The Guardian

USC athlete dominates field with illegal 5.6m/s tailwind Sprinter has twice run faster than Patrick Johnson’s 9.93s Australian sprinter Eddie Nketia has clocked a staggering 100m time of 9.74 seconds at a college meet in the US – but it won’t count for record purposes because of a howling tailwind. Nketia, who recently swapped his allegiance from New Zealand to Australia, did the 100m/200m double…

NSW coach Laurie Daley names six debutants for game 1 Reece Walsh omitted from new-look Queensland squad James Tedesco’s State of Origin exile is over with the Sydney Roosters captain seeing off Dylan Edwards to reclaim his crown as New South Wales’s premier fullback for the 27 May series opener in Sydney. Picking between Edwards, who started all three games of last year’s losing series, was the …

Rai shoots 65 including 68-foot birdie putt on 17th Last Englishman to triumph was Jim Barnes 107 years ago There’s never been a PGA Championship quite like the one that’s played out at Aronimink this week . At the start of the last day, there were 21 players within four shots of the lead, and eight major winners among them, every one of them sure that they had a shot at winning the Wanamaker Tro…

Concern that England’s women are not being challenged fails to acknowledge what it takes for consistent excellence There are a couple of reasons why England’s latest Six Nations grand slam is worthy of glowing appreciation. The first is that consistent excellence should always receive due recognition. And the second is that England had to do far more than simply show up and tick off the kind of r…

Midfielder has not yet agreed extension at Anfield Liverpool value Jones at around £35m Inter are expected to renew their interest in Curtis Jones this summer, when the Liverpool midfielder will enter the final 12 months of his contract. Jones has been in talks with his boyhood club over a new deal for several months but no agreement has been reached on an extension. The Italian champions, who in…

Beware the opponent with little to play for. Crystal Palace were supposed to be in preservation mode, their attention on more exotic occasions. The ideal opponent for Brentford’s chase for Europe. And yet. Adam Wharton scored his first goal in 94 Palace appearances, a first in the Premier League, his goal wreaking heavy damage. Dango Ouattara’s second goal, a late second equaliser, set up 10, cha…

It was a decision that threatens to keep Nuno Espírito Santo awake for many nights to come. Why, oh why, West Ham’s manager will doubtless wonder, did he opt to start with a back three on Tyneside? Instead of subduing Eddie Howe’s players it simply served to remind Nick Woltemade precisely why he is Newcastle’s record signing. By the 26th minute when Nuno scrapped that configuration for a much mo…

World No 1 is first Italian to win title in 50 years 6-4, 6-4 victory completes set of ATP Masters 1000 titles Jannik Sinner continued his reign of terror over men’s tennis on the clay courts of Europe as he effortlessly recovered from a slow start to overpower Casper Ruud, the 23rd seed, 6-4, 6-4 and become the first Italian man in 50 years to win the Italian Open. It is difficult to overstate t…

Saturday night’s fight came a decade too late to be relevant. But it also provided a spectacle MMA’s most powerful organization has been lacking When Ronda Rousey stepped into the cage for the first time in almost a decade on Saturday night to challenge fellow mixed martial arts trailblazer Gina Carano, the fight was over before it ever really began. In a flash, Rousey had Carano locked in her si…

Centre won 65 caps, with 51 alongside his brother Gavin Also selected for two British and Irish Lions tours The former Scotland rugby union centre Scott Hastings has died at the age of 61. Hastings won 65 caps for Scotland, playing 51 internationals with his full-back brother, Gavin. He was also selected for the British and Irish Lions tours of Australia in 1989 and New Zealand in 1993. Continue …

Brighton’s hopes of a return to European football next season took a potentially significant turn for the worse after Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s late goal ensured another home victory for a Leeds team that continues to thrive in the latter stages of the campaign. Fabian Hürzeler’s side have been magnificent again this season and, going into the final weekend, their destiny is still in their own hand…

Manchester City’s FA Cup hero started career with loans to Bath City and Newport and heads back to Bournemouth next When it comes to Antoine Semenyo, it is almost impossible not to fixate on his career journey. Everybody loves a triumph over adversity, a rise from the lowest level to the very top, and the narrative arc with the Manchester City winger is practically perfect. There were the relentl…

Danish rider wins for second time in three days Eulálio clings on after summit finish at Corno alle Scale Jonas Vingegaard triumphed for the second time in three days to win stage nine of the Giro d’Italia on Sunday, with the Dane going solo at the end of the climb to the finish, while Afonso Eulálio remains in the overall lead. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider tracked race rival Felix Gall (Decathlo…

The SPFL and SFA wobble at the knees when it comes to punishing their biggest clubs but scenes at Celtic Park risk setting a dangerous precedent The placing of a full stop on any league campaign offers cause for reflection. In Scotland, there are reasons to wonder if the grim denouement to a stunning title race will prompt a shift in attitudes on two fronts. Whether a Celtic board which has been …

This is the new Manchester United era of happy accidents being overseen by Michael Carrick and helped by confusing officiating as they edged past Nottingham Forest. If it was not for a lack of obvious options five months ago, United and Carrick may not have been reunited, nor would they be third in the Premier League and heading back to the Champions League, on the day Bruno Fernandes equalled th…