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BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom — Australia dominated the first night of action in the Commonwealth Games pool in Birmingham on Friday to race clear at the top of medals table.

Olympic champions Ariarne Titmus and Zac Stubblety-Cook showed their class in tight races while world champion Elijah Winnington powered home in style.

Australia finished their evening on cloud nine by winning the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay, with Emma McKeon collecting the ninth Commonwealth gold of her career.

They won eight medals out of a possible 16 on day one of sporting action at the Games — five clear of second-placed New Zealand.

Titmus, who won 200m and 400m freestyle gold at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, was given a mighty scare in the women’s 200m freestyle at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre by 18-year-old compatriot Mollie O’Callaghan.

The double Olympic champion was in control for most of the race but was hunted down the final stretch, edging home by just 0.12sec in a new Games record of 1min 53.89sec.

“Moll has been killing in training, she is young, feisty, hungry — I knew she would be there,” Titmus told Australia’s Channel 7. “It is fun to have a race.”

“I love it that we are in a country where we have depth like this,” added the 21-year-old, who recently had a bout of coronavirus.

Winnington stormed to victory in the men’s 400m freestyle as Australia swept the podium just weeks after winning the world title in Budapest.

The 22-year-old, who was inside world record pace for much of the race, tired in the latter stages, clocking 3:43.06.

Winnington, who almost quit the sport after a poor Olympics last year, said he was not too disappointed that he had faded in the final stages to miss out on a shot at the world record.

“It’s something to chase,” he said. “My coach and I always say it’s pretty hard being the hunted but having that world record there means I am still the hunter.”

Olympic and world men’s 200m breaststroke champion Stubblety-Cook was put under immense pressure by England’s defending champion James Wilby but powered down the home straight to win in 2:08.07.

Canada’s Summer McIntosh, just 15 years old, destroyed the field in the women’s 400m individual medley.

She recorded a new Games record of 4:29.01 — more than three seconds quicker than her winning time at the recent world championships.

Breaking her own world junior record, she finished nearly eight seconds clear of second-placed Australian Kiah Melverton.

“I’ve been working on a lot of stuff in training so I can execute my 400m IM better than I did at the worlds, because I had so much room for improvement — and I still do,” she said.

Duffy wins gold for Bermuda

In the cycling events, taking place in London, Australia won the women’s 4,000 metres team pursuit and New Zealand won the men’s event.

Much of the focus was on England’s Laura Kenny, who took an emotional bronze medal in the women’s race.

The 30-year-old has endured a torrid time since last year’s Covid-delayed Tokyo Olympics, suffering a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy.

“I’ve never felt so much pressure to try to win a bronze medal in my whole career,” Kenny said.

New Zealand also won the women’s team sprint.

Flora Duffy — Bermuda’s first-ever Olympic champion — became the first triathlete to win two Commonwealth Games titles with a dominant display in Sutton Park.

The 34-year-old finished the sprint-distance event in 55min 25sec.

That was 41 seconds clear of England’s Georgia Taylor-Brown, who also took silver behind Duffy in Tokyo last year.

England’s Alex Yee won the men’s event in a time of 50min 34sec.

Australia beat India by three wickets in the first-ever Commonwealth Games women’s cricket match, with Ash Gardner scoring 52 not out and Jess Jonassen taking 4-22 in the Twenty20 match.

In the later match, also at Edgbaston, Barbados beat Pakistan by 15 runs.

England became the first team to win three successive Commonwealth Games team gymnastics golds with victory for the men.

BUDAPEST — George Russell of Mercedes beat both Ferraris and world champion Max Verstappen to claim his maiden pole position with a spectacular last-gasp lap in Saturday’s qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old Briton clocked a best lap in one minute and 17.377 seconds to outpace Carlos Sainz in the leading Ferrari by 0.044 seconds. Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari, one-tenth adrift.

Lando Norris grabbed fourth for McLaren ahead of the two Alpines of last year’s winner Esteban Ocon and two-time champion Fernando Alonso, who turned 41 on Friday.

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton aborted his final flying lap in his Mercedes due to a Drag Reduction System failure and qualified seventh ahead of former teammate Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo.

Daniel Ricciardo of McLaren was ninth and Red Bull’s series leader and world champion Verstappen 10th after suffering power failure problems and failing to record a competitive lap time.

Russell’s first pole in his 73rd Grand Prix was also Mercedes’s first since last year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and signalled that the team may finally have overcome their struggles with the new ‘ground effect’ aerodynamic regulations this season.

“Incredible! Amazing. You did it,” screamed Russell on his team radio. “You beauty. No points for Saturday, boys... Let’s go tomorrow.”

Back in the pitlane, as the big crowd gave him generous cheers, he said he was “over the moon” and “buzzing — and yesterday was our worst Friday of the season... It’s mega. An incredible feeling.”

Sainz was quick to congratulate him. “George must have produced a pretty good lap,” he said while Leclerc took consolation from knowing Verstappen would start 10th while he was third on the grid.

Russell added: “Everyone last night was working so hard. We didn’t know what direction to go in. When I came across the line, and looked at the screen and saw P1, it was an incredible feeling.” 

After a rain-hit final practice session earlier in the day, qualifying began in dry conditions with some sunshine — and every driver emerging quickly on soft tyres to take advantage of the improved weather.

‘Nothing works’

After early fastest laps from Magnussen, Stroll and Hamilton, Verstappen set the pace in a close scrap with the two Ferraris before Hamilton and Russell took over for Mercedes, taking advantage of warmer conditions after earlier struggles.

At the other end of the timings, Nicholas Latifi of Williams, who had been fastest on a drying circuit in final practice, was eliminated in P20 along with Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly and luckless retirement-bound Sebastian Vettel of Aston Martin.

Vettel had crashed in the final minutes of the final practice and assisted his mechanics in repairing his car prior to Q1, but to no avail as he went out in P18.

“Not what I wanted,” he said. “It’s been really nice [how everyone reacted to his retirement plans], but my head is in qualifying and we had a poor day. I can’t be happy.”

Yuki Tsunoda of Alpha Tauri also went out in 16th along with Alex Albon in the second Williams.

Although a large dark cloud loomed, the track remained dry for Q2 with Norris taking top spot early for McLaren, ahead of the fast Ferraris before Verstappen gained the initiative with the first lap inside 1m 18secs and stayed there. 

Keen improvements by both Alpines and Alfa Romeos left Russell and Hamilton on the cusp of missing the top ten after their first run, but the multiple champion improved to third on his second.

Perez struggled again in the second Red Bull, had a lap disallowed, but reinstated before exiting in P11, complaining he was blocked by Magnussen.

Out with the Mexican went Zhou Guanyu of Alfa Romeo, Magnussen and his Haas teammate Mick Schumacher along with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.

Only 0.065 seconds had separated Verstappen and Leclerc at the top, creating the prospect of a thrilling duel for pole.

But it was Sainz who set the pace, ahead of Russell, on the opening runs when Leclerc was third and Verstappen back in seventh, ahead of the closing drama.

“I have no power,” said Verstappen, on his out-lap.

“Ok, stand by,” replied his Red Bull team. A further exchange ended with the driver saying “nothing works” as Leclerc and then Sainz went fastest before Russell’s late intervention.

MILTON KEYNES, United Kingdom — Germany captain Alexandra Popp said she is savouring a starring role at Euro 2022 all the more following years of injury struggles after scoring twice beat France 2-1 in Wednesday’s semifinal.

Popp’s side will face hosts England in front of an expected record crowd for a women’s Euro match of 87,000 at Wembley on Sunday.

Just making it to the Euro was a success for the Wolfsburg striker after missing the two previous European Championships through injury.

The 31-year-old battled back from two knee surgeries in the past 15 months to make the tournament and has exploded in England with six goals in five games.

“I am enjoying these moments a lot more. I enjoy football a lot more,” said Popp after setting a new record by becoming the first woman to score in five consecutive women’s Euro matches.

“It doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it before, but it became a bit pedestrian. Now to have the moments on the pitch, I really value that a lot.

“It makes it very special to be here with such a performance individually, but also as a team being so successful.”

Popp’s double also took her level with England’s Beth Mead on six goals in the battle for the Golden Boot, matching the record for a single women’s European Championship held by Inka Grings from Euro 2009.

That tournament ended in a German rout over England in the final and Die Nationalelf will be hoping for a repeat as they aim to upset the hosts.

“England versus Germany is a classic,” said German boss Martina Voss-Tecklenburg.

“We will play at Wembley in front of 80 or 90,000 people. Most will be supporting England but we accept the challenge. It will be a incredible final.”

In contrast to Germany’s pedigree as eight-time winners of the women’s Euro, France were in the last four for the first time.

Les Bleues were left to regret a series of missed chances early in the second half as they lacked a clinical goalscorer without the injured Marie-Antoinette Katoto.

“Unfortunately we weren’t efficient tonight,” said France coach Corinne Diacre. “We weren’t able to hone in on the goalscoring chances we had.”

Popp gave France a warning of what was to come when her powerful free-kick from the edge of the area was brilliantly clawed away by Pauline Peyraud-Magnin.

The French goalkeeper was helpless five minutes before half-time when Svenja Huth’s cross picked out Popp, who smashed home a volley into the roof of the net.

However, the lead lasted just five minutes in unfortunate circumstances for German goalkeeper Merle Frohms.

Kadidiatou Diani’s fierce strike from outside the box came crashing off the post into the back of the Wolfsburg stopper and into her own net.

Frohms more than made amends at the start of the second period with a brilliant save to her left to turn Wendie Renard’s header behind.

Selma Bacha’s goalbound effort also rebounded behind off Kathrin-Julia Hendrich’s face and Diani’s shot from a narrow angle stung the palms of Frohms.

But France failed to make that bright spell count and were made to pay by Popp’s predatory instincts.

Another Huth cross was hung high into the Milton Keynes sky and Popp timed her leap perfectly to power a header into the ground and past Peyraud-Magnin.

HUNGARORING, Hungary — Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel will retire at the end of the 2022 season, he announced on Thursday as the German was hailed as “one of the all-time greats” of Formula One.

“The decision to retire has been a difficult one for me to take, and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it,” Vettel, 35, said in an Aston Martin team statement.

“At the end of the year I want to take some more time to reflect on what I will focus on next; it is very clear to me that, being a father, I want to spend more time with my family. But today is not about saying goodbye.

“Rather, it is about saying thank you — to everyone — not least to the fans, without whose passionate support Formula One could not exist.”

Vettel won four successive championships with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013, but struggled to reproduce his best results after moving to Ferrari before joining Aston Martin last year.

His 53 Grand Prix victories place him third on the all-time list behind Lewis Hamilton (103) and Michael Schumacher (91). Vettel last won a race in Singapore in 2019.

Only Schumacher, Hamilton (both seven) and Juan Manuel Fangio (five) have won more world titles than Vettel, who is level alongside Alain Prost.

“He is one of the all-time greats of Formula One, and it has been a privilege to have been able to work with him,” said Aston Martin executive chairman and Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, whose son Lance is the team’s other driver.

“He will continue to race for us up to and including the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will be his 300th Grand Prix entry. We will give him a fabulous send-off.”

The German made his F1 debut with Sauber at the United States Grand Prix in 2007. He joined Toro Rosso that same year and raced the final seven races of the season.

Youngest world champion

He then spent a full season with Toro Rosso, becoming the youngest Grand Prix winner at Monza aged 21 in 2008 — a record since broken by reigning world champion Max Verstappen.

Vettel made the step up to Red Bull in 2009. His first title in 2010, aged 23 years and 134 days, saw him crowned the youngest world champion in history.

His fourth and final title in 2013 was rubber-stamped by a remarkable nine straight wins to round out the season. 

He joined Ferrari in 2015 and twice finished runner-up for the world title to Hamilton in 2017 and 2018. 

But Vettel admitted his six years with the Italian giants were ultimately a failure. He left after ending the 2020 season a dismal 13th, his target of emulating his idol Schumacher as a Ferrari title-winner unfulfilled.

He moved to Aston Martin last season, trailing in 12th in the 2021 drivers’ championship with his new team after achieving just one podium finish. He is 14th in the standings this term with just 15 points, and missed the first two races with COVID-19.

“Although our results have not been as good as we had hoped, it is very clear to me that everything is being put together that a team needs to race at the very highest level for years to come,” said Vettel.

“I hope that the work I did last year and am continuing to do this year will be helpful in the development of a team that will win in the future, and I will work as hard as I can between now and the end of the year with that goal in mind, giving as always my best in the last 10 races.”

Vettel, a devoted father-of-three, is an outspoken campaigner on social and environmental issues, and plans to take some time away from the sport following his retirement.

“I may stay in racing but maybe not straight away,” he told AFP at the Miami Grand Prix in May. “It’s what I love so you never know.

“But I’m not going to be a TV expert. No, no.”

BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom — The Commonwealth Games are sometimes seen as a quirky relic in the modern sporting calendar but former International Olympic Committee (IOC) marketing chief Michael Payne says they have consistently defied the doomsayers.

The 22nd edition of the Games opens in Birmingham on Thursday, bringing together around 5,000 athletes from 72 nations and territories — mostly former British colonies — to compete in 19 sports over 11 days.

Some track and field stars will be absent when the competition gets under way — just days after the end of the world championships in Eugene, Oregon.

But there will still be plenty of big names on show at the event, which features sports as diverse as lawn bowls and marathon running. 

The Commonwealth Games are not on the scale of the Olympics that Birmingham once aspired to host — the city was beaten by Barcelona for the right to put on the 1992 Games — but officials hope they can provide a big economic boost for the area.

According to the Financial Times, the West Midlands Combined Authority estimates the event will be worth £1 billion ($1.2 billion) to the regional economy.

Payne, credited with transforming the IOC brand and finances through sponsorship, said the Commonwealth Games had shown remarkable resilience over the decades.

“People have been talking of the demise of the Commonwealth Games for nearly half a century but they are still going, so I would not write them off just yet,” he told AFP.

Another former IOC marketing executive, Terrence Burns, who since leaving the organisation has played a role in five successful Olympic bid campaigns, said it was important for the event to find its own niche and evolve accordingly.

“These other Games are not the Olympic Games but tend to try to mirror them in look, feel, and impact,” he said. “That’s just not possible or credible.

“So I think they need to redefine ‘success’ and build their product accordingly.” 

‘Proud nation’

The Commonwealth Games have, like other global events in recent years, had trouble in attracting host cities.

“Finding nations willing to host is a challenge for many sports bodies these days,” said Payne. “That is why you have seen a far more flexible process introduced to identify potential hosts.

“But the Commonwealth Games do face a major hurdle, as their marketing and sponsorship revenue potential is limited and, as such, nations wanting to host must be willing to commit to $1 billion of taxpayer support.”

Burns said the nature of the Games, held every four years, throws up obstacles for organisers.

“I think an event that aspires to be global but by definition limits its participation base to a finite set of nations and territories, has a global fan interest challenge as well as a hosting city challenge,” he said. “That part is just maths.”

Steps have been taken to remodel the event, with the Commonwealth Games Federation last year publishing a roadmap for the future.

One recommendation was for “approximately” 15 sports to feature at the Games, with athletics and swimming compulsory but some flexibility to allow hosts to choose from a wider list of core sports.

Payne says that makes sense but he takes issue with a bolder idea of awarding co-hosting admittedly “only in exceptional circumstances” to non-Commonwealth countries.

“Like staging the Asian Games in Europe, it is a non-starter.”

He says the Commonwealth Games are a vital showcase for smaller nations and territories that struggle to attract compete at the bigger events.

“For many of the smaller nations this is their one moment on the world sports stage, with an opportunity to shine and win medals,” said the 64-year-old Irishman.

“That is important for these nations and governments to drive local sports interest. At the Olympics there is no chance for them to medal.”

This is reflected by the lengths the impoverished Sri Lankan team have gone to get to Birmingham.

Commonwealth Games organisers and the Sri Lanka cricket board have covered their costs.

“We want to stand like other nations, in front of our flag, as a proud nation, keeping our backs straight, our heads strong and we want to do our best,” said Dampath Fernando, the team’s chef de mission.

AMMAN  — Leg 2 of the Jordan Pro League kicks off on Thursday with teams heading into Week 12 of the competition after noticeable changes in the last two weeks of competition.

Wihdat are now atop the standings after a good momentum that saw them replace rivals Faisali and Hussein, who dominated the top spot during Leg 1 of the event. Hussein maintained third spot as Shabab Urdun inched closer within the top five followed by newcomers Mugheer Sarhan who earlier upset Jazira to maintain their spot.

Sahab, Aqaba and Salt all maintained a halfway position trough the table, while Ramtha who won the league last year are now at a disappointing 8th. In the last two weeks, Ma’an climbed from last spot to 10th as Jazira, who finished in top five in last few years, are now 11th, while newcomers Sarih dropped are last.

This week, Salt will have the opportunity to improve their position when they face Sarih, as will Ma’an who play Mugheer Sarhan and Ramtha when they face Sahab . In other matches, Shabab Urdun play Hussein, Jazira take on Wihdat and Faisali playa Aqaba.

The biggest surprise so far have been newcomers Mugheer Sarhan, who managed to score satisfactory results and will probably be able to keep their spot in the Pro League, while Jazira scored only one win are should try to move out of the relegation zone.

Ramtha are the defending champs against traditional champs Faisali and Wihdat. In two of the 2022 competitions played so far, Faisali won the season opening 35th Jordan Football Association (JFA) Shield title when they beat Ramtha who in turn upset Jordan Cup holders Faisali 2-0 in the 39th Jordan Super Cup. 

In the 2021 season, Ramtha won the League title for the third time in their history ending a 39 year drought. Newcomers to the Pro League, relatively unknown Jalil, overcame Wihdat to win the 34th JFA Shield; Wihdat beat one-time winners Jazira in the 38th Jordan Super Cup, while Faisali beat Salt to win the Jordan Cup. 

In the league Ramtha were trailed by Wihdat second, Salt third, and Faisali fourth. Hussein, Shabab Urdun, Jazira, were trailed by Ma’an, Aqaba and Sahab who managed to hold on to their spot among the top teams as Baqa’a were relegated in their worst season yet and were accompanied by Jalil. Mugheer Sarhan and Sarih were promoted from the First Division.

LONDON — Cristiano Ronaldo faces an uncertain future after the Manchester United striker’s attempt to force his way out of Old Trafford failed to spark the expected rush for his signature.

The Portugal superstar shocked United earlier this month with his bombshell exit request after the team’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.

Ronaldo would have anticipated a host of top clubs jostling to sign him.

But for the first time in his glittering career he is no longer a must-have item for Europe’s wealthy elite as Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain all appear to have turned their backs on the forward.

Concerns over Ronaldo’s declining work-rate and his notoriously demanding personality have left the 37-year-old in limbo.

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly was reported to have spoken to Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes about a deal to mark the new era at Stamford Bridge.

But Blues boss Thomas Tuchel is believed to have concerns about trying to integrate Ronaldo into his plans for a fluid front three after signing Raheem Sterling from Manchester City.

“We focused on our top target Raheem Sterling who we signed and everything else stays behind closed doors,” Tuchel said when asked about Ronaldo.

Selling Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona could have created space for Ronaldo at Bayern, but the German champions’ CEO Oliver Kahn poured cold water on that idea.

“As highly as I rate Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the greatest, a transfer wouldn’t be a fit with our philosophy,” he said.

“I love Cristiano Ronaldo and everyone knows how fantastic he is. But every club has a certain philosophy and I’m not sure if it would be the right thing for Bayern and the Bundesliga if we signed him now.”

United manager Erik ten Hag has repeatedly stated the club’s public position that Ronaldo is “not for sale”.

Yet, although Ronaldo finished as United’s top scorer last season, there is a growing sense in Manchester that his departure could benefit Ten Hag’s chances of building a side more suited to the style he created at Ajax.

United have flourished without Ronaldo on a pre-season tour of Asia and Australia, scoring 11 goals in victories over Liverpool, Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace.

A dynamic front three of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho has shown what they are capable of. 

All three of those players struggled last season after Ronaldo’s arrival changed the style of a United side that had finished second in the Premier League the season before.

Ronaldo’s time at Juventus also coincided with a decline in European results for the Italian giants, despite his goalscoring record of 101 goals in 134 games. 

After witnessing two European giants struggle to accommodate the ageing five-time Ballon d’Or winner, there are few takers for the veteran goal-scorer.

Ronaldo’s iconic status at United, established in his trophy-laden first spell with the club, has also lost some of its lustre.

Andy Mitten, journalist and editor of the United We Stand fanzine, said: “His arrival was sprung on United at the last minute and the team which had finished third and second had to rip up their tactics and start again.

“They don’t see Ronaldo as United’s future and there are plenty of fans who’d go along with that.”

United’s rivals Manchester City, who won the race for Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland, and Liverpool, who spent a fee that could rise to 100 million euros ($102 million) on Benfica’s Darwin Nunez, both opted to sign younger forwards just entering their prime.

A return to Real Madrid, where Ronaldo starred from 2009 to 2018, seems unlikely given Karim Benzema’s brilliant displays in their Champions League and La Liga-winning campaign last season.

Even PSG, habitual collectors of football’s marquee names, seem to be out of the running.

A switch to Real’s rivals Atletico Madrid remains a possibility, but with his options dwindling, Ronaldo may have to swallow his pride and stay at Old Trafford.

If that is too much for his ego to take, one last payday in the United States or Saudi Arabia could loom as definitive evidence of Ronaldo’s decline.

TOKYO — Japan’s Naoya Inoue wants to prove he is worthy of his status as boxing’s new pound-for-pound king, by becoming undisputed bantamweight world champion, the man known as “Monster” recently said.

The ferocious 29-year-old was named The Ring magazine’s new pound-for-pound number one last month after demolishing the great Filipino veteran Nonito Donaire inside two rounds to add the WBC bantamweight world title to his WBA and IBF belts.

Inoue replaced Ukrainian heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk at the top of the pound-for-pound tree, and the Japanese fighter is keen to drive the point home by beating Britain’s WBO title-holder Paul Butler to become undisputed champion.

“People were saying that me becoming the number one pound-for-pound fighter all depended on what happened in the Donaire fight, and things worked out as well as I could have imagined,” said Inoue, who is unbeaten in all his 23 fights, winning 20 by knockout.

“From here on, I want to give performances worthy of the number one pound-for-pound fighter. 

“In order to do that, I need to unify the bantamweight world titles and then take on the super-bantamweight division.”

The 33-year-old Butler captured previous WBO champion John Riel Casimero’s vacant title when he beat Jonas Sultan by unanimous decision in April.

He was elevated from interim to full champion in May when the WBO stripped Casimero of the full title.

Knockout specialist

Inoue said negotiations to face Butler before the end of the year are “progressing in a good direction” and he has “no preference” about where the fight takes place.

“If it happens by the end of this year, I don’t care whether it happens in Japan, the US or Britain,” he said.

“It doesn’t really matter to me. I want the fight wherever it is.”

Inoue is the first pound-for-pound king to come from Japan, where he is a huge star.

He is also a rare example of a boxer from the lighter weight classes being rated as the world’s top fighter.

He said “satisfying the fans” was just as important to him as winning and he wants to “show everyone who comes to watch me what I can do”.

“I think that’s how I’ve been able to get my record of 23 wins with 20 knockouts,” said Inoue, who took up boxing at an early age under the tutelage of his father Shingo, a former amateur.

“I always try to knock out my opponent and I think that’s been recognised.”

Inoue said he believes a step to super-bantamweight would be the “best weight class” for him, and he intends to retire from the sport when he turns 35.

He acknowledged that “boxing is not a sport that you can take lightly” but he said he would like to “retire with an unbeaten record”.

“I’d like to think when I turn 35, I will be able to look back and think I was happy that I became a boxer,” he said.

“If I’m able to feel that, I think I’ll be content.”