Update on the latest sports
APOLYMPICS-NEWS
US loses to France 83-76, ending 25-game Olympic win streak
TOKYO (AP) — France has ended a 25-game Olympic winning streak for the U.S. in men’s basketball, beating the Americans 83-76 in the opening game for both teams.
Evan Fournier’s 3-pointer with just under a minute left put France ahead to stay. He had 28 points for France, while Rudy Gobert (goh-BEHR’) scored 14 and Nando de Colo had 13. Jrue (jroo) Holiday had 18 points for the U.S.
It’s the first loss for the American men since the Athens Games 17 years ago, when they settled for bronze.
Thes loss doesn’t knock the U.S. out of medal contention, but it essentially eliminates the margin for error. The Americans can reach the quarterfinals if they win their next two games. If they lose one, they might not even finish in the top eight of the 12-team tournament.
In other men’s basketball results Sunday, Australia beat Nigeria 84-67, Italy beat Germany 92-82 and the Czech Republic beat Iran 84-78.
In other news from the Olympics:
— The U.S. women’s gymnastics team’s bid for a third straight Olympic title got off to a rocky start. The four-woman group led by reigning champion Simone Biles finished second to the Russian team in qualifying. That’s the first time the Americans have failed to lead at the end of any major event in more than a decade. Biles topped the all-round with a total of 57.731 points but lacked her usual precision, making significant mistakes in three events. The Russian team score of 171.629 was more than a full point ahead of the U.S., though both teams will start from scratch in the finals.
— Chase Kalisz (KAY’-lihsh) began the U.S. medal push at the Tokyo Games by taking gold in the men’s 400-meter individual medley, finishing just ahead of teammate Jay Litherland. Kalisz is a protege and former training partner of Olympic great Michael Phelps. He touched first in 4 minutes, 9.42 seconds. The win ended the United States’ longest medal drought to start a Summer Olympics since 1972.
— Kieran Smith of the U.S. finished third in the men’s 400-meter freestyle. Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia was the surprise winner.
— Yui Ohashi gave Japan its first swimming gold medal, doing it in the women’s 400-meter individual medley. Emma Weyant captured silver and fellow American Hali Flickinger the bronze.
— Australia set the first swimming world record of the Tokyo Games in the women’s 4x-100-meter freestyle relay. The Aussies touched in 3 minutes, 29.69 seconds, while the Americans took third at 3:32.81.
— Katie Ledecky (leh-DEK’-ee) opened her Olympic program as the top qualifier in the 400-meter freestyle, setting up a showdown with Ariarne Titmus of Australia. The first of their multiple showdowns in Tokyo comes in the final on Monday.
— Defending 100 breaststroke champion Lilly King of the U.S. and American Ryan Murphy, the 100 backstroke Olympic champion, both moved on to the semifinals.
— Lee Kiefer earned the third gold medal for the United States by beating defending champion Inna Deriglazova of Russia 15-13 in the women’s foil final.
— Anastasija Zolotic won the United States’ first gold medal in women’s taekwondo by beating Russian athlete Tatiana Minina 25-17 to claim the featherweight division title. The 18-year-old is only the fourth American to reach an Olympic taekwondo final and only the second woman.
— Amanda Chidester hit a game-ending, two-run single in the eighth inning, Monica Abbott struck out 13 and the United States beat Australia 2-1 to clinch a berth in the Olympic softball gold medal game against Japan. The top-ranked Americans have scored just six runs in four games. They play Japan on Monday in a game that will only determine which team bats last in Tuesday’s gold medal game.
— Golfers Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm became the best-known athletes to drop out of the Tokyo Games after testing positive for COVID-19. DeChambeau’s positive came before he left the United States for Tokyo. He’ll be replaced by Patrick Reed. Rahm was flagged for COVID-19 for the second time in two months. He had a six-shot lead at the Memorial in early June when he was forced to withdraw because of a positive test.
— Olympic medalists can now remove their masks briefly on the podium after the International Olympic Committee relaxed its health rules. The IOC is now letting them have 30 seconds of maskless time for photographs but they must stay on their own podium steps. Masks must be back on for group photos on the top step.
— Johnny Hooper has returned to his mother’s homeland for his Olympic debut and had one of the biggest U.S. goals in a 15-13 victory over Japan on the first day of the men’s water polo tournament.
— Romain Cannone won France’s first gold medal of the Tokyo Games by beating Gergely Siklosi of Hungary 15-10 in the men’s epee final.
— Ulugbek Rashitov won Uzbekistan’s first Olympic taekwondo gold medal in dramatic fashion by beating Bradly Sinden of Britain.
— Mikel Oyarzabal ended Spain’s 21-year wait for a goal and a win in Olympic soccer by clinching a 1-0 victory over Australia. In other men’s soccer results, Japan topped Mexico 2-1, Germany beat Saudi Arabia 3-2, South Korea shut out Romania 4-0, Honduras defeated New Zealand 3-2, France beat South Africa 4-3, Argentina beat Egypt 1-0 and Brazil and Ivory Coast played to a 0-0 draw.
— In men’s field hockey, world No. 1 Australia rolled past No. 4 India 7-1 and New Zealand edged Spain 4-3.
— Hifumi Abe won Japan’s third judo gold medal at its home Olympics with an ippon victory over Georgia’s Vazha Margvelashvili. Hifumi Abe triumphed in men’s 66 kilograms shortly after his sister Uta Abe claimed her own first gold medal in the women’s 52-kilogram division.
— The U.S. women’s volleyball team’s quest for its first gold medal ever got off to a fast start. The Americans swept Argentina in their opening match, winning 25-20, 25-19, 25-20.
— Americans April Ross and Alix Klineman cruised to a straight-set victory over China in their beach volleyball opener. The Americans won the first set, 21-17 and then took the second, 21-19.
— Naomi Osaka eased past 52nd-ranked Zheng Saisai of China 6-1, 6-4 in the first round of the women’s tennis tournament. It was Osaka’s first match since she withdrew from the French Open and sat out Wimbledon to take a mental health break.
— Top-ranked Ash Barty was upset by 48th-ranked Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the women’s tennis tournament. Barty’s loss in her Olympic debut comes 15 days after she won Wimbledon for her second Grand Slam title. American Jennifer Brady was knocked out by Italy’s Camila Giorgi in straight sets.
— Two-time defending champion Andy Murray has withdrawn from the singles tennis tournament because of a right quad strain. Murray remains in the doubles tournament with partner Joe Salisbury.
— Iranian defector Kimia Alizadeh barely missed out on the Refugee Olympic Team’s first-ever medal, losing to Turkey’s Hatice Kübra İlgün in their bronze medal taekwondo bout. Alizadeh won her first three bouts to get to the brink of a historic medal but was denied in two straight losses.
— A contingent led by An San has captured South Korea’s ninth straight women’s archery team gold medal. South Korea hasn’t lost since the women’s team event was added to the Olympic program at the 1988 Seoul Games.
— Chen Lijun kept China’s perfect record in weightlifting intact with victory in the men’s 67-kilogram class. China has won all three weightlifting gold medals so far in Tokyo.
GOLF-SENIOR BRITISH OPEN
Dodd wins Senior British Open with last-hole birdie
SUNNINGDALE, England (AP) — Stephen Dodd has birdied the final hole to win the Senior British Open by one stroke.
The 55-year-old Welshman held off challenges from Miguel Angel Jimenez (AHN’-hehl hee-MEHN’-ehz) and Darren Clarke to secure his first major title on Sunday.
Dodd closed with a 2-under 68 at Sunningdale for a four-day total of 13-under 267.Jimenez, the 2018 winner, shot 65 to finish at 12 under, while Clarke was another shot behind.
Dodd equaled the low round in the history of the tournament on Saturday with an 8-under 62 that gave him a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the last senior major championship of the year.
LPGA-EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Lee wins her 1st major after beating Lee6 in playoff
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Australian golfer Minjee Lee has won a sudden death playoff against overnight leader Jeongeun Lee6 to clinch the Evian Championship for her first major title.
Lee6 had to take a drop shot when her second shot on the first extra playoff hole flew into a pond, while Lee’s superb second attempt landed near the flag. Lee6 ended with a bogey to give the 25-year-old Lee three putts for victory and a sixth LPGA title.
Teenage American Yealimi Noh finished third at 17 under when she missed a birdie chance on the 18th.
The day’s best round went to Ireland’s Leona Maguire. Her 10-under 61 tied the lowest round ever by a female or male in a major.
NFL-TEXANS-WATSON
AP source: Watson plans to report to Houston Texans camp
HOUSTON (AP) — Deshaun Watson plans to report to training camp with the Houston Texans, according to a person familiar with his thinking.
The person told The Associated Press that the quarterback still wants to be traded and is reporting solely to avoid being fined. Watson would have faced fines of $50,000 a day if he didn’t report.
Watson led the NFL in yards passing last season and signed a four-year, $156 million contract extension with the Texans last offseason. But he became unhappy with the direction of the team and requested a trade in January after the Texans, who won the AFC South in 2018 and ’19, sank to 4-12 last season.
His future was further clouded in March after 22 women filed lawsuits alleging that he sexually assaulted or harassed them. Houston police and the NFL are investigating the allegations, but no charges have been filed.
NHL-MOVES
Red Wings re-sign Marc Staal; Canucks to buy out Virtanen
UNDATED (AP) — Red Wings defenseman Marc Staal is staying put in Detroit, while the Vancouver Canucks have placed Jake Virtanen on waivers for the purpose of buying out the final year of the under-performing forward’s contract.
The Red Wings announced reaching an agreement with Staal, and a person with direct knowledge of the contract told The Associated Press it’s a one-year deal worth $2 million.
In Vancouver, the Canucks are parting ways with Virtanen after six seasons. He was placed on leave on May 1 after being accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting a women four years earlier.
