Why the man who fought to make Olympic artistic swimming co-ed was shut out of competition (2024)

The Australian Olympic Committee has criticized an anonymous online petition attacking controversial Paris Games breaking competitor Rachael Gunn, saying the petition was “vexatious, misleading and bullying.” Last weekend, the sport made its Olympic debut. One of the lasting images was the performance of an Australian b-girl known as Raygun — 36-year-old Sydney university professor Gunn — who did a “kangaroo dance” among other questionable moves during her routine, and scored zero points. Gunn was subsequently heavily criticized for her performance with parodies even being played out on a late night television show in the United States. But the AOC on Thursday refuted what it said were numerous erroneous stories about Gunn it says have appeared online since.

Yankees' Aaron Judge becomes fastest to 300 homers, reaching in 955 games to Kiner's 1,087

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Retired NASCAR driver Kurt Busch was charged with DWI and speeding late Monday and had his driver’s license revoked for a month, Iredell County Sheriff’s Office records show.

A person with knowledge of the deal tells the AP that the New England Patriots have traded four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons for a third-round draft pick. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the teams haven’t announced the trade. Judon had 28 sacks in his first two seasons with the Patriots before having four in four games last year when he was limited by injuries. Judon became available because of a contract dispute. He has a base salary of $6.5 million this season and is seeking a new deal. The Falcons needed a pass rusher to bolster a defense that hasn’t had a player with double-digit sacks since Vic Beasley had 15 1/2 in 2016.

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz was transfixed by the men’s gold-medal basketball game over the weekend. He watched as Steph Curry drained a flurry of 3s in the final three minutes of play against France.

Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia says the father of 17-year-old Spain soccer star Lamine Yamal has been hospitalized after being stabbed near Barcelona. Citing unnamed official sources, the paper said Mounir Nasraoui was stabbed multiple times. La Vanguardia said Nasraoui was in serious but stable condition. Some arrests had been made, according to La Vanguardia, without giving details. Local police did not immediately respond to a request from The Associated Press for comment. Spain won the European Championship in July with Yamal part of the winning team.

Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will miss the season after undergoing surgery on his right knee. McCarthy had an operation on Wednesday to repair a torn meniscus suffered at some point during his preseason debut last weekend against Las Vegas. The former Michigan standout had a solid training camp and had been expected to back up starter Sam Darnold. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell delivered the news on McCarthy shortly after the team arrived for two days of joint practices with the Browns. McCarthy was the 10th overall pick in the NFL draft after helping the Wolverines to a national title.

NASCAR has ruled that Austin Dillon’s win at Richmond Raceway will not count toward eligibility for the Cup Series playoffs. Dillon will keep credit for his first victory of the season but his playoff eligibility was revoked Wednesday because of “actions detrimental to stock car auto racing or NASCAR as determined in the sole discretion of NASCAR.” Desperate to win for the first time in nearly two years, Dillon sent NASCAR champions Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano into the wall in rapid succession on the final lap to clear a path toward victory.

Diontae Johnson is relishing the prospect of being a No. 1 wide receiver again. When Johnson was acquired by the Panthers in an offseason trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was informed by new head coach Dave Canales that he’d be the primary option in Carolina’s passing game. Johnson is familiar with that role. From 2020-22, Johnson averaged 94 catches, 989 yards and five touchdowns per season, including a career-high 107 receptions for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021 for the Steelers.

Kylian Mbappé has pulled on Real Madrid's famous white jersey for the first time in a competitive match and marked the occasion with the second goal in a 2-0 win over Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup. Mbappé started and played 82 minutes at the National Stadium in Warsaw. He met a pass from Jude Bellingham across the area with a shot into the top corner in the 68th minute. Federico Valverde tapped home a cross from Vinícius Junior in the 59th to set Madrid on its way to a record sixth victory in the Super Cup. It is an annual match between the Champions League winners (Madrid) and the Europa League champions (Atalanta).

NASCAR revokes Dillon's playoff eligibility; driver keeps controversial Richmond win

Austin Dillon's win at Richmond Raceway will not count toward eligibility for the Cup Series playoffs, NASCAR rules.

Michigan State has been sued over the Adolf Hitler question that appeared on Spartan Stadium screens before a game last season, with the quiz’s creator saying the university didn’t have permission to use its product that “was not created for a mass-market use at an American college football game.” Floris van Pallandt, owner of Carsilius Media, BV, and operator of The Quiz Channel on YouTube, filed a lawsuit against the school’s Board of Regents last week that asks for $150,000 in damages plus fees. Van Pallandt alleges using the quiz was copyright infringement and the company was subject to ridicule for Michigan State’s public showing of the Hitler question.

Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s appeal for a shared silver medal after she was disqualified from an Olympic final for missing weighthas been rejected by the ad-hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Paris. The court announced the decision Wednesday. The Indian Olympic Association’s President, P.T. Usha, expressed shock and disappointment at the court’s decision, the Press Trust of India reported. Phogat was disqualified from the final in the women’s 50-kilogram freestyle category after weighing in 100 grams above the weight limit on Aug. 7. Instead of becoming India’s first woman to compete in an Olympic final, she was denied a medal.

The doping case involving U.S. sprinter Erriyon Knighton’s claims of eating contaminated meat is being appealed and will be sent to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The organization that polices anti-doping on a global level for track and field announced it was appealing the “no-fault” finding issued by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency before the Olympic trials. Knighton tested positive for a banned drug Trenbolone, a “livestock enhancer” that has been linked to a number of contamination cases over the years. Knighton said he ate oxtail from a bakery in central Florida that was contaminated. After Knighton was cleared by USADA, he qualified for the 200 meters at Olympic trials, then finished fourth in Paris.

Rome’s mayor and a chorus of others have denounced the defacing of a street-art celebration of Paola Egonu. She helped lead Italy to its first-ever Olympic gold medal in women’s volleyball in Paris and has faced years of racist abuse at home. Egonu was born in Italy to parents of Nigerian origin. She was named tournament MVP after she led Italy to beat the U.S. defending champions on Sunday.Hours after the Games ended, street artist Laika celebrated Egonu with a work of graffiti opposite the Rome headquarters of the Italian Olympic Committee. Entitled “Italianness,” the graffiti showed Egonu spiking a ball that had the words “Stop racism, hatred, xenophobia,” on it. On Tuesday, someone painted the figure's dark skin pink.

French prosecutors say they are investigating a complaint made by Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif for online harassment. The Algerian boxer faced a rain of criticism and false claims about her sex during the Paris Olympics. A statement from the Paris prosecutor’s office said Monday its unit for combating online hate speech has opened a probe. Under French law, it's up to investigators to determine which person or organization may have been at fault. The prosecutor's office didn’t name specific suspects. Among those who posted misinformation about Khelif were Donald Trump, Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling. Khelif won gold in the women’s welterweight division, becoming a hero in Algeria.

The Texas Rangers visit the Boston Red Sox looking to break a three-game road slide.

Former pro football player Cierre Wood has been sentenced to prison in the 2019 death of his girlfriend's 5-year-old daughter at his Las Vegas apartment. The 33-year-old former NFL and Canadian Football league running back reached a deal with prosecutors earlier this year and pleaded guilty in April to second-degree murder and child abuse. A judge on Tuesday sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 10 years for the murder charge. Authorities say the child, La'Rayah Davis, died of multiple blunt force injuries on April 9, 2019.

It remains to be seen whether Austin Dillon faces payback from Joey Logano or Denny Hamlin for wrecking both in the final lap to win Sunday night's NASCAR Cup race at Richmond. But he heads to Michigan International Speedway looking to build momentum off his first win in nearly two years and move toward a playoff berth. IndyCar returns from nearly a month off with a 260-lap, 500-kilometer event in Madison, Illinois, and first-place Alex Palou leading Will Power by 49 points. Formula One has another week off. The NHRA resumes at Brainerd, Minnesota.

MILWAUKEE — The Dodgers announced on Tuesday that River Ryan will undergo Tommy John surgery, a procedure that will likely sideline the promising young right-hander for the entire 2025 season.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore said he is looking forward to the release of his deleted-then-recovered text messages to former staffer Connor Stalions, at the center of an ongoing NCAA investigation into Michigan’s football program for an alleged sign-stealing scheme.

Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy has a torn meniscus in his right knee that will require surgery. He was hurt during his preseason debut when he went 11 for 17 for 188 yards, two touchdowns and one interception against Las Vegas. McCarthy reported persistent soreness to the team when players reconvened. The 10th overall pick in the draft was sent for further examination that revealed the injury. The rehabilitation for a full repair is much longer than if there’s just a partial tear and only a trim is needed. The severity won't be known until the procedure takes place.

Through Aug. 12

Kuei-Shan Little League is ready to make another run through the bracket at the Little League World Series, only this time it’s hoping for a happier ending. The team from Taoyuan, Taiwan, that came into South Williamsport last year with the hardest-throwing pitcher and left with third place in the tournament is back. But the roster is drastically different. There are no returning players. But that isn’t a worry for manager Lee Cheng-Ta. He says he's got a smart team that makes few mistakes in the field. The tournament starts Wednesday with four games scheduled.

Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo has flown home to a hero’s welcome after winning two gold medals at the Paris Olympics. Donors have pledged more than $1 million worth of cash and gifts for him including a resort house and free lunch buffets for life. The 24-year-old’s gold medal wins in the men’s floor exercise and vault were the largest victory ever by a Filipino athlete since the Philippines joined the Games a century ago. A celebratory parade for Yulo and the other athletes along Manila’s main streets on Wednesday is expected to draw thousands of people.

Leicester, Southampton and Ipswich are the three promoted teams in the Premier League this season and all are big names in their own right as they return to the English top flight. Leicester delivered an underdog story for the ages in winning the title against all the odds in 2016 and is back after a season's absence. Southampton was also away for only one season after being a mainstay in the league for 11 years on the back of its famous conveyor belt of young talent. Ipswich is Ed Sheeran's local team and its back story in England’s top division is from pretty much a generation ago having last been there in 2002.

PARÍS (AP) — Los fotógrafos de Associated Press han tomado cientos de miles de fotografías increíbles durante los Juegos Olímpicos de París. Los Juegos ofrecían algo para todo el mundo y AP estaba allí para capturarlo con imágenes de hitos icónicos, hazañas deportivas, puntos altos y bajos d…

The Boston Red Sox host the Texas Rangers, leading the series 1-0.

Para-surfing— a form of surfing that allows people with physical disabilities to ride waves on a board or wave ski— has been excluded from the Los Angeles Paralympics. But that hasn't stopped fans and participants of the sport from around the world in strengthening their desire for it to be included in future Paralympics, offering creative solutions to help address costs and other logistical issues. An online petition asking for para-surfing to be included in the Los Angeles Games has begun, getting over 19,000 signatures. Para-surfing being included in the Paralympics has also received support from the International Surfing Association.

Georgia No. 1 in preseason AP Top 25 and Ohio State No. 2 as expanded SEC, Big Ten flex muscles

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In Senegal, wrestling is a national sport. Professional wrestling draws thousands to stadiums and can be a catapult to international stardom. But wrestling has remained off-limits for women. There is one exception. In the southern Casamance region, home to the Jola ethnic group, women traditionally wrestle alongside men — at least until they get married. Isabelle Sambou became a professional wrestler who represented Senegal at the Olympic Games in London and Rio de Janeiro. She now trains a new generation of female wrestlers in her village and dreams that one will win the Olympic gold that eluded her.

BOSTON — Back in Boston after spending the weekend home welcoming his new child, Brayan Bello returned to find his team in disarray.

BASEBALL

MIAMI — Tyreek Hill wants all the smoke with Noah Lyles — on the track.

USA Gymnastics officials 'disappointed' an arbitration panel won't reconsider asking Jordan Chiles to return her medal.

USA Gymnastics officials say an arbitration panel won’t reconsider a decision asking gymnast Jordan Chiles to return the bronze medal she was awarded in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics. USA Gymnastics says it will continue efforts to let Chiles keep the medal. CAS voided an on-floor appeal from Chiles’ coach that vaulted her to third, saying the appeal came 4 seconds beyond the one-minute time limit for scoring inquiries. USA Gymnastics disputed the timing, saying in a statement Sunday that the agency submitted video evidence to CAS that showed Team USA coach Cecile Landi first appealed 13 seconds before the deadline.

Los Angeles Sparks All-Star Dearica Hamby sued the WNBA and her former team in federal court Monday regarding her treatment from the Las Vegas Aces while pregnant. Hamby’s lawsuit alleged the Aces discriminated and retaliated against her, leading to her January 2023 trade to the Sparks. A WNBA spokesperson said the complaint was being reviewed. The Aces did not immediately respond to a request for comment but have refuted allegation in the past.

Deshaun Watson’s next start has been penciled in. Cleveland’s quarterback, who hasn’t played in a game since breaking his shoulder in November at Baltimore, is scheduled to play in the Browns’ preseason finale on Aug. 24 in Seattle. Coach Kevin Stefanski revealed his plans for Watson before practice on Monday. Watson did not play in the Browns’ exhibition opener against Green Bay last weekend and will be held out of this week’s home game against Minnesota. Watson will also get in some work during controlled practice sessions against the Vikings on Wednesday and Thursday. Stefanski said Watson has been medically cleared to take contact. Watson appears on track to start the regular-season opener against Dallas on Sept. 8.