Reuters Sports News Summary

08/07/2016 19:50

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Ichiro joins MLB's exclusive 3,000-hit club

Japanese outfielder Ichiro Suzuki of the Miami Marlins on Sunday became the 30th Major League Baseball player to reach the 3,000-hit milestone, an exclusive club that is considered the greatest measure of hitting excellence and physical endurance. Ichiro, who in 2001 became the first Japanese position player, or nonpitcher, in MLB, joins Roberto Clemente (Puerto Rico), Rod Carew (Panama) and Rafael Palmeiro (Cuba) as the only members of the 3,000-hit club born outside the United States.

Fencing: Italy doubles up as U.S. and Britain fall short

Italy won their second fencing medal in as many days when Daniele Garozzo upset top-ranked Alexander Massialas in the final, stopping his shot at the first U.S. men's fencing gold in over 100 years in a raucous arena on Sunday. Britain's Richard Kruse also came up short of an historic medal, falling to Russia's Timur Safin in the bronze medal bout and letting the first British fencing medal since 1964 slip from his grasp.

Tennis: Not fully fit, Nadal makes winning return in Rio

Spain's Rafa Nadal made a winning return to competition on Sunday at the Rio Games but the former Olympic champion conceded he was not fully fit after being sidelined over two months with a wrist injury. Third seed Nadal was pumped up for his return and easily overpowered world number 43 Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-2 6-1 in the first round but the 14-time grand slam winner admitted he was not at his best.

New York Yankees to release Alex Rodriguez, last game on Friday

The New York Yankees will release Alex Rodriguez, one of the greatest players of his generation and one of baseball's most polarizing figures, with his final game with the club set for Friday. Rodriguez has numbers that rank among the best in history, but has also seen his reputation tarnished by performance-enhancing drugs. He missed the entire 2014 season due to a doping suspension, the second doping offense in his 22-year Major League Baseball career.

Cycling: Dutchwoman Van Vleuten fractures three vertebrae in crash

Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten suffered three small fractures in her vertebrae after a horrific-looking crash as she lost control of her bike while leading in the latter stages of the Olympic women's cycling road race on Sunday. Van Vleuten was leading the race with around 15km to go when she skidded near the bottom of a steep descent and smashed head-first into the road and a stone kerb.

Gymnastics: Biles leads way for sensational Americans

Simone Biles showed the world why she is an Olympic champion-in- waiting as she and her American team mates blew away the opposition by almost 10 points in women's gymnastics qualifying on Sunday. The quintet of Biles, 2012 London Games all around gold medalist Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez and Madison Kocian showed why the Americans have been unbeatable as a team since 2011 when they racked up a total of 185.238 points.

Judo: Kelmendi makes history with gold for Kosovo

Majlinda Kelmendi made history at the Rio Games on Sunday as she took gold in judo to become the first athlete from Kosovo to win an Olympic medal, a feeling she said she would not trade for any amount of money in the world. Rio marks the first Olympics at which athletes are competing under the flag of Kosovo, which proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008.

Wind, doping and VIP robbery plague Rio Games

Damaging wind gusts, a fresh doping controversy and the robbery of a visiting government minister presented the Rio Games with a perfect storm of problems on Sunday, forcing organizers to scramble to keep the world's biggest sporting event rolling on. Winds wreaked havoc on the second full day of competition, forcing the cancellation of rowing races and delays to tennis and kayaking, while spectators ran for cover from flying signs, cafe umbrellas and other debris torn from their moorings.

Swimming: Ledecky lights up pool with Phelps yet to come

Freestyle queen Katie Ledecky swam the fastest women's 400 meters of the year on Sunday while the U.S. men's team, minus Michael Phelps for now, showed the Australians they mean business in the 4x100 relay. France's 2012 champion Yannick Agnel failed to qualify for the men's 200 meters semi-finals, however, and finished 19th overall in the heats behind China's pacesetter Sun Yang.

Tennis: Williams sisters crash out of women's doubles in first round

Serena and Venus Williams, three-time women's doubles Olympic champions, crashed out in the first round of the women's doubles tournament at the Rio Games on Sunday in one of the biggest upsets so far in women's tennis. The Williams sisters were dumped out of the doubles tournament by Czech pair Barbora Strycova and Lucie Safarova who defeated them 6-3, 6-4.

08/07/2016 19:50