Jamaica’s Shiann Salmon has rediscovered her best form after returning to train at home, and it’s paying off in spectacular fashion. Salmon, who has been a consistent force in the 400m hurdles this season, clocked a lifetime best of 52.97 seconds to win her first-ever Diamond League race in Zurich last Friday. This remarkable achievement not only secured her spot among the elite but also marked a significant personal milestone, as she became just the fifth Jamaican woman in history to break the 53-second barrier in the event.
After graduating from Hydel High and spending a year at GC Foster College, Salmon ventured overseas to train with Tonja Buford, a US Olympic medalist turned coach. However, after a few seasons in the United States, Salmon felt the American environment was making her "soft" and unmotivated, which led to her bold decision last season to return to Jamaica to train under renowned coach Maurice Wilson at the Sprintec Track Club.
“I don’t feel as if I ever needed to ‘justify’ doing something that I felt was for my best interest. However, I felt like the American lifestyle/system was never meant for me. I think I got a bit complacent and soft, so I returned to my roots,” Salmon explained.
That decision has clearly paid off. Salmon has shown remarkable consistency this season, first setting a lifetime best of 53.13 in the Olympic final in Paris and consistently racing close to that mark in the lead-up to Zurich. But in Zurich, she finally broke through the elusive 53-second barrier, achieving her goal for the season.
“I was thrilled. My overall aim for the remainder of the season was to break the 53 seconds barrier, so I was beyond happy when I realized that I had done so,” Salmon said. “I’m currently the fifth Jamaican woman to do so. I feel exhilarated, top 5 all-time is a big accomplishment and I’m grateful.”
Reflecting on her performances before Zurich, Salmon felt her breakthrough was imminent. “Yes, I definitely felt it coming. My body is now used to running low 53s. My coach and I already predicted it, it was just a matter of me executing the races properly,” she shared.
Only four other Jamaican women—Deon Hemmings, Melaine Walker, Kaliese Spencer, and Rushell Clayton—have ever broken the 53-second mark in the 400m hurdles. Now, Salmon joins that exclusive club, cementing her status as one of the best in the world.
Looking ahead, Salmon is focused on finishing her season on a high. She will contest the Diamond League final in Brussels, with her sights set on another sub-53 performance. “My ultimate aim is to finish the season with another 52 performance. Anything else that comes with that is a bonus,” Salmon concluded.
With her decision to return to Jamaica proving to be the right move, Salmon’s resurgence has her poised to continue breaking barriers and reaching new heights in the 400m hurdles.
Russell Wilson's injured calf will keep him out of Sunday's season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, making Justin Fields the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers had named Wilson the team's starting quarterback but the 12-year NFL veteran aggravated a calf injury this past week that had side-lined him earlier in training camp.
He had tried to warmup up before Pittsburgh's game at Atlanta before the team ultimately decided to make him the emergency quarterback.
As the emergency QB, he can only take the field if Fields and backup Kyle Allen both get injured.
The Steelers acquired Fields from the Chicago Bears in March for a conditional draft pick.
The pick will be a sixth-rounder unless Fields plays 51 percent of the snaps this season for Pittsburgh, then it will become a fourth-rounder.
Fields made 38 starts and appeared in 40 games for Chicago since he was selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 draft. He completed 60.3 percent of his passes with 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions and added 14 rushing scores.
The 35-year-old Wilson, a Super Bowl XLVIII champion with the Seattle Seahawks, joined the Steelers a week before they made the trade for Fields after two disappointing seasons with the Denver Broncos.
John McEnroe says "you never want to count Novak Djokovic out" despite his failure to win a grand slam in 2024.
Djokovic's last major triumph came at Flushing Meadows last year as he won his third grand slam of 2023, levelling Margaret Court's record of 24 titles.
And it looked like he would overtake that record this year, but he has struggled with injuries and a lack of form, meaning he will end a calendar year without a major title for the first time since 2017.
While he ended his wait for a gold medal at the Paris Olympics last month, he only reached one grand slam final, losing in straight sets to Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon.
He then suffered a shock early exit to Alexei Popyrin in the third round in New York, but McEnroe is convinced the Serb has what it takes to prove everybody wrong.
"You never want to count him out," McEnroe told Eurosport.
"This would certainly be the first time where you could say with some seriousness that you start to wonder if he's going to win again.
"How long can this guy keep motivated? Then he won the Olympic gold. I'm amazed that he's kept it [motivation] for this long.
"I'm sure to be surprised either way. If he doesn't win [a major], you would be like wow – he won three of the four last year. And now we're saying he'll never win it again. And then I would sort of be surprised in a way if he did, because of his age.
"That's what he's facing right now. It will be interesting to see if he's able to pull it off. But I do think he'll try to find that motivation to get number 25."
Dak Prescott is set to sign a record-breaking, $240million contract with the Dallas Cowboys, according to reports.
Prescott's future has been up in the air but, just hours out from their season opener against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, it appears the Cowboys have struck a deal with their quarterback.
The deal includes a guaranteed $231m and an $80m signing bonus.
With an annual salary of $60m, Prescott will become the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history.
This is the second extension the 31-year-old has penned with Dallas, where he will remain through the 2028 season.
Prescott led the NFL for completions (410) and touchdowns (36) last season.
Pep Guardiola is constantly evolving to stay ahead of the rest of the game, giving him the best advantage to keep winning, so says Rodri.
Manchester City won an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title last season, following on from their historic treble, with Rodri's goal sealing it as the club won their first-ever Champions League.
Rodri has been a key piece of Guardiola's team since joining from Atletico Madrid in July 2019, and last season made 34 appearances in the top-flight, never tasting defeat in any of them.
In all competitions last campaign, he made 50 appearances, playing the most minutes of any of his team-mates (4,325). Rodri also featured in six of Spain's seven Euro 2024 matches, helping them to win a record fourth title at the tournament.
The midfielder admitted that while Guardiola is constantly looking for improvement, he has also been the key to Rodri reaching his potential.
"To me, the unique thing about Pep is that he is always one step ahead," Rodri wrote in the Players Tribune. "He is always evolving before the game around him can evolve.
"He is never satisfied with keeping things exactly as we played last season, because your competition is always going to be analysing last season. You don't win four Premier League titles in a row by standing still. You either reinvent yourself or you die.
"For me, he added that final mental piece of the puzzle. "Seeing" the game in a different way. "Feeling" it — when to move into space, when to hold back. When to press, when to ease off.
"His confidence was so important to me, because you have to remember, when I came here in 2019, I was walking into a changing room with Fernandinho, Aguero, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne. Legends."
In his five years in Manchester, Rodri has won four Premier Leagues, an FA Cup, two EFL Cups, a Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
City only failed to win the Premier League in Rodri's first of those five seasons, while the Spaniard has only suffered defeat in two finals while at the club: the Champions League in 2021 and the FA Cup last term.
However, he says those defeats are what drive him to improve, using them as learning moments when it comes to challenging for the next trophy.
"We have been very blessed the last few years with City, but it's not real life," Rodri added. "In the good moments, you don't learn, you just enjoy.
"In the bad moments, when you truly suffer, that's when you really grow. I remember after the '21 Champions League final against Chelsea, I walked back into the little family area, and when I saw my parents and my brothers, I literally couldn't speak.
"It was like I was 10 years old again, at the kitchen table. I couldn't say a word. I just thought: I never want to feel this feeling again. I have to work harder. I have to find a way to be better."
Jamaica's Tyrece Thompson secured a landmark victory on Saturday night, winning the Super Heavyweight Division at the 2024 International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) Pan American Championships held in Monterrey, Mexico. The week-long event, running from August 30 to September 7, showcased some of the top amateur mixed martial arts talents from across the Americas.
Thompson delivered an impressive performance in the final, defeating Guyana’s John Campayne to clinch Jamaica's first ever gold medal. Campayne, who put up a strong fight, took home the silver medal. Meanwhile, the bronze medals were shared by Guyana’s Lyndon Fung and the USA’s Anthony Alcala.
Thompson’s triumph is a major achievement for Jamaica and its growing presence in the MMA world, as the country continues to produce elite athletes in various combat sports disciplines. His victory at the IMMAF Pan American Championships is expected to further boost the development of MMA in Jamaica.
In other divisions, the Flyweight category saw Rocklyne Cornwall of Trinidad and Tobago sharing the bronze medal with Mexico’s Jorge Cobos Marin. Peru’s Jose Ayquipa won gold, while David Portilla of Colombia claimed silver. Guyana's Ezekiel Persaud earned a silver medal in the Strawweight Division, which was won by Jonatha Abad Hernandez Gonzales of Colombia.
The IMMAF Pan American Championships served as a platform to highlight emerging talent from the region, with athletes from countries like Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, and the USA putting on impressive performances. As the sport of MMA continues to grow across the Caribbean and Latin America, this event showcased the depth of talent and the bright future for these athletes.
With his victory, Thompson now joins the ranks of top amateur MMA fighters in the region, and his success at the Pan American Championships marks another milestone in his promising career.
The United States must tackle some concerning mentality issues, which are to blame for their defeat to Canada.
That is the view of interim coach Mikey Varas, who has few answers for solving the problem.
USA were beaten 2-1 by Canada in Kansas City on Saturday, in their first game of the post-Gregg Berhalter era.
It marked Canada's first victory on US soil in 67 years.
And while Mauricio Pochettino reportedly waits in the wings to take over the Stars and Stripes, Varas hit out at the team's mentality.
"The mentality is on the players. They know it," he told reporters.
"We speak the truth to each other. I love those guys. But they know that mentality to fight, to run and to sacrifice, I can't do that for them. That's on them.
"I'm not a psychologist, so I don't know. I felt that the training [sessions] were intense. They were aggressive.
"But when the game comes, you gotta get going. And the players are the ones that bring that. Coaches can only get you so far from a mentality perspective."
Varas did shoulder some of the blame, too, suggesting he may have tried to introduce too many new ideas, too soon.
"I think on the ball, that's on me," he said.
"I want to present some ideas to them and you just never know how it's going to translate from training to the game after three training sessions. And I asked a lot of them, you know, and if there's a goal, I mean, that's on me.
"When you don't have a lot of time to work and you want to play a certain way it creates confusion.
"Players are going to take responsibility for quality of action. The translation of the ideas wasn't clear enough because you shouldn't be static and you shouldn't pass the ball just to pass the ball. You're trying to be trying to accelerate play as quickly as you can."
Germany have two potential Ballon d'Or winners on their hands in Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, so says Julian Nagelsmann.
Musiala scored once and laid on three assists as Germany hammered Hungary 5-0 in the Nations League on Saturday.
One of Musiala's assists teed up Wirtz to make it 3-0, after the Bayer Leverkusen star had teed up Germany's number 10 for the hosts' second goal in Dusseldorf.
Musiala created seven chances throughout, while Wirtz played two key passes as Germany mustered 3.7 xG to Hungary's 1.1.
“When both are in the mood and really put their foot down, it's difficult for the opposition, they're exceptionally good," Nagelsmann told ZDF.
"These are two footballers – when they link up with each other, it's very, very good to watch.
"Jamal has already undergone a great transformation in the past year in terms of his presence in the box. During [Euro 2024] it was very good, today it was phenomenal."
Speaking to Sky Sport, Nagelsmann said: "Both [Musiala and Wirtz] have the potential to win the Ballon d'Or."
At the age of 21 years and 194 days, Musiala became the youngest player to record four direct goal involvements in a single Nations League match.
Niclas Fullkrug opened the scoring just before the half-hour, and the West Ham forward said: "It is fun to watch that today.
"Jamal was in really good form. It is great to have him in the squad.
"We made a lot of deep runs and made it really hard for the opponents. Even when we did not have possession we controlled the game."
Aryna Sabalenka's US Open triumph is proof you should "never give up on your dream".
Sabalenka, who lost to Coco Gauff in last year's US Open final, got the monkey off her back when she defeated Jessica Pegula at Flushing Meadows on Saturday.
The Belarusian prevailed 7-5 7-5 from a thrilling encounter on Arthur Ashe Stadium, with Pegula having reeled off five straight games to take a 5-3 lead in the second set before Sabalenka turned the tables back in her favour.
After becoming just the fifth woman to win both hard-court grand slam titles in the same season, Sabalenka said: "Everything I'm thinking, I remember all those tough losses in the past here and it's going to sound easy but never give up on your dream and just keep trying, keep working hard.
"If you're really working hard sacrificing everything for your dream, you're going to get it one day.
"I'm just super proud of myself. I never say that but I'm super proud of myself, I'm super proud of my team that no matter what, which situation we were facing this season and in the past, we were able to go through it and get all those beautiful trophies.
"It's also very special place here, the US Open. That's why it's very special, because no matter what, every time I was coming back stronger, and I was learning, I never gave up on this dream, and it means a lot."
Sabalenka is the sixth defending runner-up to win the US Open title in the Open Era, after Chris Evert (1980), Martina Navratilova (1986), Steffi Graf (1988 and 1995), Justine Henin (2007) and Serena Williams (2002 and 2012).
And though Pegula was the home favourite, there was still plenty of support from the crowd for Sabalenka.
She added: "That's everything, let's be honest without them it wouldn't be me and I wouldn't exist and as I always say without me you guys wouldn't exist too so you're welcome!
"No, no, I love you guys. Your support is everything and you're my family and I cannot imagine my tennis life and my personal life without you. I love you guys, I don't say it often but I will say it loud, thank you for being you."
Australia suffered their biggest-ever Test defeat on Saturday, as Argentina came from behind to win 67-27 in the Rugby Championship.
And Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said his team simply "fell off a cliff" after taking a 17-point lead.
Having snapped an eight-game winless run in the Rugby Championship with their last-gasp victory over Argentina last week, Australia were looking to keep the momentum going.
And they looked well set to do just that as tries from Carlo Tizzano and Andrew Kellaway propelled them into a 20-3 lead.
But Mateo Carreras and Julian Montoya, who was playing for Argentina for the 100th time, dragged Argentina back into it and paved the way for Australia's capitulation after the break.
Juan Martin Gonzalez, Joaquin Oviedo, Juan Cruz Mallia and Lucio Cinti all crossed for the Pumas in the second half, with Santiago Carreras' conversion condemning Australia to their record defeat.
"To lead a Test match 20-3 and get run down in the manner which we did is really disappointing," said Schmidt.
"We cannot let a game get away from us like it did and fall off a cliff.
"We lost connection in our defensive line. We were forever chasing them.
"We didn't put enough pressure on at the breakdown, so they were operating off a lightning-quick ball, and it's just too difficult to keep chasing a team on a hot day when they’ve got the ball and going forward."
Australia's previous record Test defeat had come against South Africa in 1997.
Matters do not get any easier for the Wallabies, who now face two matches against Schmidt's native New Zealand as they aim to avoid finishing bottom of the pile.
Second-place Argentina, meanwhile, will tussle it out with Rugby Championship leaders South Africa.
Jessica Pegula looked back on an "incredible month" after losing 7-5 7-5 to Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final.
Pegula, the oldest American woman to reach her maiden grand slam final, fought back bravely in the second set on Saturday.
Ultimately, though, Sabalenka had too much, reeling off three straight games to win her third major title.
Pegula, who lost to Sabalenka in the final of the Cincinnati Open after winning the Canadian Open, could nevertheless look back on her achievements with pride.
She said: "It has been an incredible month for me.
"I had a tough start to the year but managed to turn it around. I didn't expect to be standing here and I'm grateful for the last few months of tennis and some incredible matches."
Pegula is the fifth player in the past decade to defeat three former women's major finalists en route to the US Open final. Each of the previous four went on to win the event – Flavia Pennetta (2015), Angelique Kerber (2016), Sloane Stephens (2017) and Coco Gauff (2023), however.
But Sabalenka proved just too strong, as the Belarusian became the fifth player during the Open Era to win both hard-court grand slams, after Monica Seles (1991,92), Steffi Graf (1988,89), Kerber (2016) and Martina Hingis (1997).
"I wish she would have at least let me get one set," quipped Pegula, who won five straight games to go from 3-0 down in the second set to 5-3 up.
"We had a tough match in Cincinnati a few weeks ago and she's one of the best in the world.
"She's super powerful and isn't going to give you anything, she can take the racquet out of your hand.
"I'm just glad I was able to stay in there and keep taking opportunities."
Declan Rice "was never going to celebrate" after scoring against the Republic of Ireland in England's 2-0 Nations League victory.
The midfielder was met by a hostile crowd in Dublin having previously represented Ireland before changing allegiance to England.
But Rice had the last laugh, lashing home in the 11th minute before teeing up Jack Grealish, who previously represented Ireland at youth level, to seal a comfortable win for Lee Carsley's side.
It marked his fourth goal for the Three Lions but Rice did not feel the need for celebrations.
"Obviously, it was an amazing feeling to score, but I was never going to celebrate. I have Irish family, my nan and grandad, who are not here anymore and I think it would have been disrespectful to them if I celebrated," he told beIN Sports.
"It happened six, seven years ago so it’s such a long time ago now. I get on really well with a lot of the Irish boys so there’s nothing hard done by, by me. Obviously, the fans feel a certain way, and that’s absolutely fine.
"I just wanted to focus and get my head back in the game to score more goals."
The last time Rice had played at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin was six years and 97 days prior to Saturday's match. On that occasion, he represented Ireland against the USA in June 2018.
Now in the white shirt of England, Rice helped interim manager Carsley to a debut win in Dublin after the resignation of Gareth Southgate following Euro 2024.
"It's been refreshing this week to play with [Carsley] and play with his staff. We're playing in a different way to what we were before," reflected Rice.
"It's going to take a bit of time for us to be amazing at what we do, but a lot of the players that play at [Manchester] City, Liverpool, Arsenal, we play a similar way, so it's easy to adapt.
"It was really good, it was really refreshing. I'm feeling much fitter in myself which is a real positive. It was a really good result in the end."
While Rice now represents a relative stalwart of the England squad with 59 caps, former England Under-21s manager Carsley, himself an ex-Ireland international, handed debuts to Morgan Gibbs-White and Angel Gomes, while he also played Anthony Gordon and Levi Colwill from the start.
"We've obviously been really close now in back-to-back Euros, at a World Cup, so the next thing for England is to win," said Rice.
"We need to strive and keep building towards that. It’s a different group this time, more younger players, but I'm sure we’ll be better for it. Going forward, it's going to be really positive, and it's going to be a fresh start."
Ronald Koeman was pleased with the Netherlands' "flashy" display against Bosnia-Herzegovina, as he also jumped to the aid of defender Matthijs de Ligt.
A dominant Dutch display eventually reflected the scoreline it deserved upon Donatas Rumsas' final whistle, as they bounced back to winning ways with a 5-2 victory following their Euro 2024 semi-final disappointment.
Joshua Zirkzee's opener was cancelled out by Ermedin Demirovic, before strikes from Tijjani Reijnders and Cody Gakpo gave the Netherlands a comfortable advantage.
Edin Dzeko's 73rd-minute goal threatened to set a nervy conclusion to proceedings, only for Wout Weghorst and Xavi Simons to confirm an emphatic victory.
"We played really well in possession. Very fresh, fast, often finding the people between the lines," Koeman said.
"Especially after the break, we had a good phase, but then the game has to be over."
Despite registering 28 shots, with nine of those on target, along with an expected goals (xG) total of 4.09, two lapses in concentration from De Ligt were punished by Bosnia.
Demirovic capitalised on some poor positioning from the Manchester United defender, who was then caught ball-watching as veteran Dzeko capitalised.
But Koeman came to the defence of De Ligt, saying: "You concede two goals, you take that with you. When we went to 3-2, you also saw some doubt in the team, while that was not necessary if you looked at the proportions.
"[For the first goal] Simons should have done better. He was marking their left midfielder and suddenly walked away from him.
"Of course, the centre-backs are positioning themselves wrong too.
"He [De Ligt] also realises that he is in the wrong position. This shouldn't happen, but mistakes are part of football. I think it's unfair to make a big deal out of it."
US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka credited Jessica Pegula after prevailing 7-5 7-5 in a thrilling Flushing Meadows final.
A topsy-turvy encounter saw Sabalenka cruise into a 3-0 lead in the second set, only for Pegula to reel off five straight games.
Yet Sabalenka regained her composure to propel herself back into the lead, with a long Pegula return from a ferocious volley sealing the Belarusian's maiden success in New York.
"Oh my God, I'm speechless right now," Sabalenka, last year's runner-up, said in the on-court presentation.
"So many times I thought I was so close to winning the US Open title, it's always been a dream of mine and finally I got this beautiful trophy. It means a lot, it was a really difficult couple of weeks."
Sabalenka then turned to Pegula, who became the oldest American player to compete in her first grand slam final.
"Jessica, I know how tough it was in the finals but you are showing some amazing tennis and I'm more than sure that you are going to get one [title], I mean not one, maybe more but let's start with one grand slam," said the Belarusian, who has now won three major titles.
"Congratulations on a great summer and you're an amazing player and in that second set honestly I was really praying for getting this win and not giving you one set.
"It means a lot, I'm literally speechless right now."
Pegula, who lost to Sabalenka at the Cincinnati Open last month, is the first player aged 30+ to reach their first grand slam singles final since Flavia Pennetta (33y 197d) and Roberta Vinci (32y 204d), at the 2015 US Open.
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