Caernarfon is reminding Jack Channon of some of the great fillies of his past ahead of her tilt at the Betfred Oaks at Epsom on Friday.
The daughter of Cityscape provided Channon’s father Mick with success in the Montrose Fillies’ Stakes last autumn and it would be somewhat fitting if she was to build on her 1000 Guineas fourth and provide the younger Channon with a Classic victory in his first season since taking over the training licence at West Ilsley.
As well as assisting his father, Channon has previously spent time working for Clive Brittain, and having been encouraged by what he has seen from Caernarfon since Newmarket, is now looking forward to her next big-race assignment, believing she compares favourably with some former top-class fillies.
“We’re really excited and she ran an absolute belter in the 1000 Guineas,” said Channon.
“I’ve been very lucky to have been around some very good fillies in the shape of Rizeena and obviously some of dad’s very good fillies – Samitar, Queen’s Logic, Music Show, Nahoodh and all those – and it’s very exciting to have one again. They are very hard to come by, but she gives me a similar feel to some of those good ones.”
Caernarfon was staying on strongly in the closing stages of the 1000 Guineas but will now have to prove her stamina as she takes the leap up to a mile and a half on the Downs.
However, Channon has always felt she would benefit from tackling further than a mile and is quietly confident she will take the challenge of the Oaks in her stride.
He continued: “Her work has taken a step up since Newmarket and she did a wonderful piece of work on Friday that has got everyone very excited. We’re quietly hopeful she stays.
“We felt going into the Guineas she would benefit from going up to a mile and a quarter. It’s one of those where we don’t know if she will stay a mile and a half but she has all the assets to and she looks a stayer physically, even if her pedigree doesn’t reflect that.
“The way she runs and the way she races will say there is a chance and she looks to have improved a bundle since the Guineas.
“Her work has improved immeasurably and her well-being and her coat and everything else, I couldn’t be happier with. We’re excited to give it a whirl.”
Jayson Tatum lamented an untimely injury while Grant Williams bluntly said the Boston Celtics "got punked" after their defeat to the Miami Heat.
The Celtics fell short of becoming the first team in NBA history to win a seven-game series after going 3-0 down, as the Heat ended their season with a 103-84 win in Boston.
With talisman Tatum hampered by an ankle injury that he sustained on the first play of Monday's game, the Celtics could not get going as Jimmy Butler led the Heat to the NBA Finals.
Tatum finished with 14 points on 5-for-13 shooting, and was left to reflect on a missed opportunity.
"It was just frustrating that I was a shell of myself," Tatum said.
"It was tough to move. Just frustrating, with it happening on the first play."
Williams' assessment was a blunt one.
"We got punked," the Celtics forward told ESPN.
"We didn't play our game from start to finish. Defensively, we just lost it all, and then offensively we were scrambled and trying to do everything ourselves and just didn't go our way.
"You hate to have that be the end of your season, especially with the fight that we've shown. But shots didn't fall either, so that didn't help. It's just tough."
"[We were] missing shots, and then they're coming down and hitting shots," added Marcus Smart.
"It puts a lot of pressure on our defense to get stops. They were hitting some shots and they got in a rhythm and we weren't making ours."
Highfield Princess is fully on course for the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot following her good return to action at York.
John Quinn’s stable star gave best to the match-fit Azure Blue in the 1895 Duke of York Stakes, but nevertheless ran a fine race to finish second, beaten only half a length.
It is a result that gives hope the six-year-old can replicate the blistering form she showed last season when she entered the winner’s enclosure on five occasions, picking up a hat-trick of Group One contests in the process.
The daughter of Night Of Thunder has shown her versatility over the years and although returning over six furlongs on the Knavesmire, she will drop back to the stiff five furlongs of the King’s Stand when appearing at the Royal meeting next month.
“She’s in grand nick and has come out of York fine,” said Quinn.
“She will go to the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot next, all being well.”
It is 20 years since Aussie speedball Choisir did the King’s Stand/Jubilee Stakes double, but although holding entries for both sprinting Group Ones at the showpiece fixture, Quinn is unsure if his flying mare will attempt to become just the second horse along with Blue Point to achieve that rare feat since.
“I don’t know,” he continued. “She’s in both races and we’ll jump the first hurdle and she will be in the other race if we so decided. Tuesday is the aim.”
Erik Spoelstra hailed the "intimate" and "raw" relationships within the Miami Heat's roster after his team overcame the Boston Celtics to reach the NBA Finals.
The Heat had squandered a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals, but Game 7 went their way in emphatic fashion.
Jimmy Butler led Miami with 28 points as the Heat won 103-84, ending the Celtics' bid at history in the process.
Boston was aiming to become the first team to win a seven-game series after losing the opening three encounters, but it was not to be.
"It wasn't scripted," Spoelstra told reporters.
"When you have such an intimate relationship with a locker room and they have it with each other, the staff has it with them, they have it with the staff, sometimes it's just whatever's raw, whatever's real at that time.
"Professional sports is just kind of a reflection sometimes of life, that things don't always go your way.
"The inevitable setbacks happen and it's how you deal with that collectively. There's a lot of different ways that it can go. It can sap your spirit. It can take a team down for whatever reason.
"With this group, it's steeled us and made us closer and made us tougher.
"These are lessons that hopefully we can pass along to our children, that you can develop this fortitude.
"Sometimes you have to suffer for the things that you want. Game 6, the only thing that we can do is sometimes you have to laugh at the things that make you cry."
The Heat are only the second No. 8 seed in NBA history to make the Finals, after the 1999 New York Knicks.
Butler was named the Eastern Conference finals MVP, and has full confidence the Heat can go all the way against the Denver Nuggets.
"I just know why coach Pat [Riley] and coach Spoelstra wanted me to be here," Butler said. "That's to compete at a high level and to win championships.
"I know that the group that they put around me at all times is going to give me an opportunity to do so.
"I know the work that we all put into it, so I know what we're capable of. Nobody is satisfied. We haven't done anything. We don't play just to win the Eastern Conference; we play to win the whole thing."
Spoelstra reserved special praise for the Heat's talisman.
"There's no way to quantify the confidence that he can instil in everybody. Jimmy has never had to apologise," Spoelstra said of Butler.
"I don't want him to ever apologise for who he is and how he approaches competition. It's intense. It's not for everybody, and we're not for everybody.
"That's why we think it's like an incredible marriage. We never judge him on that. He doesn't judge us for how crazy we get. It's the same language. But the confidence level that he can create for everybody on the roster is incredible.
"He's gnarly, but he knows how to have a soft touch to give somebody some confidence at the right time. That's the special gift that he has."
William Karlsson scored two goals and added an assist, Adin Hill stopped all 23 shots he faced and the Vegas Golden Knights rolled to a 6-0 Game 6 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday to clinch the Western Conference title and advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
Michael Amadio, William Carrier and Keegan Kolesar each added a goal and an assist as Vegas bounced back from losses in Games 4 and 5 to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in the franchise's six-year history. The Golden Knights previously did so in their expansion season of 2017-18.
Vegas, the West's No. 1 seed will face the surprising Florida Panthers in a finals series pitting two teams that have never won the Stanley Cup.
The Golden Knights will host the Panthers, who won the Eastern Conference tournament as the eighth and lowest seed, in Game 1 on Saturday.
After failing in two previous chances to wrap up the series, Vegas set the tone with a dominant first period in which it outshot the Stars by a 16-7 margin. Carrier opened the scoring 3:41 in, Karlsson converted on a power play nearly seven minutes later and Kolesar beat Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger with six minutes left in the period to send the Knights into the first intermission with a commanding 3-0 lead.
Jonathan Marchessault's goal midway through the second period increased Vegas' advantage to 4-0 before Karlsson and Amadio scored in the third to hand the Stars their most lopsided postseason defeat since the franchise relocated from Minnesota to Dallas in 1993.
Jimmy Butler backed up his bold guarantee and the Miami Heat bounced back to prevent the Boston Celtics from making history.
Butler led all players with 28 points as the Heat advanced to the NBA Finals for the second time in four years with a 103-84 rout of the Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night.
Miami went ahead late in the first quarter and never looked back en route to joining the 1999 New York Knicks as the only No. 8 seeds in a conference to reach the NBA Finals. The Heat will meet the Western Conference champion Nuggets with Game 1 to be held Thursday in Denver.
The Heat also denied Boston from becoming the first team in league history to win a seven-game series after losing the first three contests, as well as make Butler's claim after Game 5 that Miami would win the series a reality.
Boston had forced Monday's winner-take-all matchup with a dramatic Game 6 victory in Miami on Saturday, with Derrick White's buzzer-beating tip-in giving the Celtics a 104-103 win and extending the series.
The Celtics could never muster a comeback in Game 7, however, as Miami built a 27-15 lead early in the second quarter and took a 52-41 advantage into half-time.
Boston got the deficit to within seven late in the third quarter before Caleb Martin scored the first eight points of a 12-2 Heat run that put Miami up 83-66 with 10 minutes remaining.
Martin finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds for Miami, which went 14 of 28 from 3-point range while the Celtics shot just 21.4 per cent from beyond the arc. Butler was named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and received the Larry Bird Trophy, named in honour of the former Celtics great.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 19 points but went 8 of 23 from the field, while All-Star Jayson Tatum was held to 14 points after playing through a sore ankle he injured early in the contest.
Adam Peaty insisted adding more gold medals to his already bulging collection would not be the cure-all to his struggles.
The three-time Olympic gold medallist withdrew from the British Swimming Championships last month after citing mental health issues and later admitted he had been on a “self-destructive spiral”.
Peaty has spoken previously about periods of depression and problems with alcohol, which he admits worsened last year as he struggled with injury, motivation and the breakdown of his relationship with the mother of his young son.
He remains hopeful of heading to the Paris Olympics next year as he looks for a third straight title in the men’s 100 metres breaststroke but was adamant that doing so would not be a silver bullet for him.
“A good friend of mine said a gold medal is the coldest thing you will ever wear,” Peaty told BBC Breakfast.
“It’s the coldest thing because you think it will fix all of your problems. It will not.
“I took a break because I was on this endless search of a gold medal or a world record and I looked into the future and I said ‘OK, if I do get that is my life fixed or any better?’ No.
“So take the time now to really think about who you are, what you want out of life and then get the gold medal.
“Hopefully when I get to the Olympics I will be in a very good mindset, very grateful and most importantly happy.”
The National Basketball League (NBL) is set to make its long-awaited return from a two-year break, with one of the main features of the upcoming season being a partnership between Jamaica Basketball Association (JABA) and the Ministry of National Security, to use the sport as a way of influencing troubled communities and schools, to reduce violence.
Some 10 teams led by defending champions St George’s Slayers are down to contest the season and players and coaches have expressed their delight about the return of the country’s top league on the basketball calendar, following the COVID-induced break.
This season will be launched on Wednesday May 31, at the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) starting at 2:00 pm.
The league is expected to be played over four months and will showcase some of the best local-based talent and aspiring national payers, who will parade their skills in the presence of national coaches. An all-star NBL team will also be selected mid-season to play against the visiting University of Missouri NCAA team, during the summer.
Games will be played primarily at the National Stadium Courts, while select games will be hosted in Montego Bay and other approved venues. Teams will vie for cash prizes and other incentives provided by sponsors and partners.
Confirmed teams are, St Georges Slayers (Defending Champions), UWI Runnin rebels, Rae Town Raptors, Urban Knights, Upper Room Eagles, Tivoli Wizards, Falmouth Saints, Central Celtics, Spanish Town Spartans and Portmore Flames
Cameron Norrie defeated Benoit Paire and the French Open crowd to reach the second round, edging through in five sets.
The 14th seed is the only British player to make it through the first round in singles after Jack Draper was forced to retire with a shoulder problem against Tomas Etcheverry.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz both won their openers in straight sets while Petra Kvitova was among the women’s seeds to fall.
Picture of the dayShot of the dayTweet of the dayStat of the dayA landmark moment for 37-year-old Fognini.
Paire talking ballsPaire was not unhappy with the balls being used for this year’s tournament, saying after his loss to Norrie: “You have to hit every ball really hard because it’s not moving. It’s terrible. It’s Roland Garros, one of the greatest tournaments in the world, and we’re playing with these silly balls.”
Fallen seedsMen: Felix Auger-Aliassime (10), Jan-Lennard Struff (21), Botic Van De Zandschulp (25), Bernabe Zapata Miralles (32)
Women: Petra Kvitova (10), Veronika Kudermetova (11), Belinda Bencic (12), Karolina Pliskova (16), Martina Trevisan (26)
Who’s up next?Women’s defending champion Iga Swiatek begins her campaign on Philippe Chatrier against Spaniard Cristina Bucsa.
Fourth seed Elena Rybakina takes on Czech teenager Brenda Fruhvirtova, while Coco Gauff faces Rebeka Masarova.
In the men’s draw, second seed Daniil Medvedev meets Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild, and sixth seed Holger Rune faces American Chris Eubanks.
Nick Nurse has found a new coaching job.
The Philadelphia 76ers agreed to hire former Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse on Monday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Nurse led the Raptors to the franchise’s only title in 2019, but was fired on April 21, nine days after losing 109-105 to the Chicago Bulls in their play-in game.
He replaces Doc Rivers, who was fired after three seasons at the helm in Philadelphia on May 16, two days after the Sixers’ Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics to blow a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
Nurse coached the Raptors for five seasons, amassing a 227-163 record for a .582 winning percentage – the best in franchise history.
He led Toronto to a pair of Atlantic Division titles, however, the team finished last this season with a 41-41 record to miss the playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons.
Led by 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid, the 76ers finished second in the Atlantic this season and third in the East but bowed out in the conference semis for the third year in a row.
This year’s ouster was the second time Philadelphia was eliminated with a Game 7 loss, in addition to 2021, when the top-seeded 76ers lost to the Hawks.
The loss marked Rivers’ 10th such defeat in a winner-take-all playoff game.
Novak Djokovic eased into the second round of the French Open but risked inflaming political tensions in his home region with a message about Kosovo.
After a 6-3 6-2 7-6 (1) victory over American Aleksandar Kovacevic, who is of Serbian heritage, Djokovic wrote on the camera lens: “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence.”
Kosovo declared independence in 2008 but Serbia has never recognised that and violence broke out in the north of the country over the weekend after ethnic Albanian mayors were installed in Serbian-dominated areas, with NATO peacekeepers among those injured.
Serbia has troops stationed near the border and there are fears of a return to the violent conflict of 1998-99.
Speaking to Serbian journalists in comments reported by the country’s media, Djokovic, whose father was born in Kosovo, said: “I am not a politician, nor do I intend to enter into debates.
“As a Serb, it hurts me what is happening in Kosovo. Our people have been expelled from the municipalities. This is the least I could do. As a public figure, I feel an obligation to show support for our people and all of Serbia.
“I hear there was a lot of criticism on social media. I don’t know if someone will punish me or something like that, but I would do it again. I am against wars and conflicts of any kind.
“Kosovo is our heart, stronghold, the centre of the most important events, the biggest battle took place there, the most monasteries. There are many reasons why I wrote this.”
The Serbia football team were fined by FIFA at the World Cup in November after a flag showing Kosovo as part of the country was displayed in their changing room.
Djokovic is, of course, no stranger to controversy and he was dragged into a row at the Australian Open in January after his father Srdjan was pictured with pro-Russia demonstrators, which he later insisted was unwitting.
On the court, there were no real alarms for the third seed, who has struggled on clay so far this season but maintained his record of not dropping a set in the opening round in Paris since 2010.
He was broken serving for the match but responded with a strong tie-break, and said: “I think I played really well and held things under control for two-and-a-half sets and then lost my serve and things got a little bit on a wrong side for me.
“But I managed to hold my nerves and played pretty much a perfect tie-break. So overall I’m pleased and content with my level.”
Djokovic could meet Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals and the top seed also impressed in a 6-0 6-2 7-5 victory over Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli, delighting a packed Suzanne Lenglen arena with some flamboyant shots.
Alcaraz won the first eight games of the match, and he said: “I felt I couldn’t lose a game. I thought that I was able to win easier than I did but a match can turn around in each game. But, at the start of the match, I felt invincible.”
Elsewhere, 10th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime’s difficulties continued as, struggling with illness, he lost in straight sets to Fabio Fognini, while another veteran, former champion Stan Wawrinka, battled past Albert Ramos-Vinolas in five sets.
The 38-year-old Swiss conducted the crowd like an orchestra at the end, and he said: “It is one of the main reasons why I keep playing. It’s to play those big tournaments like here, to have such an amazing atmosphere. I have so much support and it gives me a lot of emotion to win those matches.”
There was disappointment for former finalist Dominic Thiem, though, who remains without a grand slam victory since wrist problems two years ago after going down in five sets to Pedro Cachin.
Mystical Power, the first foal of Champion Hurdle-winning mare Annie Power by superstar sire Galileo, made the perfect start to his career at Ballinrobe.
Sent off at the prohibitive odds of 2-5, he justified favouritism with the minimum of fuss despite perhaps lacking the fireworks that many expected.
Racing in the colours of J P McManus, the four-year-old is owned in a partnership along with Mrs John Magnier and Mrs Susannah Ricci, the latter also owned Annie Power.
Annie Power only suffered two defeats in a 17-race career under rules, with her two reverses coming at the Cheltenham Festival. The first when second to More Of That in the 2014 World Hurdle and then the following year in the Mares’ Hurdle when falling at the last with the race at her mercy.
In 2016 she ran in the Champion Hurdle, beating My Tent Or Years and she went on to follow up in the Aintree Hurdle before retirement.
Trained by Willie Mullins, just like Annie Power, Patrick Mullins had to get serious in the closing stages before Mystical Power pulled clear to beat Perfect Nelson by two and three-quarter lengths.
Patrick Mullins said: “I’m happy with that. His mother was all out to win in Galway first time and improved significantly, so he’s equalled his mother this far anyway.
“He’s a horse that has improved. The more work he’s got the more he’s improved and I think he’ll continue to improve. He got to the front very easily but I don’t think he did an awful lot when he got there.
“He’ll win plenty of races and I have to commend Ballinrobe on the fabulous job they’ve done with the ground here. We weren’t afraid to bring up a good horse like that. They do a super job and I hope they enjoyed seeing him here.
“He has been in Enda Bolger’s before coming to us and has done loads of jumping. Whether he goes for a winners’ bumper or maiden hurdle I don’t know, but he has lots of jumping done and jumps well.”
McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry said: “It was grand. He was a little bit green when he got to the front but you couldn’t have asked for anything more. He’ll tip away for the summer.”
Elina Svitolina urged tennis to focus on the suffering in Ukraine rather than issues the war is causing within the sport after reaching the second round of the French Open.
One of Ukraine’s highest-profile sports stars, Svitolina is playing her first grand slam since the Australian Open last year after giving birth to baby Skai in October.
She has been away from the locker room tensions caused by the decision to allow Russian and Belarusian players to continue competing and has been a prominent figure in campaigning for help for her country.
A day after Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk was booed by the Roland Garros crowd for refusing to shake hands with Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, Svitolina called for attention to stay on the bigger picture.
She said of her return to the sport: “What I found, I don’t know a nicer way to say, but a lot of rubbish is happening around the situation where we have to focus on the main point of what is going on.
“A lot of people, Ukrainian people, need help and need support. We are focusing on so many things like empty words, empty things that are not helping the situation, not helping anything.
“I want to invite everyone to focus on helping Ukrainians. To help kids, to help women who lost their husbands, because they are at the war and they are fighting for Ukraine. The kids, they’re losing their parents, they’re losing parts of their body.
“There is so many things that we can do and help in different ways. You can donate a couple of dollars, it might help and save lives. Or donate your time. We are missing the main point of all of that and talking, talking, talking about nothing.”
Svitolina came into the tournament on the back of her first title as a mother in Strasbourg and impressed in a 6-2 6-2 victory over 26th seed Martina Trevisan.
She is donating all her prize money from Strasbourg to Ukrainian children and has her own foundation that helps her homeland.
“I think war changed me in so many ways,” she said. “I think I treasure more my family, my time with my family, my time just on a daily basis.
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“I really try to understand that how lucky I am to be where I am and to have a voice, as well. Also to play in such big events, to motivate the young kids of Ukraine, to have this opportunity.
“In so many ways, I’m just grateful that my life turned like that, so that’s why right now I just want to give this little part to the people who need it the most.”
Fifth seed Caroline Garcia is the main French hope for this fortnight and she survived a scare in her opener, beating China’s Wang Xiyu 7-6 (4) 4-6 6-4.
Two top-16 seeds fell, with lucky loser Elina Avanesyan knocking out 12th seed Belinda Bencic 6-3 2-6 6-4, while former finalist Sloane Stephens beat 16th seed Karolina Pliskova 6-0 6-4.
Afterwards, Stephens was asked about the racist abuse she experiences on social media after the tournament partnered with an AI app to try to filter out offensive messages.
“It’s obviously been a problem my entire career,” said the American. “It has never stopped. If anything, it’s only gotten worse. I did hear about the software. I have not used it.
“I have a lot of key words banned on Instagram and all of these things but that doesn’t stop someone from just typing in an asterisk or typing it in a different way, which obviously software most of the time doesn’t catch.
“When there is FBI investigations going on with what people are saying to you online, it’s very serious. People online have the free rein to say and do whatever they want behind fake pages, which is obviously very troublesome.”
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from May 29.
FootballLiverpool and Juventus remembered a say day in 1985.
Everton celebrated survival.
Brazil came calling for Joelinton.
Brighton celebrated Julio Enciso’s goal of the season award.
Aston Villa are ready for Europe.
Manchester United enjoyed their winner.
The ups and downs of a Premier League season.
It will soon be time to do it all again…
Sheffield Wednesday were promoted at Wembley.
While Luton were celebrating after theirs.
Some solo strike from Lauren Hemp!
Stat of the day from Bayern Munich.
Neymar showed his support at the Monaco Grand Prix.
TennisParenting with Andy Murray.
SnookerAttention all pockets!
CricketAzeem Rafiq’s remote control had a busy afternoon.
Formula OneLando met Spider-man at Monaco.
Then and now.
Despite failing to secure qualification to the Pan American (PanAm) Games nor the World Championships, Jamaica's artistic gymnasts Tyesha Mattis and Kiara Richmon took heart from their respective performances at the just-concluded PanAm Gymnastics Championships in Medellin, Colombia.
Mattis, Richmon and newcomer Mya Absolam, all produced credible showings in a highly competitive environment at the three-day championships which ended on Sunday but were unable to break into a coveted top 12 position.
The England-born Mattis, who was Jamaica’s standout performer at last year’s event when she qualified for the World championships, expressed some disappointment that she wasn’t able to repeat the feat, as she was firmly set on getting to the PanAm Games in Chile and the World Championships in Belgium, later this year.
She placed 32nd overall with an all-around total of 44.500, after scoring 12.867 on vault, 10.533 on uneven bars, 10.733 on the balance beam and 10.367 for her floor routine.
"I was happy with parts of my performances, but I felt like I put a little bit too much pressure on myself to qualify and so I didn’t do as well as I would have liked to,” Mattis said shortly after competition.
However, the 24-year-old did find a few positive takeaways that she hopes to improve on ahead of next month’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in El Salvador, when she is next expected to parade her skills for the island.
“I managed to complete a 2 1/2 twist off beam again after not putting that out in competition for over four years, so I am super proud of myself in that regards as I am proving to myself that I can do more than I am limiting myself to,” she reasoned.
“I am more than capable, and I just need to trust that my body can do the work and again, not putting too much pressure on myself. I work so hard in the gym and when I really wanted to put out my best, I made a couple mistakes.
“But I have to remember I’m only human and I can learn from some of my mistakes and so I am really looking forward to a better performance out in El Salvador in a couple weeks. Looking forward to trying some different routines there and putting out more of my skills as I know I have so much more up my sleeve and the more I compete internationally, the more confident I feel,” Mattis added.
For Richmon, who placed 36th overall with an all-around score of 42.866, just being able to represent Jamaica at the event, represents a remarkable achievement and another significant milestone in her budding career.
Her total includes score of 11.100 on vault, 10.233 on the uneven bars, 10.400 on the balance beam and 11.133 for her floor routine.
“I feel like I did my best with my performance at the championships, especially being that I only had two weeks to prepare. So, I am definitely proud that I was able to hit all four apparatus and getting to be here with the team,” Richmon shared.
With this being her first elite outing since 2019, the 21-year-old Fisk University student is eagerly looking forward to continuing her journey, as her unwavering determination, relentless work ethic and immense potential positions her as one of country’s gymnast to watch.
“It felt amazing, and this performance will definitely serve as motivation for me going forward, I just need to just trust my training and do not over work myself. I also need to have more confidence and belief in myself and hopefully on my next competition I can produce a stronger performance with cleaner routines,” the US-born Richmon said.
Meanwhile, Absolam, another England-born gymnast, had an all-around total of 39.533, after scoring 10.333, 10.033, 8.600, 10.567, on vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor, respectively. She placed 42nd overall.
On the male side, Canada-born Elel Wahrmann-Baker, was Jamaica’s top performer, placing 27th overall, with an all-around total of 72.301. Wahrmann-Baker had scores of 12.767 on floor, 13.067 on the pommel horse, 11.067 on rings, 13.100 on vault, 13.133 parallel bars and 10.167 on high bar.
Caleb Faulk placed 29th overall with scores of 12.300, 10.900, 12.400, 12.767, 11.9667 and 11.667 for an all-Around total of 72.001, while Matthew McClymont tallied 63.165 for 47th overall. His scores include 12.233, 9.133, 7.533, 12.733, 10.800 and 10.733.
Jamaica’s other representative Michael Reid only took on the pommel horse and parallel bars where he scored 11.933 and 12.467 for a total 24.400.
Paddy Twomey will drop Noche Magica back to the minimum distance at Royal Ascot after he was caught late on in the Marble Hill Stakes on Saturday.
A debut winner over five furlongs at Cork, Twomey stepped him up to six furlongs for the Group Three at the Curragh.
Having travelled much the best throughout the race, he hit the front inside the final furlong but could not pull clear and was eventually reeled in late on by Jessica Harrington’s Givemethebeatboys.
Twomey now feels the decision has been made for him regarding Ascot, and it will be back to five furlongs for the Norfolk Stakes rather than the six of the Coventry.
“He won well over five in Cork and he shows us that blistering speed,” said Twomey.
“The Marble Hill was a fact-finding mission. He travelled and did everything right. He got to the front and just got nutted at the death.
“His mother (Pious Alexander) is a half-sister of Dandy Man and the family is all speed. I’d say we will go for the Norfolk.
“I was the most disappointed man at the Curragh but going forward, he probably did me a favour. I would have run him in the Coventry if he had won, but now we will go for the Norfolk.”
Cameron Norrie branded an umpiring call against him “absurd” and “unacceptable” after battling to a five-set victory over Benoit Paire in the first round of the French Open.
A British singles wipe-out looked to be on the cards for the second time in four editions in Paris when Norrie trailed 4-2 in the deciding set on Suzanne Lenglen but he fought back to defeat Frenchman Paire 7-5 4-6 3-6 6-1 6-4 and silence the lively home crowd.
A key moment occurred in the third game of the second set when, with Norrie serving at 30-30, umpire Nico Helwerth docked the 14th seed a point for a hindrance, claiming he had shouted out during play.
Paire went on to break serve and, although Norrie kept his protest brief on court, he made it clear in the press conference room just how unhappy he was.
“I think both of us didn’t know why he called it,” said Norrie. “I think Benoit thought it was for him, both of us were a bit confused. It was for sure a grunt. It was a big point. I don’t know why he felt it was necessary to get involved there. He gave me no warning whatsoever.
“It ultimately changed the momentum of the match. I was holding pretty comfortably, for the most part, up until that point. The next point Benoit had a winner and then I was a break down.
“It was strange. He must have thought that I said something, and I think for him to get involved there was absurd.”
Norrie cited another decision on Sunday against Dan Evans, when the British player was foot-faulted by a line judge at the far end of the court for his back foot crossing the centre line.
“I watched that and he was nowhere near foot-faulting and the guy is calling him on the other side of the net,” said Norrie.
“What are we doing here? I’m here playing tennis, competing as hard as I can, and to do that, a pretty big point. Maybe if I spoke to him now he thinks he’s wrong but, at the end of the day, I’m fighting my a**e off and one call could obviously influence the match.
“I did my best to try and not let it bother me. I’ve never been called for that before ever. I think it’s obviously unacceptable – that’s my point of view – but, if he makes a decision wrong, there’s no consequences. And, for me, if I do something wrong, there’s consequences.”
Paire, possessor of one of the best beards in sport but not one of the best temperaments, has toyed with retirement at the age of 34 and came into the event as a wild card ranked 134.
When they met in the same round at the US Open last summer, Norrie won two lightning quick sets 6-0 either side of a competitive second, with Paire packing up his bag before the match had finished.
But his attitude was very different here and he probably should have won a scrappy first set after leading by a break and having seven more break points.
Norrie has struggled for form over the past couple of months and was unable to wrest the momentum back from Paire during the second and third sets, with the crowd getting ever more involved, breaking out the Marseillaise and the Mexican wave.
The Frenchman seemed to settle for a decider after going an early break down in the fourth, and he looked on his way to victory when Norrie handed over another break to start the fifth, but the British number one was eventually rewarded for his probing.
He can expect a similar atmosphere in the next round, when he takes on a resurgent Lucas Pouille, who has been the toast of Roland Garros this week after coming through qualifying following injury and personal problems.
Norrie relishes such occasions, saying: “I think it’s great to play those matches in grand slams against home favourites, and I think that’s why I play tennis. That’s why I love those moments.
“To be on the flip side of that is difficult at times. I think the crowd can be tough at times, but I keep reminding myself it’s good to be playing, that I want to be out there competing and being in those tough moments when the crowd is against me.
“It makes it even better to come through those matches, so it was really cool to play on that court and against Benoit, who was competing really hard and also he came with a good level today.
“I didn’t play my best, and there’s a lot of the things I want to work on in practice tomorrow, but it’s good to get through it and nice to win a five-set match.”
Andrea Atzeni partnered Angers to an impressive victory in the Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen at Cologne on Monday.
Atzeni, who now rides as a freelance, teamed up with Mario Baratti, who is based in France, to win the German equivalent of the 2000 Guineas and deny Charlie Johnston and Ioritz Mendizabal with Finn’s Charm in second.
Angers had only won one of his six starts in France, and was third to Jean-Claude Rouget’s French Guineas fifth Valimi on his most recent outing.
Finn’s Charm attempted to make all under Mendizabal, with Roger Varian’s previously unbeaten Dragon Icon and Benacre, a stablemate of Finn’s Charm, within touching distance.
The leader briefly looked to have slipped the field before Atzeni brough Angers with a powerful run down the outside and he went on to win by six lengths.
Dhangadhi was third, just ahead of Benacre and Dragon Icon.
“He’s a lovely, big horse and ran very well in France the last day,” Atzeni told Wettstar.
“He gave me a nice feel going down to the start and his trainer Mario Baratti has done a great job to keep him spot on for this race, as it’s never easy to travel a horse to a different country.
“He looked the best horse in the paddock and he was by far the best horse in the race.”
“Mentally destroyed” Jack Draper cursed his injury luck once again after being forced out of the French Open with a shoulder problem.
The 21-year-old has struggled with hip and abdominal issues this season but declared himself fully fit ahead of the year’s second grand slam.
However, it became clear in the eighth game of his first-round contest against Argentinian Tomas Etcheverry that Draper was ailing physically again when he started to serve underarm.
He managed to hold serve to make it 4-4 but Etcheverry claimed the next two games to take the opening set, after which a resigned-looking Draper called the trainer.
He took some pills and tried to play on but, trailing 0-30 in the second game of the second set, pulled the plug and shook hands with his opponent before trudging off court.
“Yesterday during practice when I was hitting serves, I started to feel a bit of a twinge at the bottom of my shoulder,” said Draper.
“I took all the things I needed to go on court today, hoping it would settle down. But it didn’t. It got worse. I had every intention to try to compete and play well, but after the first game it was clear that it was very sore.
“I hate being the guy who is injured a lot. It’s difficult. Mentally, it’s extremely tough, tougher than playing and losing almost.
“I put in a lot of work. I had a good week last week and I’m coming here feeling optimistic but it’s not meant to be. I feel a bit mentally destroyed.”
There is no doubt about Draper’s potential but, rather like his friend Emma Raducanu, his body has so far been unable to hold up to the rigours of top-level tennis.
He is optimistic this issue will not seriously impact his grass-court prospects, with Wimbledon starting in five weeks.
“I said to my coach in the first set, ‘I’m not retiring from another match’,” said a dejected Draper. “I don’t want to do this. Even if I had to play three sets serving underarm, I don’t care, I just wanted to play.
“But there’s no point in making this worse. I’ve obviously got to think about the grass round the corner and hope it settles down before that.
“It’s not a tear or a strain, it’s something to do with the tendon at the top of my arm. And, if I’m trying to serve 130mph serves, the impact, it’s just going to get more and more sore.
“It’s a huge part of my game, my serve, so hopefully it settles down but I have no idea how long that might be.
“I think I’ll be more than fine for Wimbledon, it’s just what’s going on in the weeks coming up.”
Draper feels his tennis abilities are counting against him to a degree, with the British number four winning two matches in Lyon last week on his return from the abdominal injury he suffered in March.
“I’d almost maybe be happier in the future if I lost first or second round, to make sure I’m not coming back off a five week lay-off and winning three or two matches at a high level,” he said.
“Same in Indian wells, I won three matches and against (Carlos) Alcaraz it’s just too much. It’s really frustrating. But I will get there. It’s just a brutal sport.”
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