MARSEILLE, France: The first medal races for sailing at the Paris Olympics were postponed on Thursday because of a lack of wind, leaving athletes broiling in the heat on the water for more than two hours before sending them back to the marina in Marseille.
“It was an emotional roller coaster,” said Isaac McHardie of New Zealand, which was third entering the medal race for the men’s skiffs called 49ers. He added that the heat was so intense he and boatmate Will McKenzie started running out of drinking water and ice while waiting.
Both the men’s and women’s skiffs, known as 49erFX — powerful, bird-like two-person boats — were scheduled to hold their finals Thursday, but they were called off after 5 p.m. local time.
The men’s team from Spain and the women’s team from France were in the lead after 12 regattas since Sunday, but no team started the day with a clear grasp on the podium.
Instead of a thrilling neck-and-neck competition among the top sailors, the men started the regattas twice before the wind dropped so low that the races were scrapped by officials. The women were out on the water too, for about an hour, but their race didn’t even start.
All waited in the water in their protective gear under a punishing sun with temperatures pushing 35 degrees Celsius (low 90s).
“We have always known that you can get a day like this,” said Spain’s Diego Botín, who is sailing in his third Olympics. He said that with crew Florian Trittel, they concentrated on “not wasting too much emotional energy” during the long wait.
“We’re used to setbacks,” added Sean Waddilove of Ireland, which was placed second in the men’s start list.
Not so much the fans, who sweltered on a shadeless breakwater most of the afternoon. Among them were the families of France’s Sarah Steyaert and Charline Picon, who were first on the women’s start list.
“So exciting and so nervous and so anxious,” is how Steyaert’s father, Patrick Steyaert, summed up the wait, while Sarah’s 5-year-old daughter threw herself into her mother’s arms, weeping.
There’s no word on when the races might be rescheduled.
A lack of wind forces scuttles first Olympic sailing medal races, leaving sailors broiling
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A lack of wind forces scuttles first Olympic sailing medal races, leaving sailors broiling
- “It was an emotional roller coaster,” said Isaac McHardie of New Zealand
- The men’s team from Spain and the women’s team from France were in the lead after 12 regattas since Sunday
Italian flag flies high on damp French Open day
- Italians Jasmine Paolini, Lorenzo Musetti surge into third round; Ruud in shock exit
PARIS: Italians Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Musetti lit up a damp day at Roland Garros as they both surged into the third round of the French Open with commanding victories, while two-time runner-up Casper Ruud suffered a shock exit on Wednesday.
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz then survived a minor scare as the Spaniard beat unseeded Hungarian Fabian Marozsan 6-1 4-6 6-1 6-2 to advance.
Fourth seed Paolini, a surprise runner-up last year, barely put a foot wrong on Court Philippe-Chatrier as she brushed aside Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3 6-3.
The diminutive Italian, who is trained by Rafael Nadal’s former mentor Marc Lopez, even paid homage to the Spaniard’s newly installed footprint on court before delivering a polished display in front of a sparse crowd.
“It’s hard to play against Ajla; she’s very aggressive but I tried to mix it up and play aggressively myself,” said Paolini.
Musetti continued his claycourt resurgence with a clinical 6-4 6-0 6-4 dismantling of Colombian lucky loser Daniel Galan on court Simonne Mathieu.
The eighth seed, a finalist in Monte Carlo and semifinalist in Madrid and Rome, overcame patchy weather to extend his recent successes on clay.
“It was a solid performance from the beginning until the end,” said Musetti, whose confidence has soared since reaching the Monte Carlo final last month. “After that, I felt like another player. The results in Madrid and Rome confirmed this step forward.”
Ruud, the seventh seed and runner-up in Paris the last two years, saw his campaign unravel in spectacular fashion as he fell 2-6 6-4 6-1 6-0 to Portugal’s Nuno Borges.
The Norwegian appeared in control after claiming the opening set but faded as Borges took command, with Ruud requiring a medical timeout for a calf issue before being bagelled in the fourth.
Borges, 28, will next face Alexei Popyrin, who eased past Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets.
China’s Zheng Qinwen, the Paris 2024 Olympic champion on these courts, powered past Emiliana Arango of Colombia 6-2 6-3. The eighth seed’s big-hitting game proved too much for the world number 85, though Zheng had to overcome some mid-match turbulence.
“It was not easy to finish the points,” Zheng admitted. She now faces Canadian 18-year-old qualifier Victoria Mboko, who continued her dream run with a 6-4 6-4 win over Germany’s Eva Lys in her Grand Slam debut.
Earlier, former French Open semifinalist and 16th seed Amanda Anisimova brushed aside Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic 6-0 6-2 in 55 minutes to march into the third round.
Saudi Arabia’s brightest e-sports stars to reach greater heights on global stage
- Red Bull will serve as the Falcons’ official performance partner during the 2025 Esports World Cup
- The collaboration aims to support players at the highest competitive levels
RIYADH: One of the world’s premier electronic sports organizations, the Falcons, signed on Wednesday a landmark partnership with Red Bull, giving Saudi Arabia’s brightest e-sports stars the wings to reach greater heights on the global stage.
The partnership reflects a shared mission to push boundaries in gaming, e-sports, and entertainment by introducing bold, youth-driven ideas that align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, said a media statement.
Red Bull will serve as the Falcons’ official performance partner during the 2025 Esports World Cup, taking place in Riyadh from Jul. 7 to Aug. 24, added the statement.
The collaboration aims to support players at the highest competitive levels by enhancing physical and mental performance and providing an ideal environment for creativity and professionalism in the gaming arena.
Official performance partner for the Esports World Cup
Central to this effort is the Athlete Performance Center, where cutting-edge training, fitness, and recovery programs are tailored specifically for e-sports athletes, as Musaed Al-Dossary, known professionally as Msdossary, personally experienced in 2021 as part of his quest to develop his own outstanding skills.
With two main facilities in Salzburg and Los Angeles, and a global network, the center offers training and performance development opportunities for a wide range of athletes, wherever they are in the world, under the best conditions and supervision of a skilled team of medical experts and coaches.
A center for developing bright talents
Red Bull supports ambitious youth around the world through a series of initiatives, including this facility. Prominent athletes have experienced this center, including Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen, Austrian Grand Slam tennis champion Dominic Thiem, Dakar Rally winner Sam Sunderland, as well as Saudi motorsport star Dania Akeel.
A new era of esports excellence
Co-founded by Saudi e-sports icon Msdossary, the Falcons have already carved out a dominant international presence. With major championship titles under their belt, the team has set a new benchmark for Middle Eastern representation in competitive gaming.
Making history
The Falcons made headlines by winning the inaugural Esports World Cup in 2024, hosted in Riyadh. Competing in top titles like “Call of Duty: Warzone” and “Free Fire,” they outperformed nearly 500 teams and 1,500 pro players from across the globe.
Their groundbreaking win in a major “Dota 2” championship marked a milestone, not just for the Falcons, but for the entire Middle East e-sports scene. It showcased the region’s growing talent pool and its ability to compete on the global stage.
Inter to wear gold for Champions League final against PSG
- Inter have played in six Champions League/European Cup finals to date
- The Parisians are designated as the home team in the final
MILAN: Inter Milan will dress for the occasion by wearing their third, golden yellow kit in Saturday’s Champions League final when they face Paris St. Germain in Munich in the first official meeting between the sides.
Inter have played in six Champions League/European Cup finals to date, the first in 1964, and have never used their third kit in the showpiece match so far.
Since the Parisians are designated as the home team in the final, they will wear their first-choice kit — navy blue shorts and shirts with a white and red stripe in the center — so Inter cannot play in their classic black and blue striped jerseys.
The Italians, however, did not opt for their second strip -white shirts with blue details — choosing to wear the third kit instead, a golden yellow shirt with black details and black shorts.
There may be superstition involved as Simone Inzaghi’s side won both of their games in Europe’s elite club competition when playing in yellow this term, January’s 1-0 win at Sparta Prague and a 2-0 last-16 first-leg victory at Feyenoord in March.
Their only defeat in this season’s Champions League, meanwhile, came at Bayer Leverkusen when they wore white shirts in December.
Al-Ittihad fans attain record-breaking attendance for Roshn Saudi League season
- Al-Ahli fans came in second with 354,019 attendees
- This year’s champions had their fans passing the half-a-million attendance mark
RIYADH: Al-Ittihad supporters have emerged as the most dedicated fans throughout the Roshn Saudi League 2024/2025 season with a total number of 594,326 attendees.
Al-Ahli fans came in second with 354,019 attendees, according to official data released on Wednesday via Saudi Pro League’s Arabic handle on X.
This year’s champions, Al-Ittihad, were the only club where fans passed the half-a-million attendance mark, out of a total number of 2.5 million supporters who attended the whole RSL.
Meanwhile, Al-Hilal secured third place with 302,028 attendees while Al-Nassr ranked fourth with a total of 277,821attendees.
In a notable rise, newly promoted Al-Qadsiah, returning from the Yelo League (First Division), claimed fifth spot with 168,331 fans.
Rounding out the list were Al-Fateh in sixth, followed by Al-Ettifaq, Al-Shabab, Al-Taawoun, Damac, Al-Khaleej, Al-Raed, Al-Wehda, Al-Kholood, Al-Orobah, Al-Riyadh, Al-Okhdood and Al-Fayha.
Ex-Turkiye international Turan appointed Shakhtar boss
- Turan, 38, has signed a contract until 2027
- “I’m proud to have joined Shakhtar,” Turan said
ISTANBUL: Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk have announced former Turkiye midfielder Arda Turan as their new head coach, replacing Marino Pusic.
Turan, 38, has signed a contract until 2027 after taking unfancied Eyupspor to a sixth-place finish in the Turkish top flight.
Next season, 15-time Ukrainian champions Shakhtar will feature in the Europa League first qualifying round having won the domestic cup earlier this month.
“I’m proud to have joined Shakhtar — a great club with a rich history and great traditions,” Turan said in a Shakhtar statement.
“We are deeply motivated to win trophies — both in Ukraine and in European competitions.”
Shakhtar were forced to leave their home ground, the Donbass Arena in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, after Russian-backed separatists seized control of the region in 2014.
Their home league games take place in the western city of Lviv.
They held their Champions League games this term in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Turan retired from playing in 2022 after spells with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Galatasaray. He also won 100 caps for his country.
