Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago both booked spots in the last four of the 2024 CAZOVA U19 Boys Zonal Championship with wins over the US Virgin Islands and Barbados, respectively, on Monday at the GC Foster College in Spanish Town, Jamaica.
The hosts came from behind twice to secure a 3-2 win over USVI and secure top spot in Pool A and a spot in the semi-finals.
USVI took the first set 25-23 before Jamaica levelled proceedings with a 25-22 victory in the second set.
A close third set saw USVI win 26-24 to take a 2-1 lead before Jamaica roared back once again with a 25-20 win in the fourth set.
The hosts then took the fifth set 15-11. USVI will also advance to the semis after finishing second Pool A.
Trinidad & Tobago had an easier time of it than the Jamaicans, defeating Barbados 3-1 to top Pool B.
T&T won the first set 25-22 before Barbados tied things up with a 26-24 second set win. Trinidad & Tobago then won the next two sets 26-24 and 25-22 to secure their spot in the final four. Barbados and the Cayman Islands will determine who joins them in the semis from Pool B in the last preliminary round match.
In the CAZOVA U19 Girls Zonal Championship, the US Virgin Islands booked a spot in the semifinals with a 3-0 win over Curacao on Monday.
They won the sets 25-12, 25-10 and 25-12 to top Group B ahead of Curacao and Aruba who will face off to determine the other semifinalist from the group.
Barbados defeated hosts Jamaica on Sunday to book their spot in the semifinals from Group A.
The Bajans recovered from a 23-25 first set loss to win the next three sets 25-23, 25-17 and 25-21 and book their spot in the semis.
Jamaica, who were playing their first game in the tournament, will face Trinidad & Tobago to see who will join Barbados in the semis.
Barbados defeated T&T 3-1 to open the tournament on Saturday.
A very youthful Jamaican team has settled and hit the ground running in the Dominican Republic as they fine-tune their strokes ahead of the three-day Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship.
The tournament is scheduled for July 31 to August 2 at the Iberostar Golf Course in Bavaro.
Team manager Sebert Walker said that the team, which travelled to the Spanish-speaking Caribbean island on Sunday, had their first of two practice sessions on Monday and that it went well.
He explained that the second practice on Tuesday, will include two new players—Kingston Burke and Kierra Williams—who travelled from the United States to meet up with the team on location.
The full team of male and female players is composed of Aman Dhiman, Oshae Haye, Rocco Lopez, Ryan Lue, Zandre Roye, Jack Stein, Kingston Burke, Mattea Issa, Emily Mayne, and Kierra Williams.
Meanwhile, Jodi Munn-Barrow, president of the Jamaica Golf Association (JGA), has high expectations for the team.
“The Jamaica Golf Association is very pleased with the team that will be representing Jamaica at the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship. It is quite an historic moment as all the team members are under the age of thirty, including some of our juniors who will be representing us at the junior championship the following week in Kingston,” Munn-Barrow said.
“We know that the members will be playing their hardest. They had an extra practice round today (Monday), and they are really eager and are looking forward to the start of the event. We wish them all the best, and we know that they will make Jamaica proud,” she added.
Sergio Perez will retain his seat for the back half of the 2024 Formula One season, so says Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
Perez has endured a difficult campaign so far this year. After four podium finishes across the first five races of the season, the Mexican has not finished higher than fourth across the next nine events.
Red Bull have Yuki Tsunoda and the experienced Daniel Ricciardo waiting in the wings, but Horner indicated there will be no change for the second half of the season.
"Checo remains a Red Bull Racing driver, despite all the speculation of late," Horner told Dutch publication De Telegraaf.
"We look forward to seeing him perform on circuits where he has done well before."
Red Bull lead the way in the constructor standings, while Max Verstappen is the top driver.
However, the team have had a wobble in recent weeks, with Verstappen having gone four races without a win for the first time since 2020.
Emma Raducanu had to fend off jet lag as she overcame Elise Mertens in the first round at the Washington Open.
Making her first appearance since she lost in the last 16 at Wimbledon, Raducanu prevailed 6-2 3-6 6-4 over Mertens, who she also defeated at the All England Club, on Monday.
The 21-year-old elected to skip the Olympics to focus on her hard-court form and prepare for the US Open, which she won in 2021.
Raducanu's Washington campaign started with a stern test against Mertens, with the match dragging on well beyond 11pm local time.
And Raducanu conceded it was a struggle as she grappled with jet lag.
"I was playing some pretty good tennis in patches throughout, especially in the first set and moments in the third set," she said.
"I lost some focus in the second. It's not easy playing at 11:30. I got here Thursday night so I'm still jet-lagged.
"I was telling myself, 'I'm not leaving. This is not happening. You're not losing this match'.
"I've been training and playing so good in practice. I've been really on it. So on the court, I was telling myself: 'You've been so focused for so long. There's no way you're not going to try right now. You're going to fight until the very end. You didn't put all that work in for nothing'."
"I'm happy with how I pulled myself out of it, but I do need to focus."
Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm each hit two home runs, Ben Rice and Anthony Volpe also went deep and the New York Yankees handled the MLB-leading Philadelphia Phillies 14-4 on Monday.
Judge increased his major league-leading totals to 39 home runs and 99 RBIs. Chisholm, who logged his first professional start at third base, went deep for the first time in a Yankees uniform.
Chisholm, who played in his second game for New York since being traded by the Miami Marlins, borrowed Judge’s bat to hit both his home runs.
Juan Soto also had a strong night at the plate, going 3 for 5 while driving in three runs.
Giancarlo Stanton returned from a 28-game absence due to a hamstring strain and was 0 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.
Three of New York’s home runs came off Philly ace Zack Wheeler, who surrendered seven runs and seven hits in five innings’ work as he fell to 10-5.
Luis Gil had a quality start and collected the win after giving up three runs in 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts.
The win gave the Yankees their first three-game winning streak since June 9-12 as they remained one game back of the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East.
Tuesday’s game, the second of a three-game set, features an enticing pitching match-up with Gerritt Cole and Aaron Nola slated to start.
Adames, Chourio homer late as Brewers beat Braves
Willy Adames hit a three-run shot in the sixth inning, Jackson Chourio added a two-run homer in the eighth and the Milwaukee Brewers rallied to beat the Atlanta Braves 8-3.
Adames had three hits from the clean-up spot, and his 17th home run of the season gave Milwaukee their first lead of the night after Rhys Hoskins’ solo shot got the Brewers on the board in the fifth.
Marcell Ozuna hit his 31st home run of the season in the fourth inning, and Sean Murphy also went deep for the Braves, who are 3-7 since the All-Star break.
Milwaukee starter Colin Rea only allowed three hits, but two of them were home runs. He pitched 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts in the no-decision.
Skenes strong again, Pirates lifted by HR in 9th
Paul Skenes continued his dominant rookie season with six strong innings, Michael A. Taylor hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Houston Astros 5-3.
Skenes received a no-decision despite allowing two runs (one earned) and five hits over six innings with six strikeouts, dropping the rookie All-Star’s ERA to 1.90.
The Pirates improved to 9-4 in games started by Skenes. Even after another successful outing, however, the flame-throwing right-hander felt he could have performed better.
“I wasn’t executing, and frankly, got lucky,” Skenes said after the game. “I was trying to find it.”
Taylor stepped to the plate with two on and two out to face Josh Hader in a 2-2 ballgame, sending a fastball over 420 feet into left-centre field for his third home run of the season.
David Bednar converted his 19th save of the season in the bottom half, but only after forcing in a bases-loaded walk to Yordan Alvarez with two outs.
Carlos Sainz will join Williams for the 2025 season, signing a two-year contract with the option to extend, ending months of speculation on his future.
The 29-year-old will drive alongside Alex Albon next season following his departure from Ferrari, who announced earlier this year that Lewis Hamilton would be taking his seat.
Sainz was initially seen as a candidate to take Hamilton's place at Mercedes, with Alpine and Sauber, who will become Audi in 2026, also in the running to get his signature.
But, he will now replace American Logan Sargeant, who looks set to stop racing at the end of the season.
"I am very happy to announce that I will be joining Williams Racing from 2025 onwards," Sainz said in a press release.
"It is no secret that this year's driver market has been exceptionally complex for various reasons and that it has taken me some time to announce my decision.
"However, I am fully confident that Williams is the right place for me to continue my F1 journey and I am extremely proud of joining such a historic and successful team, where many of my childhood heroes drove in the past and made their mark on our sport.
"The ultimate goal of bringing Williams back to where it belongs, at the front of the grid, is a challenge that I embrace with excitement and positivity."
Sainz has achieved three F1 wins to date, including a victory at the Australian Grand Prix in March, and 23 podium finishes while amassing over 1,100 points over his career.
He currently sits fifth in the drivers’ championship and has five podiums in the first half of the season.
At the Jamaica Rifle Association (JRA) Jamaica Cup on Saturday, July 27, Corporal Shayon Francis, the top-ranked female pistol shooter in Jamaica, was announced as the newest brand ambassador for Spectrum Systems Limited, Jamaica's leading roofing supplier.
Francis was previously a member of the historic Super Six all-female shooting squad that proudly represented Jamaica at the PanAmerican Handgun Championships in Florida in 2022. During that competition, the team clinched a Bronze medal and Francis has been on the rise since.
Francis now holds the top ranking as Jamaica's leading female pistol shooter. Typically, she achieves a position in the top ten among all shooters at the Jamaica Rifle Association, where her competitors are predominantly male.
Shayon’s upcoming 2024 schedule includes the Smoking Barrel Regional Standoff in Barbados from August 30 to Sep 1. She is also set to participate in the Fast and Furious Woodleigh Qualifier on Oct 27.
Shayon, a native of St. Thomas in Jamaica, rose to the top of her sport by virtue of commitment to excellence, determination, and hard work, constantly practicing to hone her skills to become one of the region's best shooters, male or female.
Spectrum Managing Director Andrew Stanigar is happy to have Francis on board, "We previously sponsored the Super Six shooters and also the Spectrum Shooting tournament at the JRA, so this is a continuation of our support of the sport. Shayon is the number 1 in shooting for women in Jamaica, and so, it's a no-brainer that she will be backed by the number 1 roofing company, Spectrum Systems Ltd."
As part of the sponsorship, Francis will enhance Spectrum's branding and corporate image as she will be included in advertising campaigns alongside other brand ambassadors, race car driver Sara Misir and Reggae Boyz captain, Andre Blake.
Francis looks forward to representing Spectrum Systems, “I am thrilled and deeply grateful for Spectrum Systems Ltd.'s generous sponsorship as I gear up for my upcoming matches. Although my sights are set on the ultimate goal of World Shoot in South Africa 2025, I understand the significance of each upcoming match. With Spectrum Systems Ltd. by my side, I am equipped with the resources for more training sessions, enabling me to stay primed and deliver my A-game in all the matches” she said.
A new UFC Welterweight champion has been crowned as Belal Muhammad dethroned Leon Edwards in a stunning unanimous decision victory in the main event of UFC 304 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England on Saturday.
In the highly anticipated rematch, Muhammad, now the first ever Palestinian-American UFC champion, put on a wrestling clinic to neutralize Leon Edwards’ striking and secure a unanimous decision win.
The judges scored the bout 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46, all in favor of Muhammad.
Muhammad’s game plan was clear from the outset as he repeatedly took Edwards down and controlled him on the ground.
Despite Edwards’ attempts to escape and land strikes from the bottom, Muhammad’s grappling prowess and improved striking kept the champion at bay throughout the 25 minutes.
“It sounds like a lot of the people booing have a lot of tears in their eyes right now,” an emotional Muhammad said in his post-fight interview.
“I’ve worked my whole life for this moment, and I’m just getting started,” he added.
Edwards put his lackluster performance down to fatigue in the week leading up to the fight.
“No surprises. My body just felt tired from round one. Congrats to Belal. He got the job done and we’ll get it back again,” Edwards said after the fight.
The Kingston-born southpaw was attempting to successfully defend his title for the third time.
Tua Tagovailoa is ready to take extra responsibility after he was rewarded with a franchise-record contract by the Miami Dolphins.
Tagovailoa penned a four-year, $212.4million extension with the Dolphins on Sunday.
It makes the 26-year-old the highest-paid player in Dolphins history and fifth highest in the history of the NFL based on average annual salary.
But with the higher salary, comes extra responsibility to push the Dolphins on, says Tagovailoa.
"I'm the highest-paid employee in this office," Tagovailoa said.
"I got to get my whatever together. I got to get that right and get our guys moving in the direction that we need to go to be able to do those things.
"We're looking forward to what we can do to help this team win more games and win games when it matters."
Tagovailoa led the league for passing yards in 2023, registering 29 touchdowns – a career-high.
And Miami coach Mike McDaniel is relishing the future with Tagovailoa at the helm.
"I'm fired up for the organisation, really fired up for Tua and the work he's done to receive something like that," McDaniel told reporters.
"I think it's a cool validation for sure.
"Quite frankly, Tua has shown me that throughout the entire offseason that he knows what time it is.
"Fortunately, him and all of his teammates can go out and determine whatever the narrative is built upon, by the way they play."
Lewis Hamilton was "gutted" for George Russell after the latter's disqualification from the Belgian Grand Prix handed victory to the seven-time Formula One champion.
Russell finished just ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Hamilton in Sunday's race to seal a one-two for the team at Spa.
Mercedes had taken a risky strategy with Russell, who went 34 laps on just one set of tyres.
However, an investigation after the race found Russell's car to be 1.5kg underweight, and so Hamilton was handed the race win.
In a post on Instagram, Hamilton said: "Mixed feelings for today's result. Obviously, happy to get the win but I feel for George and it's disappointing for the team not to get the one-two.
"A lot of positives to take from today, though. At the start of the weekend, we didn't expect to be at the front or the pace we had, so it's great to see just how much progress has been made and that we are in the fight.
"We take all these positives with us into the break and will come back a stronger team ready to keep the momentum going."
In a subsequent post on his Instagram story, Hamilton wrote: "Great drive today @georgerussell63, really am gutted for you and the team losing the win and also our 1-2 which the team deserved. Let's keep pushing, work towards another 1-2 in the second half."
Russell, meanwhile, was left heartbroken by the decision, which denied him his second win of the season.
"Heartbreaking… We came in 1.5kg underweight and have been disqualified from the race," Russell wrote in a post on social media.
"We left it all on the track today and I take pride in crossing the line first. There will be more to come."
Hamilton is now sixth in the drivers' standings, with 150 points, 34 ahead of Russell in eighth.
Reigning champion Max Verstappen picked up another two points courtesy of Russell's disqualification, taking him onto 277 at the top of the standings, though the Dutchman has not won in four races, his worst such streak since 2020.
The Baltimore Orioles scored six runs in the third inning en route to an 8-6 victory over San Diego on Sunday to snap the Padres' season-high seven-game winning streak.
The AL East-leading Orioles (62-43) only had six hits but took advantage of some shaky Padres pitching to win for just the second time in seven games.
Ryan Mountcastle hit a two-run single in the third inning that made the score 4-0, and added another two-run hit in the eighth to give Baltimore a bit of a cushion after San Diego scored five straight runs to pull within one.
Cedric Mullins came up big with the bat and the glove, hitting a two-run double in the third inning and later in the eighth inning he raced down a Manny Machado drive to deep centre field and leapt at the warning track to make the catch.
The Padres (57-51) were looking to win eight straight games for the first time since last September but were undone by the wildness of starter Randy Vasquez and lost for the first time since July 19.
After posting a 1.71 ERA in his last five starts, Vasquez allowed the first six batters of the third inning to reach base before he was pulled. He walked four and was ultimately charged with six earned runs.
Xander Bogaerts helped the Padres rally with a two-run home run in the sixth inning, just his fifth home run of the season and first since May 13, but that would be as close as San Diego would get.
Guardians beat Phillies to take series between league leaders
The Cleveland Guardians rallied for a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies to take two of three in this series between the two best teams in the majors.
After Jhonkensy Noel tied the score with a three-run homer in the fourth inning, Steven Kwan put the AL-best Guardians (63-42) ahead with a solo shot in the seventh.
It was the 11th home run of the season for Kwan, who leads the majors with a .342 batting average.
Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber led off the game with a home run and added a two-run shot two innings later for his 22nd of the season. It was his 29th career multi-homer game and fourth of the season.
Schwarber, though, grounded out in the ninth inning and Trea Turner followed with a ground-out of his own, as Cleveland's Emmanuel Clase pitched a scoreless inning to nail down his AL-best 33rd save.
The Phillies (65-40) have the majors' best record, but they've lost seven of 10.
Edwards becomes second Marlin to hit for cycle in loss to Brewers
Xavier Edwards hit for the cycle for the Miami Marlins, but it came in a losing effort as the Milwaukee Brewers pulled out a 6-2 victory.
Edwards opened the game with a home run, added a double in the fifth, a triple in the seventh and legged out an infield single with two outs in the ninth to record just the second cycle in Marlins franchise history.
Luis Arráez is the only other Miami player to hit for the cycle, notching his on April 11, 2023, against the Phillies.
Edwards' lead-off homer was the first home run of his career, but the lead was short-lived, as the Brewers responded with two runs in the bottom of the first via a Jake Bauers home run.
Bauers also tripled to help the NL Central-leading Brewers (60-45) avoid getting swept by the last-place Marlins (39-67).
Devin Williams pitched a scoreless ninth inning for Milwaukee in his first appearance of the season after being sidelined since spring training with stress fractures in his back.
The two-time NL reliever of the year faced five batters, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out one.
The New England Patriots issued a statement on Sunday that defensive tackle Christian Barmore has been diagnosed with blood clots.
The team said he is being treated at Mass General Brigham and there is no timetable for a return.
Barmore, who turned 25 years old on Sunday, is coming off a career year, emerging as an anchor on New England's defensive front with a team-high 8 1/2 sacks while also recording 13 tackles for loss in 2023.
A second-round pick by New England in 2021, he totalled four sacks in his first two NFL seasons.
After his breakout 2023 season, the Patriots rewarded Barmore with a four-year contract extension worth up to $92 million on April 29.
"While there is no current timetable for his return, we know Christian is getting tremendous care and we look forward to his full recovery," the Patriots said in a statement.
Andy Murray says he is proud of his double's comeback with Dan Evans after admitting it was a new career experience having to save five match points.
Team GB looked set to crash out of the Olympics in the first round, but a thrilling match instead saw them prevail 2-6 7-6 (7-5) 11-9 against Japan's Kei Nishikori and Taro Daniels.
Having already forced a tie-break in the second set, Murray and Evans had to dig deep once again in the decider after going 9-4 down, and remarkably saved five match points before booking their place in the next round.
Murray, who is set to retire at the end of the Olympics, lauded Evans for the part he played in the dramatic fightback that has prolonged his career by at least one more match.
"I don't think I've saved five match points in a row – in singles it's almost impossible to do that, so I don't think I've ever done that before," Murray said after their win.
"It's probably up there in terms of comebacks – probably the way we were playing to that stage would have not suggested we were able to come back.
"In my career, I've turned around a lot of matches I've looked unlikely to win or people thought I shouldn't have won - at times I've had that mental toughness, strength that was at times early on in my career was questioned.
"I'm really proud of that - I always try my best to fight and figure out ways to come through. I certainly couldn't have done that on my own today – as a team, Evo played his part in that.
"Evo has shown that before and helped me big time today. We both served well, came up with some great returns, and it was a brilliant turnaround."
Murray and Evans will face either Belgium's Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen or France's Arthur Fils and Ugo Humbert in the next round.
George Russell has been disqualified from the Belgian Grand Prix after his car was found to be underweight, with Lewis Hamilton inheriting his win.
Russell had pulled off a remarkable victory from sixth on the grid with a one-stop strategy, beating Lewis Hamilton, who had led for most of the race, by half a second.
However, the 26-year-old's car failed a post-race weight check, with a report later confirming that while the car had initially been compliant with the minimum weight, 2.8 litres of fuel were then removed.
That, coupled with Russell's one-stop strategy that saw his hard tyres worn down, took him 1.5 kilograms below the weight limit.
Mercedes told stewards that "there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine error by the team" after the findings were revealed.
As a result, Hamilton has his second win of the season, three weeks on from his British Grand Prix triumph at the start of the month, and the 105th in his career.
Oscar Piastri moved up to P2, while Charles Leclerc took P3.
An official statement from team principal Toto Wolff following the verdict read: "We have to take our disqualification on the chin.
"We have clearly made a mistake and need to ensure we learn from it. We will go away, evaluate what happened and understand what went wrong. To lose a 1-2 is frustrating, and we can only apologise to George, who drove such a strong race.
"Lewis is, of course, promoted to P1; he was the fastest guy on the two-stop and is a deserving winner.
"Despite the disqualification, there are many positives we can take from this weekend. We had a car that was the benchmark in today's race across two different strategies. Only a few months ago, that would have been inconceivable.
"We head into the summer break having won three of the past four races. We will look to come back after shutdown rejuvenated and with the aim of maintaining our positive trajectory."
Revised Top 10
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
5. Lando Norris (McLaren)
6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
9. Esteban Ocon (Alphine)
10. Daniel Ricciardo (RB)
Max Verstappen says Red Bull "have work to do" if they are to reassert their dominance of Formula One after the mid-season break, while Lando Norris rued some mistakes.
Verstappen finished fifth in the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, having come back from P11.
The Dutchman had qualified in pole, but had to deal with a 10-place penalty that was dealt his way following a collision with Lewis Hamilton last weekend.
While George Russell and Hamilton finished first and second for a Mercedes one-two, Verstappen missed the chance to become the third driver in F1 history to win four races in a row at Spa.
Indeed, he has failed to win the last four races, marking his worst run since 2020, and he knows Red Bull have to get back on track after a shaky few weeks.
He told Sky Sports F1: "If I'd have started P1, of course there's a much better opportunity.
"I was just stuck in the train, saving my tyres so I can't optimise the pace – the race was all about damage limitation. I knew that.
"They're ahead of us. Sometimes McLaren, sometimes Mercedes, I think we were faster than Ferrari but coming from P11, didn't have enough time to pass them.
"We know we have work to do, we want to do better, we're not satisfied, but everyone is doing a great job and you have to take your hat off to that as well."
Verstappen's closest rival in the championship standings, Norris, could not gain ground on the three-time reigning champion, however.
And the McLaren driver lamented his errors over recent races.
"The strategy was good, in the end it seemed whoever undercut more, won the race," he told Sky Sports F1.
"We did what we thought was best. The pace in the car was good. Maybe I could have been more aggressive but I was happy otherwise.
"I felt the pace was good, the few laps I had clean, or behind Carlos [Sainz] when he went long, the car went good, came alive a little bit. The pace felt better, I just couldn't do anything with it.
"From the team side, super happy. I just feel the last few races I’ve messed up a lot, and given away a lot of points."
Lewis Hamilton admitted Mercedes did not expect to finish one-two at the Belgian Grand Prix after a poor start to the race weekend.
Hamilton finished half a second behind team-mate George Russell despite leading for large portions of the race and was unable to mount enough pressure to pip him over the finish line.
Mercedes had struggled in the practice sessions on Friday, though they improved in rainy conditions on Saturday, with Hamilton finishing fourth in qualifying, getting bumped up to P3 after Max Verstappen's 10-place grid penalty.
In the end, it was the tyre strategy that swayed in Russell's favour on Sunday, as he made just one stop compared to Hamilton’s two.
After a poor start to the season, Mercedes have now won three of the last four races, and Hamilton is proud of how the team have turned things around.
"No, we definitely didn't [expect that]," he said after the race. "First I have to say congratulations to George and to the team.
"We had such a disaster on Friday. The car was really nowhere.
"We made some changes, hard to see what it was going to feel like because of the wet yesterday, but the car was fantastic today, and we really owe it to everyone, both here doing a solid job with pit stops and strategy, and the guys back at the factory.
"I was trying to get closer [at the end] obviously, but George did a great job going long on the tyres. Every stint I had tyres left, but the team brought me in, so unfortunate, but it is one of those days."
Mercedes are fourth in the constructors' championship on 284 points, 56 behind third-place Ferrari.
However, Hamilton believes they still have a long way to go if they want to be considered one of the contenders for it, even with their impressive recent form.
"No. That would be high hopes," he added. "If we can continue these kind of performances, we've had the last few races, which has been fantastic. If we can start our weekends better, hopefully, we can continue.
"I think the McLaren was very strong today, but we were just a bit further ahead early on. We've just got to keep pushing."
George Russell celebrated an "amazing" win at Spa in the Belgian Grand Prix.
Russell edged out Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to triumph in a thrilling battle on Sunday.
It marked Russell's second win of the season, as he became only the second driver – after reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen – to win multiple races in 2024.
And a risky strategy that saw Russell only pit once ultimately paid off in style for Mercedes, who have won three of the last four races.
"Amazing," said Russell, who charged up from sixth on the grid.
"We definitely didn't predict this win this morning in our strategy meeting but the car was feeling really awesome.
"We made a lot of changes from Friday night and the tyres just felt great. I kept saying 'we can do the one stop'.
"[Oscar] Piastri did a really great job and also well done to Lewis – he really controlled that race and if circumstances were slightly different I am sure he would have got the victory but a one-two for the team was such an awesome result and such a great way to go into the break.
"Three wins for us now. I want another race next weekend. The team have been working so hard so well deserved for everybody."
Asked whose idea it was to go with just one pit stop, Russell said: "I was focusing a lot during the race so I will have to listen to the radio commentary back but it was a team effort.
"We rolled the dice but it was only possible because the car was feeling really great."
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff was thrilled the risk paid off.
He told Sky Sports: "It’s incredible. We were nowhere. We changed a few things on the car and today we’ve been clearly ahead of everyone.
"We didn't think it was possible but at a certain stage we said, let's stay out, because we were going to finish fifth anyway, both scenarios. He stayed out and in the end he made it last."
George Russell edged out team-mate Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes' upturn in form continued at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Like reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen last year, Russell charged up from sixth on the grid to triumph at Spa.
Russell nursed his tyres for over half of Sunday's race but came in around half a second quicker than seven-time world champion Hamilton, who had started in P3.
It marks Russell's second triumph of the season, and Mercedes' third win in the space of four races.
Oscar Piastri, who won the Hungarian Grand Prix last week, finished third, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who was unable to capitalise on pole position.
Indeed, Leclerc was overtaken by Hamilton early on, but the latter could not hold out as Russell's risky one-stop strategy paid off.
Leclerc did manage to hold off Verstappen, at least, who finished fifth as his attempt to become the third driver to win the Belgian Grand Prix on four straight occasions failed, albeit the Dutchman had to come from 11th, having been slapped with a 10-place grid penalty after clashing with Hamilton last week.
Lando Norris, Verstappen's closest challenger in the championship standings, completed the top six, but could not make any ground on the leader.
Data Debrief: Is Hamilton back?
It has been a long and winding, arduous road for Hamilton in recent seasons, but Mercedes have found their gear again, and even if he had to settle for second place this time around, the veteran campaigner appears to be close to his best.
He has now claimed three straight podium finishes for the first time since 2022.
His great rival Verstappen, meanwhile, has not won any of the last four races. That is the Red Bull star's worst run since the 2020 season when he went 11 without a win.
Verstappen needs a win, and quick, though he is 78 points clear at the top of the drivers' standings.
Top 10
1. George Russell (Mercedes)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
6. Lando Norris (McLaren)
7. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
9. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
10. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 275
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 197
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 174
Constructors
1. Red Bull - 404
2. McLaren - 361
3. Ferrari - 340
In the opening round of the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Under-19 Boys and Girls Championships in Spanish Town, Jamaica, the Barbadian women’s team and the Jamaican men’s team secured victories on Saturday. Trinidad and Tobago's Under-19 women's volleyball team suffered a 3-1 defeat to Barbados, while hosts Jamaica's men blanked Aruba 25-21, 25-22, 25-20 in their opening match.
The six-time champions, T&T, struggled to find their rhythm early on in their first match of the preliminary rounds in Pool 'A' at the GC Foster College. The Barbadian team capitalized on this, taking the first set 25-17.
In the second set, T&T seemed to regain their footing, building a promising 13-8 lead. However, the Bajans demonstrated resilience, leveling the scores at 13-apiece and then surging ahead to win the set 25-21, thus securing a 2-0 lead in the match.
Determined to stay in the game, T&T mounted a comeback in the third set, winning 25-16 and reviving their hopes of turning the match around. This spirited performance extended the match to a fourth set. However, Barbados delivered a commanding performance in the fourth set, sealing their victory with a 25-13 win.
With this loss, T&T's path to the semifinals now hinges on their next match against host nation Jamaica. A victory is crucial for T&T to advance in the tournament.
Adding to the excitement of the opening round, Jamaica's men’s team delivered a strong performance against Aruba, winning their match in straight sets with scores of 25-21, 25-22, and 25-20. This victory set a positive tone for the host nation in the championships.
In other action on Saturday, the lone boys' match featured host Jamaica facing Curacao, adding to the competitive spirit of the championships. The wins for Barbados Women and Jamaica's Men have set the stage for an exciting tournament ahead.
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