Update on the latest sports
APOLYMPICS
Gold for US men and women in 4×400 relay, Felix gets 11th medal
TOKYO (AP) — U.S. women have won gold in the 4×400 relay, giving Allyson Felix her 11th Olympic medal.
The team of Felix, Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad and Athing Mu finished in 3 minutes, 16.85 seconds for a runaway victory. Poland finished second and Jamaica was third.
Felix became the most-decorated woman in Olympic track history on Friday when she won bronze in the 400. She now passes Carl Lewis with the most track medals of any U.S. athlete. Seven of her 11 medals are gold.
And the U.S. men got their first track gold medal at the Tokyo Games with a victory in the 4×400-meter relay. The team of Michael Cherry, Michael Norman, Bryce Deadmon and Rai Benjamin completed four laps of the Olympic oval in 2 minutes, 55.70 seconds. It’s the fifth gold for the U.S. men in the 4×400 since 1996. The Netherlands took silver in a national record 2:57.18 and Botswana won bronze in 2:57.27.
Americans also won gold Saturday in men’s basketball, women’s golf and women’s water polo.
Kevin Durant scored 29 points and the Americans won their fourth straight basketball gold medal by defeating the team that beat them in their opening game, 87-82 over France. He joined Carmelo Anthony as the only men’s basketball players with three gold medals. Durant sealed it with two free throws with 8.8 seconds left, making the outcome academic. Jayson Tatum finished with 19 points, while Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday each chipped in 11 for the U.S.
Patty Mills scored 42 points to carry Australia to its first Olympic medal in men’s basketball with a 107-93 victory over Slovenia in the bronze medal game.
The U.S. wound up sweeping gold in golf as Nelly Korda followed Xander Schauffele’s (SHOW’-fleez) victory last weekend. Korda two-putted for par on the final hole for a one-shot victory. She led by as many as three shots on the back nine before closing with a 2-under 68. The 23-year-old Korda won her first major championship six weeks ago and rose to No. 1 in the world for the first time. Now she has an Olympic gold medal and leaves no doubt who’s the best in women’s golf.
The U.S. won its third consecutive gold medal in women’s water polo, beating Spain 14-5. Maddie Musselman scored three times as the U.S. improved to 134-4 since it won gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. After falling 10-9 to Hungary in group play in its first loss at the Olympics since the 2008 final, the U.S. ripped off four straight wins by a combined score of 63-36. Hungary beat the Russian team 11-9 for bronze.
A Japanese team of All-Stars fulfilled a determined national mission to win the Olympic baseball gold medal for the first time, beating the United States 2-0 behind Munetaka Murakami’s third-inning home run. Masato Morishita and four relievers combined on a six-hitter, and the Japanese men matched the accomplishment of the women’s softball team, which upended the Americans for their second straight gold.
Saturday’s Olympic action began with the women’s marathon, which gave Kenya a pair of medals and added another to the U.S. total. Peres Jepchirchir (PEH’-rehz jehp-CHEER’-cheer) led a 1-2 Kenyan finish, finishing in a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes, 20 seconds. Her teammate Brigid Kosgei (BRIH’-jihd KAHZ’-gy) was second and American Molly Seidel took home the bronze. The race was transferred to Sapporo from Tokyo and moved up an hour to avoid the heat. There were 88 runners entered in the field and more than a dozen did not finish.
Jessica Springsteen and the U.S. equestrian jumping team came up just short of Olympic gold, falling to Sweden in a jump off that still left the Americans with a record 10th medal in the event. It’s the first for the 29-year-old Springsteen, the daughter of rockers Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, who made her Olympic debut in Tokyo.
Americans also medaled in wrestling. Kyle Snyder took silver in the men’s freestyle 97-kilogram and American Sarah Hildebrand won a bronze medal in women’s freestyle 50-kilogram. And American Oshae Jones won bronze in women’s welterweight boxing.
Among other developments at the Tokyo Games:
— Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway surged ahead as he rounded the last curve and set an Olympic record to win the 1,500 meters in 3 minutes, 28.32 seconds. That beat the record of 3:31.65 set by Abel Kipsang of Kenya two days earlier in the heats. World champion Timothy Cheruiyot took silver and Josh Kerr of Britain won bronze. Kipsang placed fourth.
— Brazil won its second consecutive gold medal in men’s soccer with a 2-1 victory over Spain. Mexico downed Japan 3-1 in the bronze medal match on Friday.
— France made sure its first Olympic volleyball medal would be gold, beating the Russians 25-23, 25-17, 21-25, 21-25, 15-12 in a breakthrough win for a country that had no history of success. France had qualified for the Olympics four times before this year and made it as far as the quarterfinals only once in 1988. In the bronze medal game, Argentina rallied to beat Brazil 25-23, 20-25, 20-25, 25-17, 15-13.
— China’s Cao Yuan became the first diver to win gold medals in three different Olympic events with a thrilling duel off the 10-meter platform. Yang Jian took the silver, just 1.95 points behind his teammate. Britain’s Tom Daley won bronze.
— The final bout of karate’s Olympic debut seemed to have everything that makes combat sports so fascinating, right down to an incredible ending. But the last gold medal match ended with a messy, confusing disqualification for a kick that was apparently too spectacular for karate. Iran’s Sajad Ganjzadeh won gold after Saudi Arabia’s Tareg Hamedi was disqualified for a kick that rendered Ganjzadeh unconscious. Hamedi won Saudi Arabia’s second-ever silver medal. Japan’s Ryutaro Araga settled for bronze.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Cabrera’s 500 watch, Turner starts for Dodgers
UNDATED (AP) — Miguel Cabrera’s 500th career homer could be just a few swings away.
The two-time MVP and 11-time All-Star has 498 home runs and has hit the ball well since a slow start during the spring. He’s batting .300 with seven homers since June 1, helping the rebuilding Detroit Tigers become a little more competitive in the AL Central.
Cabrera is vying to become the 28th player in major league history with 500 homers. He’s also fairly close to 3,000 career hits with 2,946.
The Tigers are playing the Cleveland Indians in a three-game series this weekend.
Elsewhere in the majors, Julio Urías tries to become the first 14-game winner in the majors when the Los Angeles Dodgers host Shohei Ohtani and the Angels in the Freeway Series. Urías is tied with Chicago Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks for most wins in the big leagues.
All-Star infielder Trea Turner is expected to make his first start for the Dodgers after clearing COVID-19 protocols. Turner, acquired in last week’s blockbuster trade with Washington, was activated Friday and pinch-hit in the ninth inning but fouled out. Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said Turner will be the team’s primary second baseman.
NBA-HORNETS-OUBRE
AP source: Hornets agree to terms with Kelly Oubre Jr.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to terms with free agent small forward Kelly Oubre (OO’-bray) Jr. on a two-year, $26 million contract, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
The deal had been contingent upon the Hornets’ trade with New Orleans involving Devonte Graham going through. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday because the deal had not been finalized.
A six-year NBA veteran, Oubre has also had stops in Washington, Toronto and Phoenix.
