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PARIS: Bahraini athlete Salwa Nasser won silver in the 400 meter race at the Paris 2024 Olympics after finishing in 48.53 seconds.
Nasser secured the silver for her country, a third silver for Bahrain.
Winfred Yavi secured a gold medal for Bahrain earlier this week in the women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase.
SAN NAZZARO, ITALY: Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al-Qemzi is determined to regain the lead in the 2024 UIM F2 World Championship with a win at this weekend’s Grand Prix of Italy.
The four-time F2 world champion is aiming for a repeat of his victory at San Nazzaro last year. He wants to wipe out the four-point advantage held by Lithuania’s Edgaras Riabko following his third place on home territory in the previous round less than a fortnight ago.
Victory in Klaipeda put Sweden’s Mathilda Wiberg level on points with Al-Qemzi, who recognizes that he may face his biggest test of the championship yet as he pursues a record fifth F2 world crown.
“There’s only one strategy for San Nazzaro, and that’s to go for first place,” said the Emirati driver. “I’m sure I can win there again. It’s my favorite place for testing, and I’m going to give it everything I’ve got.
“It’s going to be tough to take the championship. Riabko is going for it and Mathilda is very fast as well. I wasn’t surprised to see her win in Lithuania. But I want the title and I believe in myself.”
Following their dominant one-two finish in round two in Norway, Al-Qemzi and Abu Dhabi teammate Mansoor Al-Mansoori both failed to reach the qualifying shoot-out in Lithuania, and had to settle for fifth and 10th places respectively in the Grand Prix.
“The weather was rough, and there were some big rollers, but there are no excuses,” said Al-Qemzi. “The most important thing for me was to score points in the championship and move on to the next round. So here we are, and we know what we need to do.”
If he can retain his F2 crown this season he will move one clear of Sweden’s four-time winner, Erik Stark, to become the most successful driver in the history of the championship.
The former Nations Cup and F4-S world champion finished ninth on his first F2 campaign back in 2016 before claiming the first of his world titles the following year.
The others followed in 2019, 2021 and again last year when Al-Qemzi was crowned champion with one round to spare in Portugal. This is where back-to-back Grand Prix race weekends again bring the season to a climax next month.
BARCELONA: Wout van Aert won the 10th stage of the Vuelta a España on Tuesday to seal a hat trick of victories on his debut in the Spanish Grand Tour.
The Belgian Visma-Lease a Bike rider worked with Quentin Pacher on the way to the finish in Galicia, with the French rider leading out but soon accepting defeat against the sprint king.
Australian Ben O’Connor keeps the overall lead from Primoz Roglic on a relaxed afternoon for the red jersey rider, as the peloton rolled in five-and-a-half minutes down on Van Aert.
It was a tricky 160 kilometer ride from Ponteareas to Baiona, with four categorized climbs, as the race moved north after Monday’s rest day.
“It’s not too often that I can win when (my family) visits me on the race,” said Van Aert, 29, who celebrated with his loved ones after his victory.
“It was my aim to be in the breakaway, I had a hard time to be honest on the first climb, I almost gave up, I had one more try at the top... for 50km we had to fight for a bit of a gap.”
Van Aert is making his debut on the Vuelta after a disappointing Tour de France, when he was unable to secure any victories.
“I have a versatile profile and when I get in a situation like this I have a chance,” he added.
Midway through the stage the breakway finally got up the road and opened up a significant gap on the peloton, with O’Connor’s team Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale content to let them go as the group contained no general classification threats.
Van Aert took off with around 30km to go and Pacher followed him to form a leading duo.
Groupama-FDJ’s Pacher has never won a pro race and left up against Van Aert, the Frenchman clearly did not fancy his chances.
With 1.6km remaining he burst forward but Van Aert followed and waited on his back wheel, ready for his inevitable sprint triumph.
“It’s not really easy to find a place to attack Wout because he is strong everywhere, so I tried to stay in his wheel and I just gave my best and didn’t think too much,” Pacher told Eurosport.
“I can only be satisfied because I am beaten by a guy who was stronger.”
UAE Team Emirates rider Marc Soler came in third to complete the day’s podium.
O’Connor leads overall by three minutes 53 seconds from three-time winner Roglic.
Wednesday’s stage 11 takes riders on a 166.5km route starting and finishing in Galician town Padron.
BARCELONA: Italy and the US have shown America’s Cup defender New Zealand they face a fight to the wire to retain the sailing trophy in the 37th edition of international sport’s oldest competition.
Emirates Team New Zealand won the final preliminary regatta in Barcelona last week but were run extremely close by Italian team Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli before the Louis Vuitton Cup, which starts Thursday.
The competition will determine the challenger to face New Zealand in the America’s Cup proper in October, starting with two rounds of matches before a semifinal and final.
New Zealand will be involved in the group stage of racing but not the knockout rounds and this is their final chance to finesse their approach.
Teams got their AC75 foiling boats on the water in official competition for the first time in the Barcelona regatta.
New Zealand triumphed in Bermuda in 2017 and then again in Auckland three years ago, hoping to become the first nation to lift the trophy in three consecutive finals since the US in 1987, 1988 and 1992.
“We were expecting it to be tight and we were struggling to get the shifts right, but it’s going to be a close regatta,” said New Zealand skipper Peter Burling after his team’s tight victory over Italy last week.
“It’s all about making sure you get the phases right and sailing the boat in the right places.
“I think we were a little frustrated with how we sailed (in the final, but there’s) plenty to go back and have a look at afterwards.”
Italy were penalized three times in the regatta final race against New Zealand which ultimately cost them.
Luna Rossa, runners-up in the 2021 final, will have the chance to avenge those defeats on Thursday in their Louis Vuitton Cup opener, when they face New Zealand again.
“Hats off to New Zealand, for a great race, but I’m very proud with the team,” said port helm Francesco Bruni.
“I think we have a great boat, a great team, a great sailing team and I think it will be a very interesting America’s Cup.”
The America’s Cup began in 1851 when the boat America of the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) beat England’s Royal Yacht Squadron, with the trophy named after the vessel.
Record 30-time winners the US retained the cup until 1983, when Australia triumphed.
NYYC American Magic just missed out on reaching the Barcelona regatta final but their boat is fast enough to challenge New Zealand and they earned a morale-boosting win over the defender on Sunday.
“I think we’re still trying to figure out our strengths and weaknesses,” said skipper Terry Hutchinson.
“The defender set a pretty hard mark, their boat’s very good and I think the Italians are equally as good but what you see is that all the teams are very close to each other and you’re not going to be able to spot anybody a lot of distance off the start line and expect to pass them.”
Ineos Britannia, Switzerland’s Alinghi Red Bull Racing and France’s Orient Express have some reasons for optimism despite struggling in the Barcelona regatta.
“We only came out with two wins, but it felt very close to four, so I think there’s good momentum within the team and we’re just looking to build on that for the round robins,” said Britannia sailor Dylan Fletcher.
Four-time Olympic sailing champion Ben Ainslie is the skipper of the British team, which is backed by billionaire Manchester United owner Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group.
France won just once last week, by default after an issue onboard American Magic, but an even battle with Britain gave them hope.
“The key is going to be the maneuvers and to be strong on the start, so we have to work more in the simulator and on the water with boat-handling too, in order to come back stronger,” said Orient Express sailor Kevin Peponnet.
Beyond four-time winners New Zealand and the US Switzerland are the only other nation competing who have lifted the trophy, in 2003 and 2007.
LONDON: Galatasaray followed Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in getting eliminated from Champions League qualifying, losing in the playoffs to Young Boys of Switzerland on Tuesday to ensure there will be no Turkish representation in the revamped league stage of Europe’s elite competition.
Young Boys won 1-0 in the second leg thanks to a goal by Alan Virginius and completed a 4-2 victory on aggregate, despite coming into the playoffs in last place in the 12-team Swiss league.
Fenerbahce, in its first season under Mourinho, was knocked out in the third qualifying round by Lille two weeks ago.
Salzburg and Sparta Prague also advanced to the 36-team league stage by ousting Dynamo Kiev and Malmo, respectively.
Salzburg drew 1-1 with Dynamo to progress 3-1 on aggregate, while Sparta secured a second straight 2-0 win over Malmo.
There are four more matches in the playoffs on Wednesday to complete the 36-team lineup, the draw for which takes place on Thursday.
MADRID: Dani Olmo celebrated his delayed Barcelona debut with a goal to seal a 2-1 comeback victory at Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Tuesday.
The Spain playmaker’s 82nd-minute strike helped Barcelona claim their third win from three matches under new coach Hansi Flick at the start of the season.
Barca were unable to register Olmo with La Liga after signing him from RB Leipzig until earlier in the day and he made an instant impact after being brought on at Rayo’s Vallecas stadium.
Unai Lopez sent Rayo ahead against a flat Barca in the first half but Olmo came on at the break and energised the Catalans, who levelled through Pedri before the new arrival struck the winner.
Rayo Vallecano, celebrating their centenary year, signed former Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez earlier in the week and he watched on from the presidential box as the capital club started strongly.
The hosts attacked with intent and got their reward when Jorge De Frutos drove forward on the right and crossed for Lopez, who finished with a low effort at the near post.
Rayo minimized Barcelona’s threat in the first half except for the odd occasion teenage star Lamine Yamal managed to work his magic.
Flick hooked Ferran Torres at half-time and threw on Olmo for his debut, after he had missed their first two league matches waiting for Barcelona to get their finances in order to complete his registration.
With Olmo entering the fray he took up a central attacking midfield position, with Brazil winger Raphinha restored to the left flank.
The former Barca academy player quickly began to make his mark on proceedings and the Catalans started to generate chances.
Polish veteran Robert Lewandowski should have levelled but could not get a solid touch close to goal on Raphinha’s dangerous cross.
Raphinha whistled a free-kick narrowly wide and Olmo smashed a 30-yard drive against the crossbar.
Barca made the pressure count and Pedri levelled on the hour mark after exchanging passes with Raphinha and sweeping home.
Barca thought they had a second 10 minutes later, when Yamal’s shot was saved and Lewandowski worked room to tuck the rebound home.
However the goal was controversially disallowed after a VAR referral when the referee deemed Jules Kounde guilty of a foul, when he made light contact with Pep Chavarria’s foot in the build-up.
The visitors did not lick their wounds for too long, maintaining the pressure, and Olmo finished with aplomb after Yamal set him up.
Barcelona played with an energy in the second half which has often been missing late in games in recent years, with the team appearing notably fitter under Flick.
The victory guarantees Barca will top the table after the third round of matches, despite various injury issues affecting important players including Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Ronald Araujo.
Champions Real Madrid visit Las Palmas on Thursday while Atletico Madrid host Espanyol on Wednesday, among other fixtures.
