The Jamaica Volleyball Association (JaVA) is thrilled to unveil the official rosters for the Jamaican U19 Boys and Girls teams set to compete in the 2024 CAZOVA U19 Boys and Girls Volleyball Championships. The prestigious event will be hosted at GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sport from July 26 to August 4, 2024, promising an exciting showcase of young talent.

The Championship will bring together teams from across the CAZOVA region, competing fiercely for the coveted title. For Jamaica, this tournament presents an excellent platform for young athletes to gain invaluable international experience and exposure. The selected players, having undergone rigorous preparation, are eager to demonstrate their skills and represent their country on home soil, buoyed by the enthusiastic support of local fans.

Leading the charge for the Jamaica U19 Boys Team is Toshiro Jones from Wolmer’s High School for Boys, who will serve as the captain. Jones is joined by Joshua Auboine of Oracabessa High School, Schillachi Batchelor from St. Jago High School, and Jordyn-Rhy Davis of Jamaica College. Renaldo Doeman from Mannings School, David Douglas of Wolmer’s High School for Boys, and Malik Ferron and Ajani Gordon, both from St. Jago High School, will also be key players. The team is rounded out by Jantje Neil and Edward Sterling from Wolmer’s High School for Boys, Ithran Softley from Papine High School, and Nicholas Watson of Suncoast Community High School. Guiding the boys through the competition will be Head Coach Adrian Ramdeen, supported by Assistant Coach Adrian James and Team Manager Travis Clarke.

The Jamaica U19 Girls Team features Kalia Baker from Paint Branch High School as the captain. Baker will lead a dynamic group that includes Ria Bertram of Campion College, Patrina Chisholm from Wolmer’s High School for Girls, and Morgan Esmie of Blessed Trinity Catholic High School. Tashari Gordon from Knox College, Jada-Lee Grant from St. Jago High School, and Mary Massias from The Rock School will add strength to the lineup. Winnifred Mitchell from Stouffville District Secondary School, Quaciann Stewart from Wolmer’s High School for Girls, and Treviann Taylor from Knox College will also bring their talents to the court. Completing the team are Ava Grace Troyer from Hiland High School and Hadijah Wallace from Knox College. Leading the girls' squad is Head Coach O’Neil Ebanks, with Colin Rose as the Assistant Coach and Erica Harris serving as Team Manager.

As the Jamaican teams gear up for the 2024 CAZOVA U19 Boys and Girls Volleyball Championships, the anticipation and excitement build. The local support is expected to be a crucial factor in their performance, driving them to showcase their best on this international stage. This championship is more than just a competition; it's a chance for these young athletes to make their mark and potentially set the foundation for a bright future in volleyball.

 

 

Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes Gianpiero Lambiase's "childish" remark was not aimed at Max Verstappen during the pair's unhappy radio exchange at Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Drivers' Championship leader Verstappen was forced to settle for fifth at the Hungaroring - his second-lowest finish of the season - Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris comprising a McLaren one-two.

The three-time world champion was involved in a collision with Lewis Hamilton on lap 63, after overshooting a corner on an attempted overtake.

It led Verstappen to vent his frustrations towards race engineer Lambiase, telling him over the team radio: "You gave me this s*** strategy. I'm trying to rescue what's left."

The Italian responded: "I am not even going to get into a radio fight with the other teams, Max. We'll let the stewards do their thing. It’s childish on the radio, childish."

It was a surprising exchange given the close-knit relationship shared between the pair, who have worked together for eight years.

However, Horner said Lambiase's comments were instead aimed at the radio traffic from rival teams hoping the stewards would penalise them.

"I don't think GP's [Lambiase] reference at that point was in reference to Max," he told reporters. "Others [were] obviously goading for penalties because obviously the stewards are listening to the radio as well.

"Max was frustrated, which you can understand. He has a very direct line of communication with his engineer. It's something that they’ll discuss between the two of them.

"They've been together for eight years and, yes, there are things we could have done better in the race today that we'll talk about as a team.

"I think everybody sees we need to find more performance, and everybody is working hard to do that and we'll have whatever discussions behind closed doors."

Verstappen, who still holds a 76-point lead over Norris at the Drivers' Championship summit, will head to next weekend's Belgian Grand Prix having not won any of his last three races; last going four without success during the 2020 season.

However, the Dutchman has won each of the last three races in Belgium, and could become only the third driver after Ayrton Senna and Jim Clark to win four in a row.

Rafael Nadal is "convinced" Carlos Alcaraz will be at a "great level" for the Olympics ahead of their anticipated doubles team-up.

The pair will be representing Spain at the upcoming Games in Paris, with both also participating in the singles event.

Nadal reached his first final since his French Open triumph in 2022 at the Swedish Open on Sunday, eventually losing out to Nuno Borges in straight sets.

He has previously won two Olympic gold medals though, his first in the singles at the 2008 Games in Beijing, and the second at Rio 2016 in the doubles.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz has won back-to-back grand slams this year, winning at Roland Garros in June before beating Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon earlier this month.

The 21-year-old is competing at the Olympics for the first time in his career ahead of the hard-court swing of the season.

Nadal admitted he was not happy with his performance level in the final in Bastad and is determined to improve to match Alcaraz's level.

"I'm really looking forward to being part of the Olympic team and representing Spain," Nadal said.

"This is the most important event in sport. I hope I can find the energy I need and do some good training.

"If I manage to play good tennis, I will also do so in doubles, but I must analyse well what happened this week and work hard.

"I am convinced that Carlos will be at a great level because he is coming in with confidence. We will train together this week."

Rafael Nadal felt his performance levels at the Swedish Open were "so far from what they should be", but was pleased to emerge from his run to the final in Bastad without any injuries.

The 22-time major winner reached his first ATP championship match since winning his 14th French Open title two years ago, losing out to Nuno Borges in straight sets.

Nadal saw off Leo Borg and Cameron Norrie, before battling past Mariano Navone and Duje Ajdukovic in three sets. However, he was no match for Borges, who was a commanding 6-3 6-2 winner in the final.

The injury-plagued Spaniard opted to skip Wimbledon to focus on participating in the forthcoming Paris Olympics, where he will play in the singles and doubles events.

And though he admitted he wanted to play better in Bastad, Nadal was thrilled to come through multiple demanding matches unscathed.

"The level was so far from what it should be. Probably, the energy too. It has been a long week with long matches," Nadal told reporters.

"I don't have damage [to my body], that's important - but mentally and physically, I'm not used to playing four days in a row and playing long matches.

"I need to analyse well and find the reason why I played that way, even if the energy wasn't right. Things like this can happen, and that's the situation.

"I played the final, that's positive. I was able to play long matches without having an injury. That's good.

"In some ways, I felt that I arrived here practising much better than what I played in the tournament during the whole week. That's something that I am not satisfied with."

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh believes Lemar Jackson will become the "greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the NFL".

In February, at 27, Jackson became the youngest-ever two-time NFL MVP since the AFL merger.

Since he joined in 2018, he has led the Ravens to their best records in the league, going 14-2 in 2019 and 13-4 last year. In the regular-season, Jackson has the second-best record at 58-19 (.753).

However, he has been known to struggle in the postseason, losing four of his six playoff games, including the AFC Championship game against eventual Super Bowl winners Kansas City Chiefs last season.

When asked about Jackson's failure to reach the showpiece game, Harbaugh passionately defended the quarterback, reiterating the team's faith in him.

"There's a lot of great things said about Lamar, but there's a lot of stuff that's said that you just got to scratch your head about and kind of wonder, 'What's that person even thinking?'" Harbaugh said on Sunday. "But we take it personally.

"All his life, Lamar Jackson has been a guy who's been answering those same questions.

"I'm talking about since he was a kid. Junior high, high school, college, the draft. The success he's had in the [NFL], again, it still comes up.

"OK, now he's still growing. He's got a growth mindset. He's going to get better and better, no doubt. But what does he have to do to prove himself to some people? Right?"

"The vision that we have together is that Lamar Jackson is going to become and be known and be recognized as the greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the National Football League.

"It's going to happen by Lamar, his work ethic and his brilliant talent, by all of us pouring into that effort together as a team and by the grace of God and God's goodwill."

Since being picked by Baltimore in the 2018 NFL draft, Jackson has run more yards than any other quarterback (5,258) and has thrown 125 touchdown passes in 77 starts.

The Ravens will kick off the new season against the Chiefs on September 6.

Sam Hauser has agreed to a four-year, $45million contract extension with the Boston Celtics, his agent told ESPN on Sunday.

Hauser signed with the Celtics in 2021 as an undrafted rookie and has since established himself as one of the NBA's most accurate 3-point shooters.

His current rookie contract is due to expire in 2025, but this extension will keep him with the team until the end of the 2028-29 season.

Hauser shot 42.4% on 3-pointers last season, the fourth-best in the league among players with over 400 attempts, and became just the third player in Celtics history to make 10 3-pointers in a game in 2023-24.

The 26-year-old also made 179 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers last season, the sixth most in the NBA.

His extension is the third of the offseason already, with All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum signing a $315million five-year deal and guard Derrick White committing to $125million over four years.

The Seattle Mariners overcame an injury to Julio Rodriguez and a cycle by Houston's Yordan Alvarez to earn a 6-4 win over the Astros in Sunday's finale of an important three-game series.

Luke Raley had a three-run homer and Jorge Polanco added a solo shot while going 2 for 4 as the Mariners avoided a series sweep and moved back into a virtual tie with Houston for first place in the American League West.

Seattle also halted a season-high five-game losing streak despite Rodriguez exiting the contest in the sixth inning. The star center fielder sustained an ankle injury when he crashed into the outfield wall while attempting a play on a ball hit by Alvarez that resulted in a triple.

Alvarez went 4 for 4 and knocked in two runs to record the 10th cycle in Astros history. The All-Star slugger singled in the first inning and homered in the top of the fourth, with the 429-foot blast off Seattle starter Bryan Woo cutting Houston's deficit to 2-1. 

The Mariners had gone ahead on Dylan Moore's two-out triple in the second inning that brought in Josh Rojas and Raley. Rojas had reached on a ground-rule double before Houston starter Ronel Blanco walked Mitch Haniger, who was thrown out at second on Raley's fielder's choice grounder. 

Polanco's homer off Blanco in the bottom of the fourth increased Seattle's lead, though the Astros moved within 3-2 when Mauricio Dubon doubled in the top of the sixth and scored on Alvarez's triple that injured Rodriguez.

The Mariners answered in their half of the sixth, however. Polanco and Haniger reached on singles before Raley launched the first pitch he saw from Seth Martinez into the right field seats for a 6-2 Seattle advantage.

After Houston got closer on Jeremy Pena's solo homer in the seventh, Alvarez completed his cycle with a double in the eighth and later crossed the plate on Chas McCormick's single that cut the lead to 6-4.

The Astros would get no closer, however, as Mariners' closer Andres Munoz struck out the side in the ninth to record his 16th save.

Woo improved to 4-1 on the season after allowing two runs on four hits while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings.

 

Ohtani's mammoth homer helps Dodgers sweep Red Sox

The Los Angeles Dodgers belted a season-high six home runs, including a titanic blast from Shohei Ohtani that cleared the Dodger Stadium bleachers, in a 9-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox that finished a three-game series sweep.

Ohtani's 30th homer of the season, a massive drive off Kutter Crawford in the fifth inning that travelled an estimated 473 feet, highlighted a power barrage that carried the National League West leaders to their first three-game sweep since June 24-26 against the Chicago White Sox. The Dodgers entered the series having lost six of their final seven games before the All-Star break.

Fellow All-Stars Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez also went deep for Los Angeles, as did Gavin Lux, Austin Barnes and Jason Heyward. Lux added a run-scoring double while finishing 3 for 4.

All-Star Game MVP Jarren Duran knocked in four runs for the slumping Red Sox, two of which came on a first-inning home run off James Paxton that staked Boston to a brief 2-0 lead.

Freeman answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning before the Dodgers quickly tied the game on consecutive doubles from Andy Pages and Lux.

Hernandez, the 2024 Home Run Derby champion, put Los Angeles ahead in the third with his 20th homer of the season, and Lux reached the seats in the fourth to extend the Dodgers' advantage to 4-2.

Barnes continued the power surge with a lead-off homer in the fifth that preceded Ohtani's monstrous shot, the fifth home run surrendered by Crawford (6-8) on the night.

Crawford allowed six runs in all over five innings, while the ex-Red Sox hurler Paxton overcame a shaky beginning to limit his former team to three runs across five-plus innings to improve to 8-2 on the season.

Paxton was removed after permitting a walk to Connor Wong and a Masataka Yoshida single to open the sixth, with Wong later scoring on Ceddanne's Rafaela's single off reliever Joe Kelly that brought Boston within 6-3.

The Dodgers' offence came back to life in the eighth, however. Lux singled, stole second and came home on Cavan Biggio's single before Heyward followed with a two-run homer off former Los Angeles closer Kenley Jansen for a 9-3 lead.

Boston then threatened in the ninth, with Duran's two-run double off Evan Phillips cutting into the margin. Phillips later issued a pair of walks to load the bases before giving way to Daniel Hudson, who got Yoshida to hit into a fielder's choice that scored Duran and closed the gap to 9-6.

Hudson then retired Wilyer Abreu on a fly ball with the tying run at the plate to end the game and pick up his sixth save of the season.

 

Rookie Phillips stars as Phillies end Pirates' win streak

Tyler Phillips cooled off the Pittsburgh Pirates' hot bats with six outstanding innings as the Philadelphia Phillies prevented a three-game series sweep by their Pennsylvania rivals with Sunday's 6-0 victory.

Phillips (2-0), a rookie making his second career MLB start, yielded just four hits and a walk to help the NL leaders end a three-game skid and halt the surging Pirates' season-high six-game winning streak.

Pittsburgh had totalled 23 hits in the series' first two meetings and scored 27 runs over its previous four games. 

The Phillies gave Phillips all the support he needed by reaching Pittsburgh starter Marco Gonzales for a pair of runs on three hits in the second inning.

Alec Bohm led off the second with a single and took third on Edmundo Sosa's one-out double before scoring the first run on Weston Wilson's sacrifice fly. Garrett Stubbs followed with a single that plated Sosa for a 2-0 lead.

Gonzalez (2-2) held the Phillies scoreless over the remainder of his 4 2/3-inning stint, but a costly error by Pittsburgh shortstop Oneil Cruz allowed Philadelphia to break the game open in the seventh.

With one on and one out, Cruz dropped a relay throw on a potential double-play grounder off the bat of Kyle Schwarber. Trea Turner then drove in a run with a single before Schwarber scored on Bryce Harper's groundout for a 4-0 advantage, and Turner came home on a Bohm single to further increase the margin.

Nick Castellanos accounted for the Phillies' final run with a solo homer in the ninth. Castellanos, Bohm and Stubbs each recorded two hits in the win.

 

Xander Schauffele set his sights on a career grand slam after a brilliant final round saw him claim victory at The Open on Sunday.

Schauffele managed a six-under 65 through his fourth round at Royal Troon, with a run of four birdies in six holes down the back nine seeing him pull clear.

He finished two strokes ahead of Justin Rose and Billy Horschel, with Thriston Lawrence, Russell Henley and Shane Lowry rounding out the top of the leaderboard.

Having also triumphed at the PGA Championship at Valhalla earlier this year, Schauffele has become the first player since Brooks Koepka in 2018 (U.S. Open and PGA) to win two majors in the same year.

Rory McIlroy was the last player to win those same two tournaments in one year, achieving the feat back in 2014.

Only five players have ever previously won all four majors in their careers – Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods.

Schauffele is looking to follow in their footsteps in the coming years, telling reporters: "If you look hard enough, you can always find it.

"It's something, when you feel like you need an extra kick in the butt, there's several easy ways to motivate yourself.

"There's still a lot of things that I'd like to do in my career, and this is a very big leap towards that. The fire is still burning, maybe brighter than ever."

Looking at the Claret Jug in his post-tournament press conference, the world number three added: "It's an honour. I've always dreamed of doing it.

"That walk up 18 truly is the coolest with the yellow leaderboards and the fans and the standing ovation. It really is one of the coolest feelings I've ever had in my life."

Justin Rose accepted he had lost out to a "cold competitor" in Xander Schauffele after the American triumphed at the 152nd Open at Royal Troon on Sunday.

Schauffele shot a magnificent final round of 65 to seal a two-shot victory in Scotland, winning his second major after he also came out on top at May's PGA Championship.

Rose joined Billy Horschel in a share of second, the Englishman managing two birdies in his final three holes to close the gap.

Rose – who has gone 11 years without winning a major since claiming the U.S. Open title in 2013 – was proud of his efforts and acknowledged he had simply been beaten by the better player.

"Obviously I tried to enjoy the walk down 18 because we did an incredible job out there," Rose told Sky Sports. "I felt like we played unbelievable golf. 

"But Xander, every credit to him, he made it look so easy on the back nine. He's a cold, cold competitor, but I couldn't be more proud of myself with the way I competed today.

"There was just one little spell in the round where there were putts on 12, 13 and 14 that didn't drop and that's where the momentum shifted to Xander.

"That putt on 18, to finish strong, I knew it was for second place and I think I at least deserved that for the week.

"It's okay to be beaten by someone who shoots 31 on the back nine but I gave that everything."

Fellow runner-up Horschel, who held a one-stroke lead going into Sunday's final round, was disappointed to drop away, saying: "I'm going to always fight until the end. I was rewarded with three birdies there at the end to finish tied second with a good friend, Justin Rose.

"I should feel disappointed. I had a chance to win a major. I was in a really good position. I just made a few too many mistakes today when I didn't need to. 

"But we'll look back on this in an hour and I'll be very happy with what I did this week.

"I did a lot of great things that I can take on to the next few years of majors and hopefully one of these will be my time to step through the door and hold one of them."

Xander Schauffele said his earlier victory at the PGA Championship gave him a sense of calm as he claimed his second major triumph at The Open on Sunday.

Schauffele shot a sensational six-under 65 in the fourth round to come out on top at Royal Troon, beating overnight leader Billy Horschel and Justin Rose by two shots.

The world number three played a brilliant back nine to streak clear of his rivals, birdying the 14th and 16th holes before an excellent shot onto the green on the 17th all but sealed his win.

Speaking to Sky Sports after claiming the Claret Jug, Schauffele said his earlier victory at Valhalla took any nerves out of the occasion.

"I thought that would help me and it actually did," he said. "I had this sense of calm, a calm I didn't have when I played earlier at the PGA.

"For some reason, I was calm and collected. I was telling my caddie Austin that I felt pretty calm coming down the stretch and he said he was about to puke on the 18th tee!

"I told myself to just hit it down there and keep moving along.

"I played that back nine yesterday in really bad weather so I just told myself today is technically easier so go out and get it.

"To have two [major wins] is unbelievable. It took me so long to get one and it gets in your head a little bit, and now I'm just spoiling myself."

The last seven majors have now been won by American players, the longest streak of major victories by Americans since 1982.

While Schauffele won two of four majors this year, Brooks Koepka (2023 PGA), Wyndham Clark (2023 US Open), Brian Harman (2023 Open), Scottie Scheffler (2024 Masters) and Bryson DeChambeau (2024 US Open) have also triumphed in that span.

Lewis Hamilton labelled his clash with Max Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix as a "racing incident" after finishing third on Sunday. 

Hamilton and Verstappen made contact coming into turn one at the Hungaroring with seven laps of the race remaining. 

The Dutchman attempted to go on the inside of his former rival to secure the final podium place, but in doing so locked up his front tyres. 

Verstappen and Hamilton made contact, with the three-time world champion briefly sent into the air and off the track as he was overtaken by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. 

The stewards swiftly placed the incident under investigation and conducted their analysis of it after the race, with the pair both escaping punishment for the collision. 

"For me it was a racing incident," Hamilton told Sky Sports. 

"Ultimately he was much quicker and he sent it. I moved a little to defend, but I left enough space on the inside and he locked up and obviously then couldn't turn.

"He came at a different trajectory and clipped my wheels. If he was under control he would have gone by."

“It’s nerve-wracking when you see the pace at which they close the gap on corners," Hamilton added of Red Bull's pace.

"You just laugh to yourself because it’s not something I can do, particularly on the last sector they were very very strong, same as the McLarens.

“I saw him coming from a long way back and he was able to brake a lot later than me, but he sent it up the inside, I stayed still and he clipped the wheel and went over, so I think it was a racing incident."

Hamilton's third-place finish saw him claim a 200th podium, the first driver in the history of the competition to reach that milestone. 

The seven-time world champion, who claimed 49 of those podium finishes with McLaren, was pleased to see his former team produce their first one-two since the Italian Grand Prix in 2021. 

“Big thanks to this amazing crowd and a huge congratulations to the McLarens with the one-two, that’s my old original family so it’s great to see," Hamilton said. 

“For us, the team have done a great job at pushing this car ultimately, we didn’t have the pace of the McLarens or of the Red Bulls but we were just able to hold on at the beginning of the race, it was very tough to hold on and make those tyres last."

Xander Schauffele came from nowhere with a brilliant six-under 65 to triumph at The Open, following up his victory at the PGA Championship in May.

Schauffele began Sunday's fourth round as one of six players at three under, one stroke back of overnight leader Billy Horschel in the hunt for the Claret Jug.

But the world number three managed six birdies to beat Horschel and Justin Rose by two shots at Royal Troon, making it the seventh straight major to be won by an American.

Back-to-back birdies at holes six and seven put Schauffele in contention, but it was over the back nine where he really stepped things up to pull clear of his rivals.

He took the outright lead on the 13th, sinking a difficult 13-foot birdie putt as playing partner Rose and fellow contender Thriston Lawrence both dropped a shot.

As was the case at Valhalla in May, Schauffele proved an excellent pace-setter, birdying again on the 14th and the 16th then holding his nerve at the death, finding the heart of the green with ease on the penultimate hole to all but seal the deal.

While Rose shot four under and Horschel three under to share second place, Lawrence was one stroke further back at six under for the week, and Russell Henley finished five under after a bogey-free final round of 69.

Shane Lowry, who had led at the start of the weekend but carded a miserable six over on Saturday, rebounded somewhat with a score of 68 to finish sixth.

Lowry said of victor Schauffele: "You need to hole everything on a day like today, especially to beat someone like Xander, who's in the form he's in.

"It looked like he was running away with it again. He did that on me at the PGA, and he's done it again today.

"He just doesn't really hit many bad shots, does he? I went there two back at the PGA, and I felt like I shot a decent score, and I wasn't anywhere near him. He's obviously good when he's out in front."

Jon Rahm joined Scottie Scheffler and Sung-Jae Im as the only other players with a negative score at one under, having briefly threatened a push for the title with three straight birdies to open his final round before tailing off.

Arthur Fils came through a decisive tie-break to beat home favourite Alexander Zverev in the Hamburg Open final, securing his second ATP-level title.

The 20-year-old triumphed 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-1) in a three-and-a-half-hour marathon, saving a remarkable 21 of 22 break points, including five in the final set, to follow up his 2023 triumph in Lyon.

Fils raced into a 3-0 lead in the opener before having to fend off four break points in the fifth game as he took the lead, but defending champion Zverev roared back in the second set.

Zverev got the breakthrough six games into a back-and-forth second as the big-serving German forced a decider.

Having saved break points at 4-4 and 5-5 in the third, Fils came on strong in the tie-break, recording the biggest win of his career and his fourth versus a top-10 opponent.

Data Debrief: Fils' rise continues as Zverev falls short

Fils is just the second player aged under 21 to triumph at the Hamburg Open, after Roger Federer in 2002 and Lorenzo Musetti in 2022. 

Zverev, meanwhile, missed the chance to become the fifth man to defend the Hamburg title in the Open Era, after Eddie Dibbs (1973-74), Andre Medvedev (1994-95), Federer (2004-05) and Nikoloz Basilashvili (2018-19).

 

Max Verstappen raged at Red Bull's strategy after finishing fifth at the Hungarian Grand Prix, declaring the team are no longer able to rely on a pace advantage.

Verstappen recorded his joint second-worst finish of the year at the Hungaroring as Oscar Piastri led Lando Norris in a McLaren one-two.

The three-time world champion's race was defined by a collision with old rival Lewis Hamilton, coming into contact with the Mercedes on lap 63 when he overshot a corner on an attempted overtake.

Verstappen vented his frustrations over team radio, telling race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase: "You gave me this s*** strategy. I'm trying to rescue what's left."

Speaking to Sky Sports after the race, the Dutchman refused to apologise for those comments as he said: "I don't think we need to apologise. 

"I just think we need to do a better job. I don't know why people think you cannot be vocal on a radio. This is a sport. If some people don't like that, then stay home."

Verstappen, who also dropped below Charles Leclerc late on, continued: "I'm not happy.

"On a day when we're lacking pace compared to McLaren, you hope we do the right things with strategy, which was not the case.

"You can't rely on a little pace advantage. Maybe last year when the car was quite a lot faster than everyone else, but in the position we are in now, we can't do that.

"Naturally that frustrates me because I want things to be done better. I'm realistic.

"Today we couldn't have beaten the McLarens, but a P3 was on the cards if we were on it a bit more."

Lando Norris said he will always put the team first after handing fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri his maiden Formula One victory at Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Norris started on pole at the Hungaroring but dropped two places at the first corner as team-mate Piastri and world champion Max Verstappen surpassed him.

Verstappen later fell away and ultimately finished fifth, while Norris inched ahead of Piastri after making an earlier pitstop.

Norris – who claimed his first win at the Miami Grand Prix in May – was repeatedly asked to hand the lead back to Piastri but refused to do so until two laps before the finish.

It looked like Norris might refuse the order as engineer Will Joseph told him he would need Piastri's support to push for the world championship, but he told reporters after the race he would always prioritise the team. 

"It's tough. It would be tough for anyone when you're leading the race to give it up," Norris told Sky Sports. "I was obviously put in the position. 

"They made me box first and gave me the chance to lead the race and pull away quite comfortably and to do what I was doing.

"I think it was fair to give the position back. I don't want to come across as the guy who is not fair. Oscar has done a lot for me in the past and helped me in many races.

"He drove a better race than I did. He got a good start, a better start and mine sucked. He deserved it and it was the right thing to do."

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, meanwhile, was proud of the drivers' efforts, telling Sky Sports: "We are on this trajectory together. 

"None of us – the team, Lando or Oscar – can go alone. That's the message that we discussed on Sunday morning.

"With racing drivers you need to refresh this message. That's why we have this meeting every Sunday.

"We are extremely pleased by how our drivers are supporting the trajectory of McLaren which is incredible. For me, that's the news today."

Oscar Piastri labelled the McLaren car as a "beast" after claiming his first win in Formula One at the Hungarian Grand Prix.  

Piastri became the seventh different winner of a race this season and the first Australian to triumph at the Hungaroring since 2014 on Sunday. 

McLaren team-mate Lando Norris finished second to secure a first one-two for the British team since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix. 

The result also marked their 10th podium of the season, the first time they have managed to reach that total since the 2012 season (13). 

“It’s a beast at the moment, it’s fast in every condition, today we had it under control completely," Piastri said.  

"It was an amazing feeling to be able to manage the race like that with both cars and secure a one-two.

“I’m incredibly happy for the whole team and get my first win on the board.”

Piastri claimed his maiden triumph at the 34th attempt for McLaren, having previously finished on the podium twice this season in Austria and Monaco. 

The Australian's win moves him up to fifth in the driver's championship and is now just five points behind Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. 

“Very very special, this is the day I’ve dreamed of as a kid standing on the top step of an F1 podium," said Piastri.

"A bit complicated at the end but I put myself in the right position at the start and thank you for the team for an amazing car.

“It’s a hell of a lot of fun racing with McLaren so I can’t thank them enough for giving me the opportunity to be in F1, and to be winning with them 18 months in is an incredible feeling.”

But the win did not come without its controversy.

Piastri led Norris for most of the race, but an earlier final pit stop for Norris - made by McLaren to protect him against Lewis Hamilton, put him ahead of his team-mate. 

Norris was repeatedly asked to slow and let Piastri back past, and reminded of his responsibility to the team, but he refused to do so until just two laps from the end.

“The longer you leave it of course you get a bit nervous, but it was well executed by the team, it was the right thing, I put myself in the right position at the start," Piastri added.

“With the different strategy we had, yes my pace probably wasn’t as quick as I would have liked in the last stint but I was still in the right position to make it happen.”

Oscar Piastri claimed his first win in Formula One as Lewis Hamilton became the first driver in history to secure 200 podiums at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Piastri was handed his maiden triumph by McLaren team-mate Lando Norris with two laps remaining, with the Brit undercutting his partner in the second round of pitstops before being told to re-establish the order. 

Norris endured a difficult start at the Hungaroring, dropping two places after just one corner with Piastri and Max Verstappen passing him early on. 

But the Dutchman was forced to give the position back to Norris as he continued to squabble over the radio to the Red Bull garage. 

Hamilton was the first of the frontrunners to pit, performing a successful undercut on Verstappen. The three-time world champion then attempted to overtake Hamilton on lap 35 but went off track in the process. 

When Verstappen came close again to his rival, he attempted the overtake into turn one, but they collided, sending the Red Bull up into the air with seven laps remaining. 

After more than 20 laps of being told over team radio to give the lead back to Piastri, Norris finally obliged as McLaren secured a first one-two since 2021. 

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Verstappen made up the top five, with George Russell and Sergio Perez scoring impressive points having started towards the back of the grid.

Data Debrief: Piastri win a long time coming

Piastri's triumph saw him become the seventh different race winner this season, becoming the first Australian driver to win the Hungarian Grand Prix. 

McLaren secured their 10th podium of the season, the first time they have managed that many since 2012 (13). The last time McLaren finished one-two in a race was at the Italian Grand Prix in 2021. On that day, Norris was again the runner-up, this time to his former team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.

Norris' second-placed finish earned him a 21st podium for McLaren, equalling Denny Hulme as the driver with the eighth-most podiums in the history of the British team. 

Hamilton, meanwhile, claimed a record 200th podium finish (49 with McLaren and 151 with Mercedes), becoming the first driver in F1 history to reach that milestone. 

Top 10

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

2. Lando Norris (McLaren)

3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

8. George Russell (Mercedes)

9. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)

10. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 265 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 189
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 162

Constructors

1. Red Bull – 389
2. McLaren – 338
3. Ferrari – 322

Nuno Borges has won his first-ever ATP Tour title with an impressive straight-sets upset against Rafael Nadal at the Swedish Open.

Borges was just too strong as he raced to a 6-3 6-2 victory over Nadal, who competed in his first final since 2022.

The Portuguese took the first two games before the two traded breaks, though Borges' early edge put him in control to take the first set.

Nadal, who was forced to go the distance in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, struggled to match Borges' attack despite a strong start to the second set.

The seventh seed proceeded to win the last five games in a row to squash Nadal's hopes of a 93rd singles title, earning a maiden trophy of his own.

Data Debrief: First trophy in the bag

Borges was at the top of his game as he downed the 22-time grand slam winner on Sunday, breaking Nadal's serve five times en route to victory.

While Nadal's tournament ended in defeat, there are positives to take from Bastad having reached his first final since the 2022 French Open, and he heads to the Olympics with an 11-6 record. 

Jamaican netball star Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard showcased her immense talent and composure, scoring an astonishing 67 goals in the Suncorp Super Netball preliminary final on Sunday. Fowler-Nembhard's brilliance guided the Fever to a hard-fought 72-62 victory over the Sunshine Coast Lightning. They will now face off against the Melbourne Vixens for a chance to face defending champion Adelaide Thunderbirds in the grand final.

In a match marked by dramatic momentum shifts, the Fever had to dig deep to withstand the Lightning's persistent challenges. It wasn't until late in the third quarter that the Fever managed to establish a decisive lead, ultimately securing their place in the next round.

The game began with the Lightning in control, as the connections between Steph Fretwell, Liz Watson, and Leesa Mi Mi effortlessly cut through the Fever’s defense. In response, the Fever introduced the speed of Kelsey Browne to their midcourt, but the Lightning's fluid play maintained a three-point advantage until a crucial super shot from Shanice Beckford leveled the score and electrified the crowd.

Fever shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard then took center stage, dominating her matchup against Courtney Bruce and forcing Lightning coach Belinda Reynolds to make tactical adjustments. Despite these changes, Fowler-Nembhard remained unstoppable, finishing with an incredible 67 goals from 69 attempts and earning MVP honors for her performance.

The match's intensity took its toll on the Lightning, who had been regarded as pre-season premiership favorites due to their impressive recruiting. Although Watson led all players with 58 feeds, Fretwell struggled with accuracy, which dropped to just 61 percent. The Fever capitalized on this, converting 81 percent of their center passes and 40 percent of their missed goals, compared to the Lightning's dismal nine percent conversion rate.

Despite the defeat, the Lightning's four young rookies gained valuable experience and are expected to be formidable competitors next season. The Fever, meanwhile, will head east for next weekend’s preliminary final against the wounded Vixens, who suffered a stunning 25-point defeat to the Adelaide Thunderbirds on Saturday.

The Fever's consistency in Super Netball has seen them reach the finals in six of the last seven years, but they have struggled to convert these opportunities into championships, having won the premiership only once in 2022. However, with three wins in their last four matches and the Vixens losing three in the same period, the Fever will approach the preliminary final with confidence.

If they can secure a victory against the Vixens, the Fever will face off in the grand final against the Adelaide Thunderbirds, who handed them a comprehensive 18-point defeat the last time they met. With Fowler-Nembhard in top form, the Fever are poised to make a serious bid for the championship.

 

 

 

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