Reuters Sports News Summary

08/13/2016 0:56

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer: Holders U.S. suffer penalty heartache against Sweden

Favorites the United States crashed out of the women's soccer tournament on penalties on Friday but host nation Brazil advanced from the quarter-finals the same way on a day of surprise and high drama. Sweden eliminated the U.S, recording one of the sport's biggest shocks by beating the holders 4-3 on penalties after the two sides drew 1-1 after extra time.

Swimming: DiRado beats Hosszu to take 200m backstroke in her last race

Maya DiRado of the United States won the women's 200 meters backstroke in her final race on Friday, reeling in Hungary's Katinka Hosszu in the closing meters to deny her a fourth gold medal of the Rio Olympics. Canada's Hilary Caldwell won bronze.

Basketball: U.S. men survive Serb scare to stay unbeaten

The U.S. men's team extended their Olympic unbeaten run to 21 games with a tense 94-91 win over Serbia on Friday, but their uneven play hinted that a third straight gold might not be a fait accompli. After opening the Rio Olympics with blowout wins over China and Venezuela, cracks are starting to show in the armor of a usually invincible U.S. team that have been put to the test against Serbia and Australia in their last two games.

I'm ready to retire, says Phelps

No means no. No amount of cajoling, arm-twisting and pleading by his team mates and swimming fans around the world will make Michael Phelps change his mind about retiring after the Rio Olympics. The great American swimmer made that abundantly clear on Friday after winning the 27th Olympic medal of his career, a three-way dead-heat silver in the men's 100 meters butterfly.

Swimming: Ervin wins gold 16 years after his first

Anthony Ervin of the United States reclaimed the mantle of fastest man in the water on Friday by taking the Olympic 50 meters freestyle gold medal 16 years after he first won it, and by the slimmest of margins. "I kind of laughed. It's almost absurd I was able to do it again," said Ervin of his immediate reaction to seeing his name with the number one against it.

Ledecky smashes 800m record to claim freestyle treble

Katie Ledecky of the United States destroyed the field in the 800 meters freestyle on Friday, breaking her own world record to complete a rare Olympic swimming treble. Ledecky led from the start and inexorably stretched out the gap over her opponents to finish in eight minutes, 4.79 seconds, beating her previous mark of 8:06.68 set in Austin, Texas in January.

Athletics: Adams' history bid falls short, Ayana smashes record

Michelle Carter produced the throw of her life with her last attempt to deprive New Zealander Valerie Adams a piece of Olympic history on Friday as the American won the women's shot put to close out a memorable first day of athletics in Rio. Carter heaved an American record 20.63 meters to snatch gold from Adams, who had been seeking to become the first woman to win three straight Olympic titles in an individual athletics event. She took silver with 20.42m.

Swimming: Schooling wins Singapore's first gold

Joseph Schooling beat Michael Phelps and made Singaporean sporting history on Friday when he won the 100 meters butterfly and his country's first Olympic gold medal. Once the pupil, photographed as a boy alongside his childhood idol Phelps, he put in a masterful performance to deny the American a 23rd and final individual gold in a race that will also be long remembered for a three-way dead-heat for second.

Rodriguez says he at peace with his Yankees exit

Alex Rodriguez, one of Major League Baseball's greatest sluggers, said on Friday before his last game in pinstripes that he was "at peace" despite the abrupt nature of his exit from the New York Yankees. "When you start playing as a little boy, you don't think about the end," said 41-year-old Rodriguez, who learned from Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner last week that he was going to be released after Friday's home game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Soccer: Holders U.S. suffer penalty heartache against Sweden

Sweden knocked the United States out of the women's Olympic soccer tournament on Friday, recording one of the sport's biggest shocks by beating the holders 4-3 on penalties in the quarter-final after the two sides drew 1-1 after extra time. Lisa Dahlkvist converted Sweden's final penalty after Alex Morgan and Christen Press missed for the holders in the shootout. Linda Sembrant also missed for Sweden.

08/13/2016 0:56