Cristina Bucsa and Sara Sorribes Tormo claimed bronze in the women's doubles at the Paris Olympics, beating the Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova.
The Spaniards dominated proceedings from start to finish, coming through in straight sets 6-2 6-2 in an hour and 13 minutes at Roland-Garros.
Bucsa and Sorribes showed their intent from the start, breaking the Czech's serve in the opening game to claim the early advantage.
While Muchova and Noskova improved, the Spanish pairing were able to find another break to take the encounter to 5-2, going on to claim the first set at a canter.
The Czechs missed two opportunities to take the opening game of the second, but allowed their opponents to break their serve once again and race into a 3-0 lead.
From then on, Bucsa and Sorribes never looked back, winning the final three games in a row to claim Spain's first medal of the day, with Carlos Alcaraz in action against Novak Djokovic in the men's singles final.
The women's doubles gold medal match will see Italy's Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani face Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider, who are competing as Individual Neutral Athletes.
Data Debrief: Spain off to a fine start in the days tennis
With Alcaraz guaranteed to bring home a medal for Spain, Bucsa and Sorribes ensured there was double delight for the nation in the French capital.
In a one-sided affair, the Spaniards converted five of the nine break points they had, while also winning seven of their service games compared to the Czechs' two.
Several Caribbean athletes advanced in their respective events during the preliminary rounds of the 200m, 110m hurdles, and long jump events on Sunday. Following her historic 100m victory on Saturday, Julien Alfred of St Lucia demonstrated her intention to achieve a sprint double with a commanding performance in the opening heat of the 200m, winning in an impressive 22.41 seconds.
Despite Alfred's strong showing, the fastest time of the round belonged to American gold medal favourite Gabby Thomas, who triumphed in Heat 2 with a blistering 22.20 seconds.
Jamaica, reeling from the last-minute withdrawal of two-time world champion Shericka Jackson, saw its remaining 200m entrants advance to the semi-finals. Niesha Burgher secured her spot by finishing second in Heat 2 with a time of 22.54 seconds. Lanae-Tava Thomas also progressed, placing second in Heat 5 with a time of 22.70 seconds, behind the USA’s Brittany Brown, who won the heat in 22.38 seconds.
In the 110m hurdles, all three of Jamaica’s representatives advanced to the semi-finals. Orlando Bennett led the way with a time of 13.35 seconds, finishing second in his heat. Rasheed Broadbell also secured a second-place finish in his heat, clocking 13.42 seconds. Olympic champion Hansle Parchment faced a tense wait after finishing fifth in his heat with a time of 13.43 seconds but advanced as a non-automatic qualifier. Additionally, Antoine Andrews of the Bahamas impressed by advancing with a time of 13.35 seconds.
The men’s long jump saw mixed results for Jamaica. Wayne Pinnock and Carey McLeod both qualified for the finals, with Pinnock achieving a mark of 7.96m and McLeod reaching 7.90m. However, 2019 World Champion Tajay Gayle was unable to advance, his best jump being 7.78m.
In a moment of unprecedented triumph for St Lucia, Julien Alfred captured the island's first-ever Olympic medal with a stunning victory in the women's 100m at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Racing in driving rain, Alfred clocked a sensational 10.72 seconds, setting a new national record and defeating world champion Sha'Carri Richardson and her American teammate Melissa Jefferson.
The jubilation was palpable across St Lucia as citizens gathered at multiple watch parties to witness this historic achievement.
To ensure widespread access to this historic moment, the government organized the parties for the expectant citizenry to cheer their heroine on. “What happened is that we set up four locations because we really wanted people to have it at their convenience. The population of Castries has dwindled over the years as people have moved to the outskirts so we had a watch party in Soufrière, in my constituency of Gros Islet, we had in Ciceron, which is her home community, we had a watch party there as well. So, we really had it spread throughout St Lucia and in the South we had it at the View Fort Square,” said Sports Minister Kenson Casimir, who also articulated the collective elation of the nation in the wake of Alfred's landmark win.
"We are ecstatic! We are beyond description right now in terms of what was just achieved as a people," Casimir exclaimed. “Winning an Olympic medal whether it be gold, silver or bronze, a lot of the time the rhetoric is that Julien Alfred won or that sort of thing, the conversation now begins to circle around St Lucia winning a gold medal and this is why there was always a siren call for Corporate St Lucia and other individuals to get involved.
“First National Bank in St Lucia did an awesome job in sponsoring Julien and other athletes and our island championships on the weekend so we have seen the fruits of all what was put in place for our athletes to really thrive.”
Casimir also highlighted his personal pride as the first sports minister under whose tenure St Lucia has won an Olympic gold. "As the first sports minister to bring home a gold for St Lucia, I am absolutely elated."
Reflecting on Alfred's previous accomplishments, including her World Indoor 60m title in Glasgow in March, Casimir hinted at an even grander celebration to come. "Absolutely! It is going to be out of this world; colossal. We've always believed that Julien was special, and she deserves all the credit for her hard work, both mentally and physically. We are really just excited to see what’s next for her.”
Julien Alfred said she was inspired by Usain Bolt after claiming a historic Olympic medal in the women's 100m sprint final on Saturday.
Alfred, who became Saint Lucia's first ever Olympic medallist, finished ahead of reigning world champion Sha'Carri Richardson with a time of 10.72 seconds to win gold.
She announced herself at the start of this Olympic year by winning world indoor 60m gold, also a first by an athlete from St Lucia.
The 23-year-old had previously won a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and improved steadily throughout the season and set a new personal best 10.78 in June.
Alfred will now prepare for the 200m in a bid to create more history for her nation, hoping to emulate Jamaica's Bolt, who won eight gold medals at three different Games.
"Usain Bolt won so many medals, I went back this morning and watched his races," said Alfred. I'm not going to lie, it was all Usain Bolt's races this morning."
Melissa Jefferson claimed the final podium place, with Great Britain's Daryll Neita finishing four-hundredths of a second behind, the best finish by a British female athlete in an Olympic sprint final for 64 years.
"I'm finding it hard to find words at the minute, literally speechless, so close to the medal, so close," Neita told BBC Sport.
"I'm healthy and I have the 200m to contest. I was so close to that medal and I really want that medal but fourth in the Olympics is something to be proud of."
Fellow compatriots Dina Asher-Smith and Imani-Lara Lansiquot failed to reach the final, with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdrawing from the competition before her semi-final.
Asher-Smith finished fifth in her semi-final in 11.10 and Lansiquot missed out after running 11.21.
"I'm just disappointed because I'm in great shape and have been in great shape all season. I fully expected to make that final, the race wasn't even fast," Asher-Smith told BBC Sport.
"I know I'm in a lot better shape than that. I just go on to the 200m, but again I'm fully disappointed. I should have made that."
In a turn of events that has left Jamaican athletics fans reeling, two-time world 200m champion Shericka Jackson is a late withdrawal from the 200m at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This news comes on the heels of another significant setback for Jamaica, with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdrawing from the 100m semi-finals just the day before.
Jackson, who sustained an injury while running the 200m at the Gyulai István Memorial in Hungary on July 9, had been hoping to recover in time to compete in Paris. She withdrew from the 100m event 48 hours before its start on Friday, focusing her efforts on being fit for her favoured event, the 200m. However, hopes were dashed on Sunday when it was announced that Jackson would not be competing in the 200m.
This withdrawal is a significant blow to Jamaica's medal prospects at the Paris Games. With both Jackson and Fraser-Pryce out of contention, Jamaica failed to secure a medal in the women’s 100m for the first time in over 30 years. The last time Jamaica did not medal in 100m at the Olympics was in Seoul in 1988.
The absence of Jackson leaves a heavy burden on the shoulders of Niesha Burgher and Lanae-Tava Thomas to deliver for Jamaica in the 200m.
Marie Bouzkova produced an unlikely upset against top seed Aryna Sabalenka to reach the final of the Washington Open in an encounter affected by weather delays.
After being 2-1 down in the third set before lightning and rain stopped play for three and a half hours, Bouzkova rallied to win 6-4 3-6 6-3 in the American capital.
A double break in the first set from Bouzkova saw the Czech hold the early advantage, only for her opponent to respond, serving three of her eight aces to take the second.
But upon returning to the court after the delay, Bouzkova broke Sabalenka's serve in the first game before breaking again to take a 5-3 lead.
The world number 29 closed out the victory against the Australian Open champion with a love game, setting up a meeting with Paula Badosa, who won in straight sets against home hopeful Caroline Dolehide.
Pau Victor scored twice as Barcelona maintained their unbeaten record in pre-season, beating rivals Real Madrid 2-1 to give Hansi Flick his maiden El Clasico triumph.
Victor scored twice either side of half-time with two instinctive finishes inside the area, with Nico Paz scoring late on for Madrid to set up a nervy final 10 minutes.
But Barca, who beat Manchester City on penalties earlier this week, were able to hold on in front of a sell-out crowd in New York.
The game was suspended for an hour after a wild storm around MetLife Stadium and when play continued, Barcelona showed Real why they won't have it all their own way in La Liga again this season.
Despite Madrid dominating possession, their opponents created the better chances and took the lead three minutes before the break when Robert Lewandowski's header found Victor to finish from close range.
The 22-year-old would grab his second of the game in the 54th minute, sliding in to bundle Alex Valle's teasing delivery beyond the grasp of Thibaut Courtois.
Carlo Ancelotti's side would get themselves on the scoresheet eight minutes from time when Arda Guler's corner kick found an unmarked Paz to head the ball home.
Madrid pushed to find an equaliser with Vinicius Junior going close, but Barcelona were able to hold on to take the first El Clasico of the season.
Data Debrief: Victor to replace Lewandowski up front?
Having scored eight goals less than Madrid in La Liga last season, Barcelona are keen for more firepower, and they may have found the answer in Victor.
The Spaniard impressed again for Flick's side, registering the most shots (six), most shots on target (four), and touches in the opposition box (five) than anyone on the pitch.
Barcelona ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) tally of 2.52, with Victor contributing 1.57 to that total during his impressive showing.
Liverpool concluded their pre-season tour of the United States in style, producing a commanding 3-0 win over rivals Manchester United in South Carolina.
Fabio Carvalho and Curtis Jones gave Arne Slot's side a two-goal advantage at the break, with Kostas Tsimikas sealing the triumph just after the hour mark.
Erik ten Hag will have work to do ahead of their Community Shield fixture with Manchester City next week, having won just twice from their five pre-season encounters.
Liverpool took control of the contest early on, with their dominance rewarded in the 10th minute when Carvalho found the net with a low left-footed finish inside the area.
The Reds continued to create chances and were given their rewards nine minutes before the break as Mohamed Salah teed up Jones for a simple finish.
Slot's side confirmed three wins from their three games Stateside in impressive fashion as a free-flowing move saw Diogo Jota sting the palms of Andre Onana, only for the rebound to fall kindly for Tsimikas who finished on the line.
Data Debrief: Slot ball too good for United
Despite United dominating much of the attacking statistics, Liverpool never looked tested as Slot continued to stamp his style of play on his new squad.
Tsimikas was a particular standout for the Reds, registering the most shots (two), most shots on target (two) and equal most touches in the opposition box (three).
For Ten Hag, the absence of Rasmus Hojlund and new signing Joshua Zirkzee proved pivotal as they were wasteful in front of goal. United underperformed their expected goals (xG) by 1.45, with only eight of their 18 shots on target.
Erling Haaland's hat-trick was enough to see Manchester City end their pre-season tour of the United States with a 4-2 win over Chelsea in Ohio.
Haaland scored twice in the first five minutes before Oscar Bobb added City's third in the second half, with the Norweigan completing his treble soon after.
Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke took the shine off an otherwise impressive display from Pep Guardiola's side ahead of their Community Shield fixture against Manchester United next week.
A frantic start to proceedings saw Levi Colwill bring down Haaland in the box, and despite having to retake his spot kick, Haaland made no mistake with his second attempt.
City's lead was doubled a minute later when Moises Caicedo's loose pass was cut out by Haaland, who finished confidently with his right foot beyond Robert Sanchez.
Bobb would put the game beyond doubt 10 minutes into the second half after being picked out by James McAtee to finish at the near post.
McAtee would grab his second assist of the game moments later, setting up Haaland to complete his hat-trick with a typically clinical finish.
Sterling would pull a goal back just before the hour mark as he volleyed beyond Stefan Ortega, with Madueke halving the deficit in the 89th minute with a low strike.
Data Debrief: Haaland well-prepared for Community Shield
Despite underperforming their expected goals (xG) by 2.25 at the Ohio Stadium, City showed the advantage of having a prolific striker at the top end of the pitch.
Haaland contributed 1.4 xG to City's final total of 1.75, accumulating the most shots (four), shots on target (three) and touches in the opposition box (seven) of any player on the pitch.
Aaron Judge hit his MLB-leading 41st home run of the season, Carlos Rodon had a solid outing and the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-3 on Saturday.
Judge, who hit his 40th homer on Friday night, hit a two-run shot in the first inning off Jose Berrios as he continued his torrid pace. Judge finished 2 for 3 with two walks and two runs scored. He also added his 102nd and 103rd RBIs of the year.
Anthony Volpe also homered for the second straight day, and Trent Grisham also went deep off Berrios, who allowed seven hits and six runs – five earned – in five innings.
Rodon allowed three hits and three runs over 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts, improving to 12-7 on the year. The veteran lefty had lost five straight decisions from June 15-July 9 but is since 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA over four starts.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had three hits, including a double and a first-inning solo home run.
White Sox lose again as skid approaches 20 games
The Chicago White Sox had their franchise-record losing streak extended to 19 games with a 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins.
Max Kepler delivered a tie-breaking home run in the seventh inning and Willi Castro had a two-run single in a three-run eighth as the Twins improved to 11-1 against the White Sox this season.
Chicago’s losing streak is the longest since the Baltimore Orioles lost 19 in a row in 2021.
The last time a major league team lost 20 straight was the 1969 Montreal Expos. The 1961 Philadelphia Phillies hold the dubious record with 23 consecutive losses.
After their latest loss, the White Sox fell to 27-86 and are on pace to finish 39-123, which would be the worst record of baseball’s modern era.
The Twins, however, won their third straight and improved to 61-48. Bailey Ober allowed two hits and two runs in seven strong innings, improving to 11-5.
Flaherty wins Dodgers debut, Ohtani gets 30-30
Jack Flaherty pitched six strong innings in his debut with his new team, Shohei Ohtani hit a milestone with three stolen bases and the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the Oakland Athletics 10-0 to snap a three-game losing streak.
Flaherty, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Detroit Tigers, allowed five hits and one walk across his six shutout innings while striking out seven.
Ohtani set a career high with three stolen bases in the game and added to his career high of 31 steals this season. Last year’s AL MVP, who has 33 home runs, joined the 30-30 club for the first time in his career.
Despite the final scoreline, the game was close throughout, with Gavin Lux putting the Dodgers in the lead with a two-run single in the third inning.
Los Angeles blew the game open with six runs in the ninth. With the game well in hand, third baseman Kike Hernandez pitched the bottom of the ninth for the Dodgers.
In an unexpected turn of events at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Jamaican sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdrew from the 100m semi-finals on Saturday, ending her bid for a record-extending fifth Olympic medal in the event.
The news broke minutes before the highly anticipated race, which included medal favourites, Julien Alfred, the eventual gold medal winner and World Champion Sha'Carri Richardson, who won silver. While unconfirmed reports suggest Fraser-Pryce sustained an injury during her warm-up, the exact details remain unclear.
The 37-year-old Fraser-Pryce, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 100m from the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games, has had an illustrious career marked by consistency and excellence. She is the only woman in history to win medals in the 100m at four consecutive Olympic Games, a testament to her enduring talent and determination.
In what was set to be her final Olympic 100m appearance, Fraser-Pryce's withdrawal was a significant blow to her fans and supporters worldwide. However, in a heartfelt statement, she expressed her deep gratitude to those who have supported her throughout her remarkable career.
"It is difficult for me to find the words to even describe the depth of my disappointment. I know that my supporters share and shoulder this disappointment with me. I am truly Blessed to have had the steadfast support of my fans since my Olympic debut in 2008,” she said.
“The support of my fans, my country, and the larger community has rooted me in immense gratitude that has sustained me over the course of my career. With every step, with every win, you all have been there for me. My Faith has always affirmed me to trust my journey. Thank you for continuing to be with me today and every day."
Fraser-Pryce's statement reflects her profound appreciation for the support she has received from her fans, her country, and the global athletics community. Her career, marked by numerous accolades and groundbreaking achievements, has inspired countless individuals and cemented her legacy as one of the greatest sprinters of all time.
In addition to her two Olympic gold medals, Fraser-Pryce's illustrious career includes five 100m World Championship titles and a 200m title, as well as a silver medal in the 200m at the London 2012 Olympics and a 200m silver at the World Championships in Oregon in 2022. Her accomplishments on the world stage have solidified her status as a true icon in the sport of track and field.
As the athletics world comes to terms with the end of Fraser-Pryce's Olympic career, her words serve as a reminder of the challenges and unpredictability inherent in sports. Her journey, characterized by resilience and faith, continues to inspire, and her legacy will undoubtedly endure, regardless of the outcome of a single race.
While her quest for a fifth Olympic 100m medal may have ended prematurely, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's impact on the sport and her indomitable spirit remains as powerful as ever.
The youthful Jamaican team that represented the island at the 67th Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship at the Iberostar Golf Course in Bavaro, Dominican Republic gave a good account of themselves after ending in the runner up spot for two of the three trophies on offer and third in the other one.
The country trophy or the Arthur Ziadie trophy went to perennial winner Puerto Rico while Jamaica copped the runner-up trophy. They also retained the Ladies trophy or the George Teale trophy ahead of Jamaica who bagged the runner-up trophy while Bahamas came third. Puerto Rico also won the Hoerman Cup or the trophy for the male golfers. Host country the Dominican Republic came second and Jamaica improved its position from last year to land the third spot.
Emily Mayne was tied for second in the ladies category with scores of even par 72, one under par 71 and five over par 77 for a three-day total of four over par 220. Kierra Williams ended in fourth place with scores of 72, 71 and 75 which totalled 221 or just one shot behind second place Mayne. Mattea Issa who had two days of 73 each, had a rough last day after posting nine over pay 81 to close the championship on 227, tied for 7th place. The fourth female player, Kingston Burke totaled 248 for the three days with scores of 85, 82 and 81 for 15th place.
The overall ladies winner was Arabella Lopez of Puerto Rico. She topped the leaderboard on all three days with scores of six under par 66, one under par 71 and another one under par 71 for the final round, for an eight under 208 total score.
On the men side Rocco Lopez was the best placed player after closing the championship tied for fifth place. His scores were 72, 71 and 72 for one under par 215. Former national champion was further back in 12th place with a combined total of 222 (71, 76, 70). The youngest male player on tour was Ryan Lue and he occupied the 20th spot with scores of 76, 72 and 80 for a total score of 228. Two players Jack Stein and Aman Dhiman were tied for 25th place with a three day total of 232. The sixth and final player and current national champion Zandre Roye had a rough championship after posting scores of nine over par 81 for the first two days and seven over par 79 on the final day for a combined score of 241.
Team manager Sebert Walker summed up the team’s performance which was commendable based on the proliferation of young and new players who were representing at the senior level for the first time.
“After 54 holes of golf in the Dominican Republic our 2024 male and female team comprised of ten, came out with our female team finishing second and our male team third of course our combined team finishing second overall.
Grenada’s Lindon Victor captured the bronze medal in the men’s decathlon at the Paris Olympic Games with a final points tally of 8711.
The thrilling decathlon competition saw Norway’s Markus Rooth land gold, while Germany’s Leo Neugebauer secured silver.
Victor delivered outstanding achievements in the 10 events. He set a season’s best in the high jump, clearing 2.02 metres to finish third and receive 822 points.
He then clocked 47.84s in heat two of the 400m race, which earned him 917 points, with another 896 points coming by way of a third-place finish in the 110m hurdles. His time was 14.62s.
The 31-year-old Grenadian then produced an excellent performance in the discus throw, setting an Olympic Decathlon Best of 53.91m, which is when he actually ascended into a medal position by virtue of that 952 points. He then added 880 points and 862 points from the pole vault and javelin, where he cleared 4.90m and threw 68.22m, respectively.
Victor then closed with a 4:43.53-clocking in the 1,500m race, adding 658 points to his final score.
Meanwhile, Bahamian Ken Mullings also delivered a commendable performance in the decathlon, finishing 13th with 8226 points.
Mullings tied Victor's high jump mark of 2.02m, gaining 822 points. He established a season best of 49.43s in the 400m for fourth, which earned him 841 points.
In the 110m hurdles, Mullings clocked 13.70s for another 1014 points, with a discus personal best of 46.07m adding a further 789 points.
Mullings continued his impressive performance in the pole vault, clearing 4.80m for 849 points, and he had another 735 points from the javelin, where he threw 59.83m.
The 27-year-old then ended with a 4:55.84-clocking in the 1500m to add 584 points to his final tally.
United States coach Steve Kerr wants to see higher levels from his team in the knockout stage of their Paris Olympics campaign.
Team USA stayed perfect by beating Puerto Rico 104-83 on Saturday, ensuring they sealed the top seed for the last eight.
That means the four-time reigning Olympic champions will take on the seventh seed, Brazil, for a place in the semi-finals.
Anthony Edwards led the USA with 26 points, while Joel Embiid chipped in with 15 and Kevin Durant delivered another fine substitute performance, scoring 11 points from the bench.
And while the USA have tallied up 317 points in their three wins so far, Kerr believes there is much more to come.
"I think we got done what we wanted to accomplish, winning all three games and securing the top seed," said Kerr.
"We know we have to play better. Part of this tournament is it gets harder as you go."
LeBron James added 10 points for the star-studded USA, and he knows it is now do-or-die.
"We know it's going to be difficult, it's going to be challenging," he said. "We better be ready to go."
In Group C's other game, Nikola Jokic scored 22 points and finished with 13 rebounds, while Bogdan Bogdanovic had 28 points, as Serbia saw off South Sudan 96-85.
While Serbia clinched the fourth seed to set up a meeting with Australia, South Sudan's inaugural Olympics campaign is over, with Greece scraping in as one of the two best third-placed teams.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's team will take on second seed Germany, who like the USA, won their three group games.
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