Sports

BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom — Australian swim sensation Emma McKeon won a record-extending 12th gold medal at the Commonwealth Games on Monday as cycling star Laura Kenny finished her campaign with an emotional gold.

It was another night of domination in the Birmingham pool for Australia, who now have 16 golds at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre out of a possible 33.

McKeon, who powered home in the 50m butterfly, has now won four golds in Birmingham and has collected more overall gold medals than any other athlete in Commonwealth Games history.

The 28-year-old, who won seven medals at last year’s Tokyo Olympics — including four golds — touched in 25.90sec.

“I love a challenge,” said McKeon. “Just having this huge workload is preparing me for Paris [2024 Olympics] and even though it’s hard workload physically, it’s just training my mind to be able to do that many races back to back.

“I’m not going to have that many once I get to Paris. It’s just building that self-belief.”

Rising Canadian star Summer McIntosh, who is just 15, won her second gold of the Games, adding the women’s 200m individual medley title to her 400m IM crown.

Australia’s Kyle Chalmers won the men’s 100m freestyle final in 47.51sec after a 48-hour period that he described as “hell” as a result of intense speculation in the media over his relationships with team members.

Reports suggested a rift with McKeon and Cody Simpson, who is reportedly dating McKeon, Chalmers’s ex-girlfriend.

The 2016 Olympic champion said: “The lies and false truths getting put out there — it’s nowhere near the truth at all. 

“We are great friends and have great support. I am just grateful to be a part of the team and sharing that with every single team member.”

Australian Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown destroyed the field to win the women’s 200m backstroke and Australia rounded off the night in style by winning the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay.

England’s Kenny and Australian Matthew Glaetzer won gold medals in an uplifting final session of track cycling, which was being held in London.

New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews, in the women’s keirin, and compatriot Aaron Gate, in the men’s 40km points race, both won their third gold medals of the games.

Kenny, who has suffered a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy since competing at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, admitted she had thought it was “going to be my last race”.

However, she refocused and won the women’s 10-kilometre scratch on the same track where 10 years ago, aged 20, she won double Olympic gold.

Kenny admitted her confidence had been shaken by a horrific crash on Sunday that had resulted in her teammate, Matt Walls, being taken to hospital.

“I can’t believe it. Honestly, I said to Jase [Jason Kenny, her husband] ‘I think this is going to be my last race’,” the five-time Olympic gold medallist told the BBC.

“I’ve lost the spark, training doesn’t come that easy. I have absolutely just lost motivation.

“Then last night I was messaging my new coach Len and I was like ‘No, I’m not giving up, I have one more roll of the dice, please just help me’.

“It could not have been better set up if I tried.”

Glaetzer battled back from thyroid cancer to compete at the Olympics.

But after some wretched luck in Birmingham — coming to grief in the keirin and then stripped of his bronze medal in the sprint on Sunday — he won the men’s 1,000m time trial to add to his gold in the team sprint.

“I’m making a habit of bouncing back at the Commonwealth Games,” he said.

England extended their domination of the gymnastics competition. 

Local boy Joe Fraser battled through the pain of a fractured foot to take gold in the pommel horse while Jake Jarman won the men’s floor to go with his men’s all-around title.

“I can hands down say that was probably the best routine I’ve done in my gymnastics career,” said Jarman.

England’s Courtney Tulloch retained his rings title as Georgia Mae-Fenton took gold in the women’s uneven bars. 

Australia’s Georgia Goodwin won the women’s vault. England have won seven of the nine golds on offer so far in the gymnastics competition.

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom — Premier League clubs have splashed an estimated £1 billion ($1.2 billion) in the arms race for new talent ahead of the start to the 2022/23 season on Friday, but champions Manchester City remain the side to beat.

After winning four league titles in five years, Pep Guardiola’s squad has been bolstered by the biggest name arrival of the summer in Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian had his choice of Europe’s top clubs after scoring 85 goals in 88 games for Borussia Dortmund and followed in the footsteps of his father Alf Inge — a former City captain — to the blue side of Manchester.

Haaland may have had a debut to forget as he missed a glaring opportunity towards the end of City’s 3-1 Community Shield defeat to Liverpool on Saturday, but Guardiola warned the pretenders to his side’s throne that “the goals will come”.

“There is no reason not to be confident,” added Guardiola. “What these guys have done, not just in the Premier League, but in the cups, the steps we have made in Europe and in many things.”

In a window of significant change at the Etihad, Argentine forward Julian Alvarez and England international midfielder Kalvin Phillips have also arrived.

But Guardiola has let plenty of experience go to Premier League rivals with Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko heading to Arsenal and Raheem Sterling joining Chelsea.

Liverpool are best placed to pounce on any slipping of City’s standards.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were denied a historic quadruple by the finest of margins last season as they were pipped to the title by a point and lost the Champions League final 1-0 to Real Madrid after winning the League and FA Cup.

The Reds have also refreshed their front line with the imposing presence of Darwin Nunez coming in to compensate for the loss of Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich.

Nunez did make an immediate impact in the Community Shield, winning a penalty and scoring to turn the game in Liverpool’s favour late in the game.

City and Liverpool have dominated English football for the past five years, but if there is to be a challenge from the chasing pack, it could come from Tottenham.

Ahead of Antonio Conte’s first full season in charge, the Italian has been heavily backed by the normally thrifty Spurs board with the signings of Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic, Djed Spence, Clement Lenglet and Fraser Forster.

Crucially, Tottenham have also retained the star duo of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min as they aim for a first league title in 62 years.

Arsenal have been in blistering pre-season form with Jesus on fire in thrashings of Chelsea and Sevilla.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel blasted his side as “not competitive” after losing 4-0 to the Gunners in Orlando and the Blues are a team in transition following Todd Boehly’s takeover.

There is also plenty of work ahead for new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag with the uncertain future of Cristiano Ronaldo hanging over start of a new era for the Red Devils.

Amid the scale of big spending from English clubs, Newcastle have been surprisingly quiet in their first summer window since a takeover from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund.

The Magpies have spent just short of £60 million on Dutch defender Sven Botman, England goalkeeper Nick Pope and a permanent deal for left-back Matt Targett.

New boys Nottingham Forest have splashed over £70 million on 12 new signings in the two-time European champions’ first season back in the top flight for 23 years

That sum does not even include a one-year deal for Jesse Lingard worth a reported £200,000-a-week after he joined on a free transfer from Manchester United.

Aston Villa’s transfer business is arguably the best example of the growing financial gulf between the Premier League and the rest of Europe.

French international midfielder Boubacar Kamara and Brazilian centre-back Diego Carlos have turned their backs on Champions League football with Marseille and Sevilla respectively to join Steven Gerrard’s side, who finished 14th in the English top flight last season.

WEMBLEY, United Kingdom — England won a major women’s tournament for the first time as Chloe Kelly’s extra-time goal secured a 2-1 victory over Germany at a sold-out Wembley on Sunday.

In front of a record crowd of 87,192 for any match in the history of the European Championships, Kelly prodded home a loose ball from close range to end English football’s 56-year wait for a World Cup or Euro victory.

Kelly fought back from an anterior cruciate ligament tear to be fit in time for the tournament and made herself a national hero by being in the right place to pounce when Germany failed to clear a corner in the 110th minute.

The Manchester City winger tore off her shirt in celebration in scenes reminiscent of Brandi Chastain’s famous reaction to scoring the winning penalty at the 1999 World Cup for the USA.

“This is what dreams are made of, as a young girl watching women’s football,” said Kelly, who broke off a post-match interview to join in a chorus of “Sweet Caroline” with the crowd and her teammates.

“Thank you for everyone who played a part in my rehab. I always believed I’d be here, but to be here and score the winner, wow. These girls are amazing.”

England looked set for victory in the 90 minutes when substitute Ella Toone’s sublime chip over Merle Frohms put the hosts in front.

Germany showed remarkable resilience to bounce back as Lina Magull levelled 11 minutes from time.

But for once, England was not to be denied a major tournament success.

Fortune did not favour Germany, who lost captain and top goalscorer Alexandra Popp to a muscle injury in the warm-up.

But England will feel its time for some luck was due as 12 months on from the Three Lions’ defeat on penalties to Italy in the Euro 2020 men’s final, the nation’s women went one better.

England manager Sarina Wiegman has now led the home nation to the title in back-to-back women’s Euros after leading The Netherlands to victory five years ago.

“The game was so tight, there was a little bit of fight in there, but who cares, we won 2-1,” said Wiegman. “We are European champions.”

Under Wiegman, England are unbeaten in 20 games but were pushed to the limit by the eight-time winners despite missing the massive presence of Popp.

The Wolfsburg striker, who missed the entirety of Euro 2013 and 2017 through injury, had scored six goals in five games en route to the final.

Despite losing their major goal threat and facing the intimidating atmosphere of a full Wembley waiting to party, Germany still posed a threat and came close to opening the scoring early in the second half when Magull prodded just wide.

Kelly strikes

Strength in depth has been one of the key features of England’s success under Wiegman and the Dutch coach turned to Alessia Russo and Toone to turn the tide as they did in the quarter-final win over Spain.

The changes worked to perfection once more as Toone timed her run through the heart of the German defence to latch onto Keira Walsh’s through ball, showing great composure to coolly lift the ball over Frohms.

Lesser sides than the eight-time champions would have been broken, but Germany immediately pushed forward in search of an equaliser.

The excellent Magull smashed a shot off the post and Popp’s replacement Lea Schueller should have converted the rebound rather than rolling the ball into the arms of the grateful Mary Earps.

Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s side were not to be denied, though, and fittingly it was Magull who sent the game to extra-time as the Bayern Munich midfielder slotted Tabea Wassmuth’s cross into the roof of the net.

The German attack was further blunted by Magull’s withdrawal at the end of 90 minutes due to a knock, and both sides felt the pace of a physical encounter in the extra 30 minutes.

England just had enough left in the tank to finally get the job done as Germany failed to deal with the second ball from a corner and Kelly’s telescopic right leg flicked the ball home.

After decades of disappointment, a major tournament trophy has come home for England fans.

BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom — Emma McKeon needs just one more title to break the record for most Australian Commonwealth Games golds after, yet, another win in the pool on Saturday as New Zealand dominated on the cycling track.

McKeon, 28, swam the anchor leg as Australia won the women’s 4x100 metres relay to put her alongside Ian Thorpe, Susie O’Neill and Leisel Jones on 10 gold medals. 

“It’s nice to do that 10th one in a relay,” she told Australia’s Channel 7. 

“It’s kind of all a bit of a blur, I guess. It’s been over a long time. I mean my first one was 2014 and I was so young.”

Scotland’s Duncan Scott avenged his Olympic defeat at the hands of his friend Tom Dean.

Scott beat England’s Dean in a thrilling men’s 200m freestyle duel, pulling away from the Olympic champion in the final 50m to win in a time of 1min 45.02sec.

The 25-year-old returned to the pool to take bronze in the 400m individual medley behind New Zealand gold medallist Lewis Clareburt, who won in a time of 4:08.70.

South Africa’s Lara van Niekerk won the women’s 50m freestyle while compatriot Pieter Coetze triumphed in the men’s 100m backstroke.

New Zealand dominated the track cycling events at the Lee Valley VeloPark in London, winning three of the four titles on offer.

Aaron Gate won the men’s 4,000-metre pursuit, with compatriot Tom Sexton taking silver.

Bryony Botha won the women’s 3,000m individual pursuit and Ellesse Andrews took gold in the women’s sprint, beating Canada’s Olympic champion Kelsey Mitchell.

For both Gate and Andrews it was their second gold of the Games.

“My grandma and my grandad love coming to watch racing,” said Andrews. “This is my first elite result in front of them because they weren’t able to come to Tokyo [Olympics].

“To be able to go and give them a big cuddle afterwards, I can’t even explain how special that is.”

Gate and Andrews had waited just 24 hours to add to their gold collection — a blink of an eye compared to the 56 years it has taken a Trinidad and Tobago athlete to stand on top of the track cycling podium.

Nicholas Paul, 23, was the man to end the long wait since Roger Gibbon won two gold medals in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1966, storming home to win the keirin.

“To be able to race in London again, go to my second Commonwealth Games and to earn a gold medal is unbelievable,” he said.

‘Taken aback’

The track athletics does not get under way until Tuesday but the marathons served as an appetiser.

Victor Kiplangat marked himself down as a talent for the future on a bigger stage in delivering Uganda’s first-ever Commonwealth Games marathon gold.

The 22-year-old even overcame a moment of confusion in going the wrong way inside the final mile and still had over a minute to spare over his nearest rival Alphonce Tibu of Tanzania.

“The people riding the motorcycles were confusing me,” he said.

“They told me to turn back.

“I believe Uganda is proud of me today. We have been waiting for this.”

Jessica Stenson has been waiting eight years to be crowned Commonwealth marathon champion and the plucky Australian finally experienced it after two successive bronzes.

The 34-year-old showed few signs of a recent bout of COVID-19 as she came home on her own and said having had a child had changed her perspective on life.

“I am doing this because I can,” she said.

“It’s a privilege. I feel fulfilled anyway and everything here is just a bonus.”

Hosts England, lifted by vociferous home support, won the women’s team gymnastics title to go with their triumph in the men’s event.

But the support was not just for English athletes as Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu found to her surprise as she won the 49kg category for her second successive title. 

“Every athlete wants the crowd to back them and roar for them and I was taken aback that there was such a huge Indian presence in Birmingham,” she said.

“They were roaring their lungs out for me, and it pepped me on.”

BUDAPEST — World champion Max Verstappen took full advantage of another Ferrari implosion on Sunday to increase his lead in this year’s title race with a measured victory for Red Bull at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Just a week after his win at the French Grand Prix, the 24-year-old Dutchman grabbed his first success at the Hungaroring from 10th on the grid to finish 7.8 seconds clear of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

His win lifted him 80 points clear in the championship as nearest rival Charles Leclerc, unexpectedly given hard compound tyres when he appeared to be the fastest driver, came home sixth behind Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull.

It was a crushing disappointment for Leclerc and Ferrari after their recent resurgence as Verstappen took his eighth win of the season and the 28th of his career.

“When we woke up this morning who would have thought we would win this race?,” said Verstappen.

Lando Norris finished seventh for McLaren ahead of two-time champion Fernando Alonso and his Alpine teammate Esteban Ocon and retirement-bound four-time champion Sebastian Vettel of Aston Martin.

Hamilton, who was bidding for an unprecedented ninth victory in Hungary, praised his team for his fifth podium finish in succession. 

“It’s special for us today and we are clearly closing the gap. It’s great to go into the summer break with this performance.”

Russell, who led for 30 laps from pole position, said: “I really struggled on the medium tyres and in the latter stages, but Lewis did a great job. I tried to eke it out and I’m pleased with a podium.”

The race began amid forecasts of intense rain, a few spots creating apprehension on the grid. 

But Russell made light of any worries, or nerves, with a smooth start from his maiden pole position to lead into Turn One where he resisted a forceful challenge from Sainz.

Behind them, Hamilton swept past both Alpines to take fifth.

By lap five, Russell led Sainz by two seconds with Leclerc third ahead of Norris and Hamilton as Verstappen began to climb after starting down in 10th.

By lap 10, the world champion was up to sixth behind Hamilton, on mediums, and running 11 seconds off Russell, who was 2.2 seconds clear of the Ferraris.

Ferrari questions

Hamilton swept inside Norris on lap 12 at Turn One to take fourth with Verstappen following him at Turn Two, both men using their Drag Reduction System.

Released into clear air, Hamilton pulled clear as Verstappen reported engine issues and Leclerc asked Ferrari if Sainz could go faster — a coded suggestion that he wanted to pass him.

Norris then pitted, re-joining 16th, before Russell took mediums, re-joining sixth ahead of Alonso while Verstappen also pitted and returned eighth. Sainz pitted a lap later, re-joining sixth after a slow stop.

All this allowed Leclerc to lead ahead of Hamilton with Russell rising swiftly to third before inheriting second when he also pitted, returning seventh.

Leclerc led by 19 seconds before he came in on lap 22 for more mediums and Russell led again with the Monegasque second, two seconds adrift, but ahead of teammate Sainz and the threatening Verstappen.

By lap 27, Leclerc was close enough to attack Russell, which he did without success for four laps before passing on lap 32.

Russell had defended stoutly after leading more laps for Mercedes in one race than the team had enjoyed all year, but by mid-race, lap 35, Sainz had closed on him and Verstappen was on his tail before pitting on lap 39.

Red Bull’s “under-cut” caused both Leclerc, unexpectedly taking hards, and Russell, mediums, to stop again, leaving Sainz leading Hamilton as Verstappen and Russell pursued Leclerc.

He passed him, spun at Turn 13 and fell to fourth before regaining his composure to take advantage of Leclerc’s tyre disadvantage on lap 45. Ferrari’s strategy for Leclerc was in question again.

Another slow Sainz stop on lap 48 lifted Hamilton to lead, leaving the Spaniard fifth, on softs, with 22 laps to go and Verstappen second.

Hamilton made his second stop, taking softs, on lap 52. He re-joined fifth, 9.6 behind Sainz as Verstappen led Leclerc.

Less than 10 seconds separated the top five with 16 laps remaining and Hamilton charging, taking Sainz for third on the straight to set up a dramatic finale.