced him out of Sunday’s workout with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, and there is growing concern about what kind of shape the sweet-hitting fireballer will be in when the World Baseball Classic starts in early March. The Japan squad is set to […]
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Yokohama F. Marinos have agreed to deals for defender Milos Degenek and midfielder David Babunski pending medical, the J. League first-division side announced Monday. Degenek, 22, joins from 1860 Munich in the German second tier. He represented Serbia at youth level before making his senior debut for Australia in May last year, winning five caps […]
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The Pro Bowl has long been more about showmanship than competition. Clearly, that memo missed Lorenzo Alexander. The Buffalo Bills linebacker could have just sat on a late interception for the win, but instead opted to return the ball 20 yards and then lateralled it to Aqib Talib, who came within 13 yards of the […]
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Three-time overall champion Sara Takanashi won the 50th women’s ski jumping World Cup competition of her career on Sunday. The victory snapped a brief drought for Takanashi, who failed to win in any of the four competitions recently held in Japan. The win leaves her three short of the total compiled by Austria’s Gregor Schlierenzauer, […]
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Police on Monday sent papers to prosecutors on the incoming coach of the Japanese men’s national volleyball team for allegedly causing a road accident that seriously injured a man in Hiroshima Prefecture last November. Yuichi Nakagaichi, 49, is suspected of negligence in allegedly hitting a 41-year-old traffic guard while driving on the Chugoku Expressway in […]
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Tsubasa Hasegawa barely missed the podium when he finished a career-best fourth in the men’s 500 meters at a World Cup speedskating event in Germany on Sunday. On the final day of the three-day meet in Berlin, the 22-year-old Hasegawa crossed the finish line in 35.06 seconds — 0.08 seconds behind third-place Kai Verbij of […]
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Yuya Kubo made a spectacular debut for Belgian first-division side Ghent on Sunday, scoring a stunning free kick in a 2-0 win at home against league leader Club Brugge. Only four days after the club announced the signing of the 23-year-old striker, Kubo showed his worth by opening the scoring for his new team. In […]
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The widow of Pat Tillman has expressed disappointment over President Donald Trump after the administration imposed a temporary ban on travel to the United States from seven majority Muslim countries. Marie Tillman posted a message on Facebook saying she was saddened by the executive order, adding that this was “not the country he dreamed of, […]
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The F.A. Cup threw up its latest heartwarming story line on Sunday when Sutton United beat second-tier Leeds 1-0 to ensure there would be two non-league teams in the fifth round for the first time. Adding a touch more magic on a historic day for the 146-year-old competition was the background of the scorer of […]
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Wayne Simmonds’ first All-Star weekend after a nine-year NHL career was strange enough. Having Wayne Gretzky for a coach made it even more surreal. And after he scored the tiebreaking goal to become the All-Star Game MVP in his former home city, the Philadelphia forward could only think of one word for this West Coast […]
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There was no comfort zone for either team at Aoyama Gakuin University Memorial Hall on Sunday afternoon. No lead was safe. Baskets were hard to come by. It was a scrappy defensive battle that tested the will and the skill of the Sunrockers Shibuya and Tochigi Brex before a rowdy, packed house of 3,133. It […]
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Roger Federer has won his 18th Grand Slam title and put some extra distance on the all-time list between himself and Rafael Nadal, the man he beat 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in a vintage Australian Open final on Sunday. It was the 35-year-old Federer’s fifth Australian title, his first at a major since Wimbledon […]
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Serena Williams says her rise to become perhaps the greatest player of all time is all down to mental strength and never giving up, a trait learned from Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova. The dominant American now holds more Grand Slam titles in the Open era than anyone else, after surpassing Graf’s 22 by winning […]
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Now that spring camps are only a few days away for NPB teams — some players are already working out “independently” together — the foreign contingent has begun trickling into the country. It was mostly the first-year foreign players the past couple of weeks, but now the veterans have started showing up. For some, the […]
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Former Lotte Orions outfielder Hideaki Takazawa recalled that he and his teammates would joke that there were more officials than fans at the stadium for their games back in the day. The Pacific League was far behind the Central League in terms of media exposure and attendance in general in the 1980s. And Lotte, in […]
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When Kevin Durant arrived in Golden State this season, Stephen Curry made an extra effort early in the season to make sure his new teammate got his shots. Warriors coach Steve Kerr wanted Curry to know how important it was for him to be aggressive as well. With his first halfcourt buzzer-beater of the season […]
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Fujitsu quarterback Colby Cameron won the X League MVP award for the first time after guiding the Frontiers to their second national championship in three seasons, at the All X League Awards in Tokyo on Saturday. The former Louisiana Tech standout ranked second in passing as he completed 76 of 123 passes for 845 yards […]
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Suntory Sungoliath completed the league and cup double on Sunday as they beat Panasonic Wild Knights 15-10 in a pulsating All-Japan Championship final. In front of a full house of 20,196 at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, five penalties from Kosei Ono saw Keisuke Sawaki’s side finish the season unbeaten and take over Panasonic’s mantle […]
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Teenager Ippei Watanabe has set a world record in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2 minutes, 6.67 seconds. The 19-year-old university student improved on the previous mark of 2:07.01 set by Japanese compatriot Akihiro Yamaguchi in 2012. Watanabe set the record time in the final of the 200 breaststroke at the Tokyo […]
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Risa Shigetomo led a Japanese podium sweep at the Osaka Women’s Marathon on Sunday. The 29-year-old Shigetomo, a 2012 London Olympian, took the tape in 2 hours, 24 minutes, 21 seconds. She was followed by runner-up Misato Horie (2:25:46) and Hanae Tanaka (2:26:19) in third. The race serves as a qualifying event for Japan’s team […]
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In what could be a setback for major league scouts looking to gauge Shohei Otani’s arm, the chances are increasing that he may not pitch in Arizona next month. The slugging pitcher, who arrived in the Phoenix area on Saturday with his teammates for the first phase of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters’ spring training […]
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Yuya Osako struck twice during Cologne’s 6-1 win away to Darmstadt in the Bundesliga on Saturday. The Japan forward headed in Cologne’s second in the 36th minute before making it a 4-1 game after 72 minutes, burying a shot into the bottom corner from outside the box. Osako now has four goals for the season. […]
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Liverpool’s season continues to implode after second-tier side Wolverhampton Wanderers inflicted the latest setback in the F.A. Cup on Saturday. Wolves won 2-1 at Anfield to cap a week of misery for manager Juergen Klopp. First the team’s challenge for the English Premier League title was hindered by a loss to Swansea, and its League […]
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Big Mike Smith and little Ryker Kesler stole the show at the NHL All-Star Skills Competition. The towering Arizona goalie scored a 57-meter goal during the Four Line Challenge on Saturday night, and the 6-year-old son of Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Kesler scored on Montreal goalie Carey Price during the Shootout. The Atlantic Division won […]
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It wasn’t easy and it defied the odds, but somehow the Yokohama B-Corsairs found a way to pull out a win against the visiting Shiga Lakestars on Saturday night. The B-Corsairs shot a woeful 3-for-18 from beyond the 3-point arc and 38.4 percent overall. They also sank only 15 of 29 free throws in their […]
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A former Baylor University student who says she was raped by two football players filed a federal lawsuit Friday against the school that alleges there were dozens more assaults of women involving other players. The lawsuit by the student, who is listed in the documents only as “Elizabeth Doe,” alleges at least 52 rapes by […]
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The makeup of next season’s Top League was determined Saturday following the final round of promotion playoffs, with the three incumbents all keeping their place in the top flight with wins over the second- to fourth-ranked regional teams. In Osaka, the Kintetsu Liners were far too strong for Top Kyushu champion Kyuden Voltex, running in […]
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Serena Williams has won her record 23rd Grand Slam singles title with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over her older sister Venus in Saturday’s Australian Open final. With her record seventh Australian title, the 35-year-old Williams moved ahead of Steffi Graf for the most major titles in the Open era. Margaret Court won 24 majors, but […]
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First in a two-part series. Jim Barnett will be the first to tell you that he’s “seen it all” during his long association with the NBA, first as a player for seven franchises (1966-77) and since the 1985-86 campaign as a popular color commentator on the Golden State Warriors’ TV broadcasts. Maybe that’s why some […]
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Nao Kodaira blazed to her fifth straight 500-meter World Cup triumph of the season Friday. Kodaira’s time of 37.43 seconds, her personal-best time this season, came within 0.14 of the national record she set in 2013. The 30-year-old, a native of Nagano Prefecture, remains unbeaten in five races at that distance the season. Kodaira finished […]
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The 76ers closely guarded Houston’s potent 3-point threats rather than double-team James Harden, and the Rockets’ All-Star guard made them pay with a memorable offensive performance. Harden scored 51 points and added 13 rebounds and 13 assists to lead Houston to a 123-118 victory over Joel Embiid and Philadelphia on Friday night. Harden, who had […]
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Charles Shackleford, a North Carolina State basketball star in the 1980s who spent six seasons in the NBA, was found dead in his home Friday. He was 50. The cause of death hasn’t been determined and an investigation is underway, spokesman Woody Spencer of the Kinston Police Department told The Associated Press. Spencher did not […]
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The English Football Association has banned Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger from the touchline for four matches after an altercation with a match official, it was announced on Friday. Wenger escaped a stadium ban for shoving fourth official Anthony Taylor in the tunnel area at Emirates Stadium on Sunday during Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Burnley in […]
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Hiroshima Carp infielder Kosuke Tanaka was named as the 28th and final player in Japan’s World Baseball Classic squad, the team announced Saturday. Last season, the 27-year-old shortstop played every inning of all 143 regular-season games for Central League champion Hiroshima. He was the MVP of the CL Climax Series after going 10-for-12 with a […]
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Numerous crashes and serious injuries to Valentin Giraud-Moine and Steven Nyman overshadowed a World Cup downhill race won by Travis Ganong on Friday. Both French skier Giraud-Moine and American Nyman were airlifted for intensive care at the local hospital in Garmisch. The race was held up for half an hour while Giraud-Moine, who was second […]
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Tiger Woods’ long-awaited PGA Tour comeback came to an abrupt end at the Farmers Insurance Open on Friday as the former world No. 1 tumbled out of the tournament after missing the cut. Woods started the day at Torrey Pines Golf Course needing a low second-round score to extend his participation into the weekend after […]
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Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr were among the easiest choices for the NHL 100, the group of enduring superstars chosen and honored by the league Friday night as the best players in hockey history. Yet if the Great One, Super Mario and No. 4 had to pick an NHL 1, they would all […]
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A Hungarian designer of a secret bicycle motor says he thinks pro cyclists have used them to cheat since 1998 and American cycling legend Greg LeMond says he can’t trust Tour de France results. Both were interviewed by the CBS show “60 Minutes” for a segment to be telecast Sunday where designer Istvan Varjas, a […]
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Russian’s Evgenia Medvedeva won gold at the European Championships with a world record score on Friday for her second straight title in the women’s competition. Leading after the short program, the 17-year-old performed an almost perfect free skate. She opened in great fashion with a beautifully executed combination of a triple flip/triple toe loop to […]
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Rafael Nadal has fended off Grigor Dimitrov in five long sets to set up a vintage title match against Roger Federer at the Australian Open, where every singles finalist is age 30 or over. Nadal completed the 30-plus finals quartet Friday night when he repelled Dimitrov 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (4-7), 6-4 in the […]
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Kevin Kotzur’s double-double and 13-point efforts from Marcus Dove and Shingo Utsumi sparked the visiting Kyoto Hannaryz to a 63-58 victory over the Sendai 89ers on Friday night. Kotzur contributed team-high totals of 17 points and 12 rebounds for Kyoto (15-18), and blocked two shots. Dove chipped in with nine boards, three assists, a pair […]
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New yokozuna Kisenosato performed his first ring-entry ceremony on Friday before a large crowd of around 18,000 at Meiji Shrine. “I’m relieved it ended without trouble,” the 30-year-old said after making his ceremonial debut as yokozuna. “I came with a sense of gratitude and wanted everyone to see powerful figure. I focused on being relaxed, […]
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Japan’s June tests against Romania and Ireland will be played at 2019 Rugby World Cup venues in Kumamoto, Shizuoka and Tokyo, the Japan Rugby Football Union said Friday. Japan host Romania on June 10 at Kumamoto’s Umakana-Yokana Stadium, which will be renamed Egao Kenko Stadium in February. The two matches against Ireland will be held […]
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Russian doping whistleblower Yulia Stepanova is planning to return to the track this weekend at the Boston Indoor Grand Prix. Stepanova appears on the start list for the women’s 800 meters in Saturday’s meet. She will be considered a neutral athlete, a status approved by the IAAF after she gave evidence to the World Anti-Doping […]
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Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo criticized Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler in an Instagram rant Thursday for questioning the team’s desire. Rondo fired back one day after Chicago’s stars went off following a rough loss to Atlanta. Though he didn’t mention Wade and Butler by name, it seemed clear he was referring to them in […]
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Former MLB star Randy Jones, the 1976 National League Cy Young Award winner, revealed Thursday on the San Diego Padres’ website that he is fighting throat cancer. The 67-year-old left-hander said he was diagnosed with the disease in November and began chemotherapy and radiation treatments in mid-December. “I feel positive,” Jones said. “They caught it […]
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Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov won gold in the pairs competition at the European Championships on Thursday for their first continental title. Leading after the short program by more than six points, the Russians performed to “Music” by John Miles in the second best free skate. Without visible flaws and with a cleanly landed throw […]
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Rio de Janeiro’s famed Maracana Stadium is without power after a dispute over unpaid electricity bills. Electric utility company Light said in a statement that power was cut Thursday at the stadium, which hosted the 2014 World Cup soccer final, and the opening and closing ceremonies of last year’s Rio Olympics. The company said it […]
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Hideki Matsui’s wife gave birth to the couple’s second son earlier this month, the former New York Yankee confirmed Thursday. “He’s doing really well,” Matsui said of his newborn at his New York residence. Matsui’s first son was born in 2013, a year after the slugger retired as a player. He has been a special […]
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Lunch with a former Premier League referee was going well until the chat about his forthcoming holiday was interrupted by another customer. “You didn’t give Arsenal a penalty in 2011 against Manchester United. It was nailed on. You cost us three points,” he told my lunch companion. I was shocked at such rudeness. The ex-referee […]
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Heading into the All-Star break, the Washington Capitals are in the same position they were at the end of the regular season last year — leading the pack in the NHL. Evgeny Kuznetsov scored twice, Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist and the Capitals beat the New Jersey Devils 5-2 on Thursday night […]
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Manchester United reached the English League Cup final despite surrendering its 17-match unbeaten record with a 2-1 loss to Hull in the second leg of their semifinal on Thursday night. United, which won the first leg 2-0, advanced with a 3-2 win on aggregate and will play Southampton in the final at Wembley Stadium on […]
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Just when it looked as if the Oklahoma City Thunder might squander a big lead, Russell Westbrook unleashed his full fury on the Dallas Mavericks. Westbrook scored 17 of his 45 points in the final 8:23 to help the Thunder beat the short-handed Mavericks 109-98 on Thursday night. Oklahoma City led by 16 late in […]
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The return of Tiger Woods felt more like a celebration Thursday at Torrey Pines. Hundreds of fans lined up against the railing behind the 18th grandstand to watch Woods walk onto the first tee for his first PGA Tour event in 17 months. Thousands more stood behind every inch of rope from tee-to-green, and they […]
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Roger Federer triumphed in a five-set thriller against his fellow Swiss and close friend Stan Wawrinka at the Australian Open on Thursday to become the oldest Grand Slam finalist in 43 years. The 17-time Grand Slam champion saw off the world No. 4 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3 in 3 hours and 5 minutes and […]
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Naoya Inoue, arguably Japan’s most promising boxing star, has his sights set on a lofty goal for 2017: to become a bigger global star. The unbeaten WBO super flyweight champion said that he wouldn’t hesitate to fight against the weight division’s best boxers in the world if given the chance. “First off, I will have […]
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Brent Musburger is calling it a career at ESPN after being the play-by-play man in the booth at sporting events enjoyed by millions of Americans, most prominently when he was the lead voice for CBS Sports in the 1980s. Musburger, who is 77, said he’s leaving active sportscasting to help his family get a sports […]
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Japan winger Kentaro Kodama has signed to play for the Melbourne Rebels in the 2017 Super Rugby competition. The 24-year-old Kodama, who played for the Sunwolves in their debut season last year, has agreed a one-year contract. He will play alongside Japan teammate Amanaki Mafi at the Rebels who open their Super Rugby season against […]
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January has been a frustrating month for the Kyoto Hannaryz. But the team halted a four-game losing streak on Sunday, edging the visiting San-en NeoPhoenix 77-75. That gave the Hannaryz (14-18) their first victory of 2017. The Kansai-based club closed out December this way: win, loss, win, loss, win. In coach Honoo Hamaguchi’s sixth season […]
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Russian figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva launched an impressive defense of her title at the European Championships on Wednesday, while Italian Carolina Kostner also found her form returning after almost three years away from competition. Medvedeva, just 17 but the reigning world and European champion, turned on the style in the short program. Clad in a […]
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The California Highway Patrol says Hall of Fame boxer Oscar De La Hoya has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. Officer Stephan Brandt says De La Hoya’s Land Rover was pulled over for speeding in Pasadena shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday. Brandt says the officer smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from the […]
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Ghent has signed forward Yuya Kubo from Swiss outfit Young Boys on a 3½-year contract, the Belgian first-division side announced Wednesday. The 23-year-old striker, who made his pro debut at the age of 17 for J. League second-division team Kyoto Sanga, has been playing for Young Boys since 2013. He has scored five goals in […]
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The criticism quieted. The problems persist. LeBron James and the NBA champions are a mess right now. Arron Afflalo dropped a 3-pointer with 17.3 seconds left in overtime as the Sacramento Kings rallied for a 116-112 win Wednesday night over the slumping Cleveland Cavaliers, who lost for the sixth time in eight games and are […]
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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday he would not be uncomfortable handing the Lombardi Trophy to quarterback Tom Brady if the New England Patriots win the Feb. 5 Super Bowl in Houston. Goodell, whose suspension of Brady for his role in deflating footballs used in the game that put the Patriots in the Super Bowl […]
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Liverpool’s season is in danger of unraveling after Juergen Klopp’s team missed out on a place in the English League Cup final following a 1-0 loss to Southampton at Anfield on Wednesday. Substitute Shane Long scored on the counterattack in injury time to seal a 2-0 aggregate win in the semifinals for Southampton, which reached […]
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Usain Bolt has lost one of his nine Olympic gold medals because of a doping case involving Jamaican teammate Nesta Carter. The IOC said Wednesday that Carter tested positive for methylhexaneamine, a banned stimulant, in re-analysis of samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Olympic rules state that the entire relay team can be disqualified and […]
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Yoshiro Mori, head of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee, said Wednesday a panel to compile the concept of the games’ opening ceremony will be set up shortly. In an interview in Tokyo with Kyodo News, Mori also said the route for the torch relay preceding the multisport event will be decided under […]
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For all his achievements, Jim Kelly’s life has been tempered with professional and personal heartbreak. The Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame quarterback lost four consecutive Super Bowls in the 1990s and mourned the loss of his son, Hunter, in 2005. And three years ago, Kelly was told his head and neck cancer had returned, despite […]
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As Edgar Martinez’s candidacy for the baseball Hall of Fame began gaining more traction, the Seattle Mariners ownership started discussions of whether it was time to consider giving Martinez the ultimate honor from the franchise. When he made a significant jump in the Hall of Fame voting this year, trending toward potential induction, it became […]
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Tiger Woods is roaring into the new year, preparing to play four times in five weeks in his return to the PGA Tour after a 15-month absence. One of his stops includes a return to his hometown tournament in Los Angeles, where he made his first start on the pro tour as a skinny 16-year-old. […]
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Yomiuri Giants outfielder Daikan Yoh of Taiwan has said he will not represent his national team at the World Baseball Classic in March, a source close to the matter said Wednesday. The 30-year-old, who joined Yomiuri in the offseason as a domestic free agent, had been discussing the matter with the Giants, whose officials apparently […]
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Eri Hozumi and Miyu Kato were knocked out of the women’s doubles in the semifinals at the Australian Open on Wednesday. Hozumi and Kato were aiming to become the first Japanese pair ever to reach the final of a Grand Slam event, but their surprise run came to an end when they were beaten 6-2, […]
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As a general philosophy, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin treats each individual season as its own unique entity, with no direct through line from one to the next. Considering his quarterback’s current state of mind, probably a good idea. While Tomlin believes the Steelers have a “championship caliber” team a couple days removed from an […]
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Forward Yuya Kubo appears bound for Belgian first-division side Ghent, according to multiple Belgian media reports Tuesday. The 23-year-old striker, who made his pro debut at the age of 17 for J. League second-division team Kyoto, has been playing for Swiss outfit Young Boys since 2013. He has scored five goals in 14 league games […]
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Eri Hozumi and Miyu Kato defeated Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and German Andrea Petkovic to reach the women’s doubles semifinals at the Australian Open on Tuesday. Hozumi and Kato needed just an hour to reach the last four courtesy of a straight-sets, 6-3, 6-3 win on Show Court 3. They become the first Japanese pair to […]
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Zach Collins had 13 points and No. 3 Gonzaga remained the nation’s only undefeated Division I team with an 83-64 victory over Portland in a game Monday night that was rescheduled because of a winter storm earlier this month. The Bulldogs have won 20 straight games, their longest streak since winning that many in the […]
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Former Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and Seattle Mariners slugger Lee Dae-ho has rejoined his former South Korean club the Lotte Giants after one season in the major leagues, the Yonhap News Agency reported Tuesday. Lee, the 2015 Japan Series MVP with the Hawks before moving to the majors, has signed for Lotte on a four-year deal […]
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Former women’s world champion Nadeshiko Japan will play Costa Rica in a friendly in Kumamoto on April 9, the Japan Football Association said Tuesday. The match at Yonaka Stadium will be the first home game for Nadeshiko coach Takako Asakura, who took over from Norio Sasaki after the team failed to qualify for last summer’s […]
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Denver Broncos coach Vance Joseph filled the last major vacancy on his coaching staff Monday by hiring Brock Olivo as his special teams coordinator. Olivo, 40, spent the last three seasons as special teams assistant to Dave Toub in Kansas City. Toub was one of three candidates that interviewed for the Broncos’ head coaching vacancy […]
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Despite Odell Beckham Jr.’s recent misadventures, MAS believes the New York Giants receiver is in the process of ditching his diva persona. “Are you losing your mind, MAS?” you say, with some incredulity. “The guy just pulled a Tony Romo-Cabo number. And then followed that up by punching a hole in a wall.” Yeah, yeah, […]
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Patrick Marleau had a third period to remember: Four shots and four goals. Not bad for a 37-year-old veteran. Marleau’s four-goal flurry in a 13½-minute span helped the San Jose Sharks beat the last-place Colorado Avalanche 5-2 on Monday night for their fifth straight win. The left wing became the 12th player in NHL history […]
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Dion Waiters went from air ball to game-winner. Waiters made a 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left to cap his 33-point effort, and the Miami Heat beat Golden State 105-102 on Monday to end the Warriors’ seven-game winning streak. “He’s not scared. He’s not afraid,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Waiters. “He’s fearless. He wants […]
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Samurai Japan mostly filled out its roster for the 2017 World Baseball Classic on Tuesday, adding eight players, but no major leaguers, to the 19 names released in December. The new players bring the roster up to 27, leaving one spot to be filled. “My tension has been rising and my head is full of […]
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Nathan Chen put on quite a show at the U.S. national championships in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday. He made history by becoming the first skater to cleanly landed five quadruple jumps in competition in his free skate on the way to a huge victory, and in the process established himself as a possible contender […]
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Venus Williams continued her astonishing late-career revival by felling Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) on Tuesday to reach her first Australian Open semifinal in 14 years and become the oldest woman to reach the last four at Melbourne Park in the Open era. The quarterfinal will hardly be remembered as a classic, with both Venus […]
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With her serve misfiring and the ball coming back at her from some irregular angles, it was time for Serena Williams to go to Plan B. Williams knuckled down and just scrapped her way to a 7-5, 6-4 win over No. 16-seeded Barbora Strycova on Monday to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Despite […]
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Nippon Professional Baseball on Monday announced a new three-way tournament involving the Japan, Taiwan and South Korea national teams on Nov. 16-19 at Tokyo Dome. The three teams will play a round-robin before the top two face off in the final of what will be called the Asia Championship. The official NPB ball will be […]
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Japan will warm up for its June World Cup qualifier away to Iraq with a home friendly at Tokyo’s Ajinomoto Stadium against a-yet-to-be-determined opponent, the Japan Football Association announced Monday. The friendly, an evening kickoff, will be played June 7, six days before Vahid Halilhodzic’s men take on Iraq at a neutral venue, which is […]
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Having achieved successful results over the past several years, the Japan women’s national basketball team is shooting for a medal finish at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Japan Basketball Association believes it has chosen the best person available to lead the squad and turn that goal into a reality. The JBA announced on Monday that […]
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WBC bantamweight champion Shinsuke Yamanaka will square off against Mexico’s Carlos Carlson on March 2 at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan, the Teiken Gym announced on Monday. Yamanaka will try to defend his belt for the 12th consecutive time, which would put him one win away from tying the record for consecutive world title defenses by a […]
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The Philadelphia Flyers desperately needed a victory, especially on the road, and they got it thanks to their captain. Claude Giroux scored at 3:20 of overtime as the Flyers rallied to beat the Islanders 3-2 Sunday night to end New York’s three-game winning streak. It was Philadelphia’s first road win since Dec. 14 at Colorado, […]
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With everyone still waiting for him to clear up the ambiguity over last weekend’s absence from the Chelsea team, Diego Costa did his talking on the pitch on Sunday. Costa marked his return to the side for his 100th Chelsea appearance by scoring the opener in a 2-0 victory over Hull that sent the Premier […]
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The noon tipoff in the Eastern time zone was more than a little challenging for Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. At first, anyway. Tied at halftime, the Warriors woke up. Curry and Klay Thompson each finished with seven 3-pointers and the Warriors won their seventh straight game, beating the Orlando Magic 118-98 on […]
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Ozeki Kisenosato is relishing his first Emperor’s Cup after winning the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday, with promotion to the highest rank of yokozuna now on the horizon. “I’ve finally got my hands on it and the sense of pleasure hasn’t changed,” Kisenosato told a press conference at his Tagonoura stable on Monday, […]
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Japan forward Yoshinori Muto made his comeback Sunday after four months on the sidelines in Mainz’s scoreless home draw against Cologne in the German Bundesliga. Muto started after recovering from a right knee injury and lower-back pain and came off a minute before the final whistle, while another Japan striker, Yuya Osako, also fired blank […]
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Yordano Ventura quit school as a teenager so he could begin working a construction job to help his family make ends meet, laboring day after day in the hot sun of the Dominican Republic. It was a chance tryout with the Kansas City Royals that changed the trajectory of his life. He wowed scouts with […]
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The Tom Brady redemption tour is headed to the Super Bowl. After beginning the 2016 season suspended for four games for his role in the “Deflategate” scandal, the New England quarterback relentlessly carried the Patriots to an unprecedented ninth appearance in the title game, which wiil be his seventh. Brady threw for a franchise playoff-best […]
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Matt Ryan tumbled into the end zone, slammed the ball to the turf with a thunderous spike, and let out a scream that showed just how much he wanted this game. He wants the next one even more. With another MVP-worthy performance and plenty of help from Julio Jones, Matty Ice guided the Atlanta Falcons […]
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The term “strength and conditioning” in sports is relatively unknown in Japan, and specialty coaches are often confused with athletic trainers, who are skilled in prevention, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of athletic injuries. Strength and conditioning is a method of improving your physical athletic ability and performance using exercise, which includes weight training. So for […]
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In an era of long-range shooting, scoring consistently from inside the arc can be an overlooked art. On Sunday, the Levanga Hokkaido, however, provided a reminder that simplifying and executing — taking and making — 2-point shots is indeed important. Hokkaido shot 59.6 percent from inside the arc in a 92-81 home win over the […]
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elbourne Australia Resilient Roger Federer showed there was still life in the 35-year-old’s legs as he overhauled fifth seed Kei Nishikori 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 on Sunday to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals. After six months out of the game, Federer’s fairy-tale return continued under the lights of Rod Laver Arena where he […]
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Sixteen-year-old Miu Hirano became the youngest player to win the national table tennis championships in women’s singles Sunday, while Jun Mizutani won a record ninth men’s title. Hirano, who became the first Japanese to win a World Cup tournament in October, defeated four-time champion Kasumi Ishikawa 11-6, 12-10, 8-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6 in the final […]
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Andy Murray won’t be breaking his Australian Open title drought this year after a stunning fourth-round loss to 50th-ranked Mischa Zverev. The five-time Australian Open finalist was unsettled by the left-handed serve and volleyer in a 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 upset loss Sunday that seriously changes the tournament landscape in the second week. Murray’s exit […]
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Known as a steady, minute-munching defenseman, Ryan Suter also had a big game at the other end of the rink Saturday night. Suter, Erik Haula and Jason Zucker scored in a two-minute span late in the third period, and the Minnesota Wild rallied for a 5-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. It was the second […]
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Although he was one of the most productive foreign imports to grace Japanese pro ball, it seems there is little chance Tuffy Rhodes will be inducted into Japan’s Baseball Hall of Fame anytime soon. In 2001, Rhodes became the second player after legendary slugger Sadaharu Oh to hit 55 home runs in a season. And […]
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Ozeki Kisenosato came one step closer to becoming yokozuna as he twisted down hard-shoving Mongolian grand champion Hakuho on Sunday, the final day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament. The win was the icing on the cake for Kisenosato (14-1), who had secured his maiden championship the previous day, and gave an added boost […]
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LeBron James might make another run at Olympic gold with Gregg Popovich. James, who already has two gold medals, said that Popovich taking over as coach of the U.S. team will influence his decision on whether to play in the 2020 Tokyo Games. “It factors a lot,” James said Saturday as the Cavaliers prepared to […]
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The three surviving players of the plane crash two months ago that killed 19 members of Brazil’s Chapecoense soccer club lifted the Copa Sudamericana trophy on Saturday in honor of their dead teammates. The moving moment came just before the rebuilt side played its first match since the Nov. 28 tragedy, drawing 2-2 against defending […]
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As Kawhi Leonard peeled the ice bag off his swollen left hand, Manu Ginobili hobbled through San Antonio’s locker room, his back stiffened from a run-in with LeBron James. And 20 minutes after the game, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was in sweats still going over his team’s defensive breakdown in the final seconds. “We messed […]
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Lindsey Vonn is back on top in just the second race of her comeback from a knee injury and a broken arm. The American edged defending overall World Cup champion Lara Gut to win a downhill event in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, on Saturday and claim career victory No. 77, moving her within nine wins of the […]
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A ban of Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics and possibly the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games should be considered if there was state-run doping in the country, Germany’s Olympic Committee chief Alfons Hoermann said on Sunday. Leaders of 19 anti-doping agencies also called for a blanket ban on Russia from all international sport with the […]
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Karen Chen put together a stirring performance filled with explosive jumps and sharp landings to edge three-time champion Ashley Wagner and win the U.S. figure skating championship Saturday night. The 17-year-old Chen followed an elegant short program performed to “On Golden Pond” with a darker, more energetic performance to “Jealousy Tango” to win her first […]
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Former Standard Liege forward Yuji Ono has signed for Sagan Tosu after five seasons in Belgium, the J. League first-division club announced Sunday. The 24-year-old moved to Sint-Truiden from Standard in July 2015 but the club agreed to terminate his contract last Sunday. Ono made his J. League debut in 2010 at the age of […]
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Deep into stoppage time with Manchester United facing defeat, Wayne Rooney bent a free kick high over the defense and into the Stoke goal. A point was salvaged for United but the moment carried a far greater significance. It was Rooney’s 250th goal for United — a record breaker. Rooney’s long wait to overhaul Bobby […]
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Gregg Popovich would bench President Trump. San Antonio’s long-time coach, who has been highly critical of Donald Trump in the past, went on a lengthy rant about the newly sworn-in president on Saturday night, calling him a bully and saying he hopes he can change while in office. While meeting with reporters before the Spurs […]
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There are games when almost everything goes right for an offense. Saturday was one of those games for the Alvark Tokyo. Six Alvark players reached double figures in scoring and the East Division leaders pounced on the visiting Yokohama B-Corsairs, winning 98-66. Former NBA guard Diante Garrett had a team-high 16 points for Tokyo (24-5) […]
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Yuki Ito earned her second straight World Cup win on Saturday, beating Sara Takanashi by 0.8 points for her third career win — all coming in an eight-day span on home soil. Ito’s initial 100-meter jump was the day’s longest, while Takanashi opened with a 99.5-meter leap. Ito equaled Takanashi’s 94.5-meter second attempt and edged […]
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The 54th All-Japan Championship final will feature a matchup between two of rugby’s greatest-ever back-row forwards following Saturday’s semifinals at Hanazono Rugby Ground. George Smith’s Suntory Sungoliath remained on track for the league and cup double as they beat Teikyo University 54-29, while David Pocock’s Panasonic Wild Knights downed Yahama Jubilo 36-24 to set up […]
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Former Brazil national team coach Carlos Alberto Silva, who spent time managing in Japan in the early 1990s, passed away Friday at age 77, Brazilian media reported. Silva died at his home in the southeastern Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte. The cause of death was not revealed, but he had reportedly been recovering from heart […]
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The Green Bay Packers may not know the status of injured receivers Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams and Geronimo Allison until just before the NFC Championship Game on Sunday. Coach Mike McCarthy said on Friday that all three receivers would be “given every chance to play in the game.” The Packers didn’t have on-field work on […]
The post Nelson, Adams likely to be game-time call for Packers appeared first on The Japan Times.
Ozeki Kisenosato dispatched maegashira Ichinojo on Saturday and then cashed in on a slip-up by yokozuna Hakuho to capture his long-awaited first championship at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament. After a near false start by No. 13 maegashira Ichinojo, Kisenosato (13-1) allowed his opponent to take the initiative at the charge. But he wasted […]
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The Brooklyn Nets didn’t have to worry about a fourth-quarter flop this time. Brook Lopez and Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 points apiece and the Nets ended an 11-game losing streak, routing the New Orleans Pelicans 143-114 on Friday for only their ninth win of the season. Outscored by identical 31-16 margins after leading at the […]
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Fifteen players have been suspended for their roles in a fight that broke out during a men’s basketball game last Saturday between Division II programs Lane College and LeMoyne-Owen. The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which includes both schools, also announced Friday that it would fine the schools and their respective coaches an undisclosed amount. Conference […]
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Buffalo Bills star receiver Sammy Watkins has had a second operation in less than a year for a broken left foot and is expected to be sidelined until the start of training camp. The Bills also announced on Friday that Shaq Lawson had surgery for a knee injury. The team said the defensive lineman is […]
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Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard will return to coach at its academy next month, the Premier League club said on Friday. Gerrard had been widely tipped to join the Anfield coaching staff following his decision to leave LA Galaxy after 18 months with the MLS team. The 36-year-old, who made 710 appearances for Liverpool before joining […]
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Edwin Pope, an award-winning sports columnist who covered the first 47 Super Bowls and spent more than 50 years with the Miami Herald, has died at 88. Pope, who had battled cancer, died Thursday in Okeechobee, Florida, where he lived in retirement, according to the Miami Herald’s managing editor Rick Hirsch. Pope went into the […]
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Kei Nishikori reached the Australian Open fourth round with a convincing, straight-sets win over Lukas Lacko on Friday. The fifth seed made it to the last 16 for the sixth straight year with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over the Slovak qualifier in 2 hours, 11 minutes. Nishikori will next face a big challenge against […]
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The Pittsburgh Penguins have been beatable away from home this season. Good thing for them this felt nothing like a road game. Phil Kessel had a goal and an assist during Pittsburgh’s four-goal second period, and the Penguins routed the Carolina Hurricanes 7-1 on Friday night. Conor Sheary scored twice, and Evgeni Malkin had a […]
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Hyped as the future of men’s skating, Nathan Chen put the sport on notice that his time is now. Chen dazzled and dominated as he stamped himself as a future Olympic medal contender, landing a pair of quads and slaying the competition with a short program record score of 106.39 at the U.S. championships on […]
The post Chen sets record in short program at U.S. nationals appeared first on The Japan Times.
Matthias Mayer finally managed to get over last season’s horrifying downhill crash, giving the host country a winning start to the traditional Hahnenkamm races on Friday. The Olympic downhill champion wore a protective air bag system but still broke two vertebrae as his body slammed on an ice slope in Italy 13 months ago. “When […]
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Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish said Friday he is healthy and looking forward to the new season, but confirmed he will play no part in the World Baseball Classic in March with the Japan national team. After undergoing Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow in March 2015, Darvish returned to the mound for the […]
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The Baseball Bullet-In this week remembers Daryl Spencer, the former Hankyu Braves slugger who died Jan. 2 in Wichita, Kansas, at the age of 88. Spencer was one of the 1960s-era Americans, most of them ex-major leaguers, who played in Japan. That group included George Altman, Gene Bacque, Don Blasingame, Jack Bloomfield, Kent Hadley, Marty […]
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Yuki Ito came from behind to capture her second title of the season on home soil on the first day of a women’s World Cup meet on Friday, while Sara Takanashi finished in fifth place. Ito, the winner in Sapporo last Saturday, managed 89.5 meters on her first jump for third place at Kuraray Zao […]
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Former WBO bantamweight champion Tomoki Kameda will return to the Japanese ring on March 10 in an IBF super bantamweight non-title bout against Mike Tawatchai of Thailand, Kyoei Gym announced Friday. “I’m glad I can fight in Japan. I’d like to put in a match that provides impact,” Kameda, who last fought in Japan in […]
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Sprinter Chisato Fukushima, the women’s 100- and 200-meter national record holder, is to turn professional, her Hokkaido Hi-Tech AC club said Friday. Fukushima left Hokkaido College of High Technology, which runs the athletics club, the same day. Sources close to the matter said the 28-year-old Fukushima wants to be in a more fulfilling environment looking […]
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The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks have handed manager Kimiyasu Kudo a renewed contract through 2019, the Pacific League club announced on Friday. Kudo, who is in the final year of his three-year deal this season, steered SoftBank to the 2015 Japan Series title in his first year as manager after taking over from Koji Akiyama. The […]
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has undergone surgery on the right shoulder that’s bothered him the past two seasons. Colts owner Jim Irsay announced Thursday on Twitter that Luck was recovering from successful outpatient surgery. Irsay said Luck will be ready for the 2017 season. Luck was listed on the Colts injury report throughout this […]
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The Los Angeles Rams have confirmed Wade Phillips is their new defensive coordinator. The Rams made the announcement Thursday. New head coach Sean McVay said last week that Phillips would be joining him. Phillips begins his 40th NFL season as a coach with the Rams, the 10th franchise to employ him. He was a head […]
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