Standout fitness athlete Kristen McGregor faced unexpected challenges leading up to the Mr. Big Evolution Olympia Qualifier held in Lisbon, Portugal, on Sunday, July 7, 2024. Competing in the Open Figure Category, she aimed to defend her title from the previous year but ultimately secured a top-five finish out of 24 competitors.
This year’s preparation was a stark contrast to her usual routine. McGregor, who typically trained in Jamaica, found herself in the unfamiliar territory of the United Kingdom. “This competition prep was done in the UK, where this was my first time visiting,” McGregor said. “There was limited access to my resources. I believe now that this may have contributed to my performance or conditioning for the show, meaning my recovery was not the same where I would have gotten my continuous massages and muscle recovery sessions. This was not my usual climate, and my atmosphere was way much different. Nevertheless, I made the best out of my situation.”
Despite these obstacles, McGregor maintained her focus and determination. She entered the competition without specific expectations about her competitors, aiming instead to give her best performance. “The intensity was not much different from last year, to be honest. I had no expectations of who would be there, so I didn’t find nor did I see anyone as most dangerous to my objective. My objective was to retain my title.”
Finishing in the top five left McGregor with mixed emotions. “To be honest, it just means that I finished fifth in the competition. This placement wasn’t expected, but at the end of the day, I would always say the sport is very subjective. You do the best you can do in preparing for it, and yet you go without expectation. At the end, you are left without disappointment knowing that you have done your best and it’s the physique that is displayed.”
Despite not reclaiming her title, McGregor remains grateful for the opportunity to compete. “It doesn’t justify me putting in the work that I have done. However, I am always grateful for the experience to be on stage.”
The Bahamas' quest for a historic first Olympic basketball berth came to a heartbreaking end on Sunday, as they fell to Spain 86-78 in the 2024 FIBA Qualifying Finals in Valencia, Spain.
Deandre Ayton, the Portland Trail Blazers' centre, delivered a commendable performance with 17 points on 8-14 shooting, 14 rebounds, and two assists in 36 minutes of play. Ayton's efforts throughout the FIBA Qualifying Tournament in Valencia were notable, as he averaged 19.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 64.2 per cent from the field.
Buddy Hield, recently acquired by the Golden State Warriors, led The Bahamas in scoring during the final with 19 points, while new Philadelphia 76ers signee Eric Gordon contributed 15 points.
For Spain, former Blazer Rudy Fernandez, 39, added nine points, two rebounds, and two assists. Guard Lorenzo Brown was the top scorer for Spain, registering 18 points, including 4-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
Entering the final as underdogs, The Bahamas put up a valiant fight but struggled to recover from a crucial 25-17 second quarter in favour of Spain, which ultimately proved to be the difference in the game.
Spain's significant free-throw advantage also played a pivotal role, as they shot 23-25 from the charity stripe compared to The Bahamas' 10-13. Additionally, Spain's superior ball handling was evident, winning the turnover battle 15-11.
Despite the loss, The Bahamas showed fight. Ayton's standout performances, coupled with solid contributions from Hield and Gordon, underscore a promising future for Bahamian basketball on the international stage.
The team’s valiant effort in Valencia marks a significant step forward, and while they fell just short of an Olympic berth, the experience gained and the competitive spirit displayed bode well for future international competitions.
Emma Raducanu says her Wimbledon run has "fuelled the fire" as she looks to return to her best form.
Raducanu, who stormed to a shock US Open win in 2021, has endured a difficult few years.
Yet she looked strong in her opening three rounds at Wimbledon, dumping out Maria Sakkari en route to a tie with qualifier Lulu Sun on Sunday.
However, with the odds in her favour, Raducanu failed to deliver as Sun prevailed 6-2 5-7 6-2 to claim a surprise victory.
With Aryna Sabalenka having withdrawn and both Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek also crashing out over the weekend, a path to glory might have opened up for Raducanu.
Instead, she is aiming to use an encouraging run at the All England Club as motivation for the rest of the season.
"I feel good about things going forwards. I feel optimistic," said Raducanu.
"As bitter as it is to take, I think [this defeat] happened for a reason.
"You don't want things to happen too easily and too quickly. I had that before. I don't necessarily want just a massive spike.
"Six months ago when I was starting out after surgery, I would have signed for the fourth round at Wimbledon.
"Of course I'm disappointed. Of course, I want more. It fuels the fire and makes me more hungry."
Raducanu has received some criticism, though, for withdrawing from the mixed doubles event on the eve of her match with Sun.
That withdrawal marked the end of Andy Murray's farewell Wimbledon appearance.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 23 points to send Greece into the Paris Olympics.
Antetokounmpo has not previously featured at a Games, but is now set to debut after Greece qualified for the 12-team basketball tournament.
They beat Croatia 80-69 on Sunday, and will now face Australia, Canada and Spain in the group stage in Paris.
And two-time NBA MVP Antetokounmpo believes Greece should be gunning for gold.
"The best athletes in the world compete in the Olympic Games," Antetokounmpo said.
"We have nothing to lose. I really believe we have an incredible team and we can accomplish something special."
Spain and Brazil also booked their places at the Games on Sunday, beating the Bahamas and Latvia respectively.
Canada must produce the performance of their lives to have any chance of upsetting holders Argentina to reach the Copa America final, acknowledges Jesse Marsch.
Marsch's team will face the World Cup winners for a final berth at the MetLife Stadium on Tuesday, having overcome Venezuela in a penalty shoot-out in the last eight.
They are just the fourth CONCACAF team to reach the Copa semi-finals and the third to do so on their debut, after Mexico (1993 runners-up), Honduras (third in 2001) and the United States (third in 1995).
They face the sternest of tests next up, however, having already lost to Lionel Messi and the rest of Argentina's stars in their opening group-stage game.
Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez were on target in that match as Lionel Scaloni's team triumphed 2-0 in Atlanta, rifling off 19 shots worth 3.02 expected goals (xG) to Canada's 10 (1.16 xG).
While Canada have won plenty of admirers on their run to the last four, Marsch knows they need to step up further on Tuesday.
"Argentina will have to be the best match we've ever played and it still might not be enough," he said. "But whatever. We're going to go for it."
Captain Alphonso Davies echoed those sentiments but pointed out Canada had given Argentina a scare in their earlier game, saying: "It's going to take everything. We played them in the group stage and we played well but didn't get the win we wanted."
Argentina boss Scaloni hit out at the quality of the pitch after that earlier meeting at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and Messi says the surfaces have had an impact throughout the tournament.
"The pitch always has an influence. It's a reality that the pitches aren't good," he told reporters, as quoted by The Athletic.
"I think the best one was the one in Miami, which was good from what you saw from the outside at least. It's natural and that's already different. Of course, it has an influence."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Argentina – Alexis Mac Allister
Mac Allister assisted Lisandro Martinez's opener versus Ecuador in the last eight, then held his nerve from the spot as the world champions triumphed in a shoot-out after a 1-1 draw.
The Liverpool midfielder has two assists at this year's tournament. Since such data began in 2011, only Lionel Messi (in 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2021) has ever provided three or more assists for Argentina at a single edition of the Copa America.
Mac Allister has completed 122 of his 135 passes at this tournament, with 70 of those being played in the opposition half. With Canada likely to sit deep, it could fall on him to keep things ticking over and provide service for Messi and his fellow attackers.
Canada – Maxime Crepeau
Crepeau was forced into six saves in Canada's Copa America opener versus Argentina, and he could be busy again here.
However, he has been in excellent form throughout this tournament, conceding three goals from 4.95 expected goals on target (xGoT) faced, with only Claudio Bravo (3.66 goals prevented) and Rafael Romo (2.36) overperforming their underlying goalkeeping statistics by a greater margin.
Only Sergio Rochet and Emiliano Martinez (three each) have bettered his two clean sheets at this tournament. He will have his work cut out to keep another, though.
MATCH PREDICTION: ARGENTINA WIN
Argentina have now reached the semi-finals at seven of their last eight major tournaments, with the 2018 World Cup being the only exception.
They have won their last 10 matches against CONCACAF opponents in official competitions, not conceding a goal in any of their last six such games.
Additionally, the defending champions have reached the last four at five of the last seven editions of the Copa America, and only two of them – Colombia in 2004 and Chile in 2019 – failed to make the final. The omens, then, are not good for Canada.
It will be the fifth time Argentina have faced the same opponents twice at a single edition of the Copa America since the current format was introduced in 1993. Two of the previous four instances included a semi-final meeting (Colombia in 1993 and Paraguay in 2015), with the other two including the final (Mexico in 1993 and Chile in 2016).
La Albiceleste did, however, only win one of those four editions, lifting the trophy in 1993, then waiting 28 years to reclaim their place as South America's finest in 2021.
They are assigned an 84% chance of reaching the final by the Opta supercomputer, with Canada out to cause one of the greatest upsets in the history of the competition.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Argentina – 76.7%
Canada – 9.8%
Draw – 13.6%
Rafael Devers hit home runs in the seventh and ninth innings, Kutter Crawford needed just 68 pitches to get through seven innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 3-0 on Sunday.
New York managed just four hits and were handed a 15th loss in their last 20 games.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, have fought their way back into contention in a competitive AL East by winning 16 of their last 22 games.
Devers, whose seventh-inning solo shot off Luis Gil broke a scoreless tie, has hit seven home runs in his last 11 games and is batting .405 over that stretch.
Boston’s other run came on an eighth-inning homer by Ceddanne Rafaela.
Crawford was efficient in collecting his third win in his last four starts, throwing 54 of his 68 pitches for strikes.
New York’s offence wasted a quality start from Gil, who allowed four hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings while striking out nine.
Three of the Yankees’ four hits came from batters in the seventh, eighth and ninth spots in the order.
Braves bash 4 HRs to back Lopez
Reynaldo Lopez pitched six scoreless innings, and the Atlanta Braves hit four home runs en route to a 6-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Playing for his fourth team in two seasons, Lopez improved to 7-2 and lowered his ERA to 1.71.
The Braves jumped on Phillies starting pitcher Michael Mercado early, with Jarred Kelenic, Matt Olson and Adam Duvall each homering in the second inning to build a 5-0 lead.
Eli White added an insurance run by hitting a solo shot in the sixth inning.
The Phillies had five hits – including Alec Bohm’s 30th double of the season – and three walks but were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.
Atlanta took two of three in the series but still trail Philadelphia by eight games in the NL East.
Guardians top Giants to continue home dominance
Bo Naylor launched a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the sixth inning to take the lead, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the San Francisco Giants 5-4 to continue their dominant play at Progressive Field.
The win gave the Guardians a league-leading 30-11 home record, and Cleveland are yet to lose a series at home this season.
Naylor’s clutch home run came with two outs and after falling behind in the count, 0-2. After working the count, Naylor sent a 2-2 pitch over the right-field wall for his first career pinch-hit home run.
Naylor’s older brother Josh, who was named to his first All-Star team on Sunday, had an RBI single in the fourth.
Josh Naylor will be joined at the All-Star Game by teammates Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan, David Fry and Emmanuel Clase. Cleveland’s five selections were the most of any American League team.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes reached another milestone in his meteoric rise Sunday, when MLB announced the rookie sensation was selected as an All-Star less than two months after his big-league debut.
Skenes, 22, has used his 100-mph fastball to dazzle fans and frustrate hitters, just 10 starts into his MLB career.
The 2023 top overall draft pick is 5-0 with a 2.12 ERA and has 78 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings pitched.
The Philadelphia Phillies had a league-high and franchise-record seven players selected to the All-Star Game, which will be played on July 16 at Globe Life Field in Texas.
The Phillies will send pitchers Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez, Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm to the Midsummer Classic. Position players Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Alec Bohm were voted by fans as starters, although Harper remains on the injured list with a left hamstring strain.
The Los Angeles Dodgers had six players selected, including injured shortstop Mookie Betts, who got the nod for the eighth straight season. Freddy Freeman was named an All-Star for the sixth year in a row (eight total selections), while Shohei Ohtani will make his fourth consecutive appearance.
The Cleveland Guardians had five players named to the All-Star roster, the most in the American League. Jose Ramirez and MLB batting leader Steven Kwan were voted in by the fans and will be joined by Emmanuel Clase, David Fry and Josh Naylor.
This year’s game will feature 32 players who are first-time All-Stars. San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar got the nod for the first time during his 11th MLB season.
Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez and Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve were each selected for the ninth time, the most of any player on this year’s rosters.
Emma Raducanu has no regrets over her decision to withdraw from the mixed doubles tournament at Wimbledon, a call that ended Andy Murray's career at SW19.
The 2021 US Open champion was due to play alongside Murray on Saturday, in what would have been the Scot's final entry at a tournament where he has won two singles titles, ahead of his expected retirement later this year.
Murray was unable to play singles after undergoing back surgery but did appear alongside brother Jamie in the men's doubles on Thursday, losing in straight sets to John Peers and Rinky Hijikata.
Raducanu cited soreness in her wrist as she withdrew from the mixed doubles to prioritise her singles campaign, which ended with Sunday's last-16 defeat to Lulu Sun.
She is certain she made the right choice, saying after her elimination: "It was a very difficult decision. Of course, I didn't want to take his last match away from him.
"But I think a lot of players in a similar situation would have done the same thing, prioritising their body. I still stand by making the right call.
"I don't think I would have done it any other way. I think in this sport especially, as an individual, you have to make your own calls and prioritise yourself."
Raducanu's withdrawal caused controversy on social media as Murray's mother Judy described the news as "astonishing" on X, later insisting the post was sarcastic and suggesting the tournament's scheduling had forced Raducanu's hand.
Asked about that initial post, Raducanu claimed she had not seen it before adding: "I'm sure she didn't mean it."
Coco Gauff suffered a surprise exit in the last 16 at Wimbledon as Emma Navarro claimed a huge straight-sets victory over her fellow American on Centre Court.
Second seed Gauff entered the match hoping to reach the last eight for the fifth time in her last six grand slam entries, but the US Open champion was stunned by her compatriot.
Nineteenth seed Navarro needed just 76 minutes to wrap up a 6-4 6-3 victory, advancing to the quarter-finals at a major for the first time in her career.
The 23-year-old was broken to love five games into the opener but that setback only spurred her on as she hit back immediately, eventually claiming the second break in the 10th game with a fine passing shot down the line.
Gauff looked nervous at the start of the second set, a double fault and a wayward forehand handing Navarro a break four games in, though the world number two forced her opponent to serve it out after fending off a potential second break.
Navarro failed to convert her first two match points, but it was third time lucky as Gauff crashed a return into the net, sealing the biggest win of Navarro's career.
"I'm just really grateful to be out on Centre Court, where so many legends have played before me, it's a real honour and I just can't wait to play again," Navarro said afterwards.
"It's probably my favourite court I've ever played on. The fans, the atmosphere… just having my family and my team watch me was so special.
"I played really aggressively. Coco's an amazing player, I have respect for her and everything she's done, but I wanted to push back against her and I think I did that."
Data Debrief: Navarro flying the flag
Navarro will now face seventh seed and French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini for a place in the semi-finals, with Gauff following fellow heavyweights Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek out of the draw.
She is just the fourth American woman to beat a top-two ranked player at Wimbledon, after both Venus and Serena Williams and Alison Riske.
Max Verstappen was relieved to finish second at the British Grand Prix after fearing he might slide as low as fifth or sixth on a difficult weekend for Red Bull.
An emotional Lewis Hamilton claimed his first win since 2021, triumphing at Silverstone for a record-extending ninth time, after team-mate George Russell was forced to retire from pole.
Hamilton fought off a late challenge from old rival Verstappen to take the spoils, with the reigning world champion having struggled for pace in wet conditions.
After starting 2024 with seven wins in 10 races, Verstappen has won just two of the last five with both Mercedes and McLaren upping the pressure on Red Bull.
After Sunday's race, however, his main emotion was relief.
"We just didn't have the pace today," Verstappen told reporters in parc ferme. "I was just steadily dropping back when it mattered in the beginning, so it didn't look great.
"At some point I was really thinking, 'Are we going to finish fifth, sixth?' But we made the right calls, I think it was the right lap every time.
"At the end, the call from the team to be on the hard tyre instead of the soft was definitely helping me out.
"We finished second today, so it could've been a lot worse, but we're making the right calls – we're still onto the podium and I'm of course very happy with that."
Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez finished 17th as his miserable run of form continued – he has now failed to make the top six at six straight races.
It was also a difficult day for the two Ferraris, with Carlos Sainz coming in fifth and Charles Leclerc struggling with worn tyres in heavy rain as he finished 14th.
Leclerc has one fifth-place finish in his last four outings, also retiring in Canada and toiling to an 11th-placed finish in Austria last week.
"It was clearly the wrong strategy. I'll look into it. Obviously, with the message I got and the information I had in the car, I felt like it was the right one," he said of his tyre selection.
"This period is very hard. I don't really have the words to explain it, but it's been four races that it's been worse than a nightmare. I hope we can come back soon."
Carlos Alcaraz is hopeful his win over France's Ugo Humbert can inspire Spain's football team ahead of facing Les Bleus in their Euro 2024 semi-final on Tuesday.
Alcaraz edged closer to defending his Wimbledon crown with a 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 win over Humbert in a hard-fought triumph on Centre Court.
The world number three's quarter-final match takes place on the same day as France's encounter with Spain in Munich, and may be unable to watch the action unfold.
But Alcaraz played his part in SW19, and his hoping La Roja, who have won all of their games at the tournament, will follow suit.
"Hopefully they're going to get the same result as me today," Alcaraz said.
"I won in the tennis part, so hopefully the Spanish team are going to win the football part."
Alcaraz was unable to watch the first half of Spain's clash with hosts Germany on Friday after edging Frances Tiafoe in a five-set thriller.
The three-time grand slam champion needed three hours and 51 minutes to dispatch the American, but was able to witness Mikel Merino's late winner in Stuttgart.
With Tommy Paul up next in the quarter-finals, the Spaniard is hopeful of getting the job done quicker this time to be able to watch Luis de la Fuente's side.
"The first thing is I am supporting Spain because it's Spain," he said. "I have a really good relationship with a few players of the team. In particular, with Alvaro Morata.
"He's a really good friend. So right now it's time to support them, as I know they supporting me when I'm playing matches or I'm playing tournaments. It's my turn.
"Hopefully on Tuesday we are not going to play at the same time. But let's see. Hopefully I will be able to see a little bit from the match."
Carlos Alcaraz is hopeful his win over France's Ugo Humbert can inspire Spain's football team ahead of facing Les Bleus in their Euro 2024 semi-final on Tuesday.
Alcaraz edged closer to defending his Wimbledon crown with a 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 win over Humbert in a hard-fought triumph on Centre Court.
The world number three's quarter-final match takes place on the same day as France's encounter with Spain in Munich, and may be unable to watch the action unfold.
But Alcaraz played his part in SW19, and his hoping La Roja, who have won all of their games at the tournament, will follow suit.
"Hopefully they're going to get the same result as me today," Alcaraz said.
"I won in the tennis part, so hopefully the Spanish team are going to win the football part."
Alcaraz was unable to watch the first half of Spain's clash with hosts Germany on Friday after edging Frances Tiafoe in a five-set thriller.
The three-time grand slam champion needed three hours and 51 minutes to dispatch the American, but was able to witness Mikel Merino's late winner in Stuttgart.
With Tommy Paul up next in the quarter-finals, the Spaniard is hopeful of getting the job done quicker this time to be able to watch Luis de la Fuente's side.
"The first thing is I am supporting Spain because it's Spain," he said. "I have a really good relationship with a few players of the team. In particular, with Alvaro Morata.
"He's a really good friend. So right now it's time to support them, as I know they supporting me when I'm playing matches or I'm playing tournaments. It's my turn.
"Hopefully on Tuesday we are not going to play at the same time. But let's see. Hopefully I will be able to see a little bit from the match."
Daniil Medvedev will face Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon quarter-finals after his last-16 opponent Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire due to injury on Sunday.
Dimitrov was 5-3 down in the opening set when he was forced off, having slipped five games into the contest.
The Bulgarian received treatment on his knee during a medical timeout but moved awkwardly when he attempted to continue and only lasted 35 minutes on No.1 Court.
While the 10th seed's tournament ended in frustrating fashion, fifth seed Medvedev advances to the last eight for the second time, having made the semi-finals last year.
He will face a huge test against Sinner, who beat Ben Shelton in straight sets in his own round-of-16 match.
The world number one has won 42 of his first 45 ATP Tour-level matches of the year, becoming just the fourth player to achieve that feat this century after Roger Federer (2005-06), Novak Djokovic (2011, 2015-16) and Rafael Nadal (2013, 2018).
Data Debrief: Medvedev out for revenge
Medvedev has won six of his previous 11 meetings with Sinner, but each of the Italian's five victories over him have come in their last five meetings.
The 2021 US Open champion will be eyeing revenge on Tuesday.
Emma Raducanu was stunned in the Wimbledon round of 16 as qualifier Lulu Sun claimed a remarkable victory to eliminate the Centre Court favourite on Sunday.
Raducanu needed a lengthy medical stoppage after extending too far and injuring her left knee in the opening game of the deciding set, but was unable to recover as Sun emerged a 6-2 5-7 6-2 victor.
Featuring in the fourth round of a major for the first time since her breakout 2021 season, Raducanu seemed caught up by the occasion as qualifier Sun raced into a 3-0 lead by breaking twice.
Raducanu fought back to break and reduce the deficit to 3-1, though again faltered on her serve as the world number 123 snatched the third break-point opportunity to move 5-2 up and then sealed the first set.
The 2021 US Open champion regained her composure in the second set, yet frustrations were clear when Raducanu failed to grasp two break points in Sun's second serving game.
Home favourite Raducanu channelled those frustrations into her efforts, however, entertaining the crowd with a delicate drop shot before lobbing her opponent en route to levelling at 1-1.
That second-set marathon lasted a mammoth one hour and 13 minutes, and there was cause for concern when Raducanu slipped after stretching to her right, jarring her left knee in the opening game of the decider.
The 21-year-old required a three-minute medical time-out as Centre Court fell into a hesitant silence, but the crowd erupted as the Brit was able to continue, smashing an ace on the first point of her return.
Celebrations were short-lived, however, as Sun broke Raducanu's opening service game and never looked back. She saw one match point come and go, but made no mistake when the second one came around.
The winner plays Donna Vekic, who beat Paula Badosa.
World number 123 Sun is the only qualifier still in the women's singles, and impressed on her Centre Court bow.
Data Debrief: Sun's dream Wimbledon run continues
Sun became the seventh qualifier to make the women’s singles quarter-finals at Wimbledon in the Open Era after Carina Karlsson (1984), Molly Van Nostrand (1985), Alexandra Stevenson (1999), Jelena Dokic (1999), Roberta Beltrame (2006) and Kaia Kanepi (2010).
Sun is also the second-lowest ranked (#123) player in the last 15 editions of the tournament to make the women’s singles quarter-finals at the Championships - ranked higher only than Serena Williams in 2018 (#181).
The New Zealander impressed on her Centre Court debut, scoring 50 winners along with converting five break points.
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