ARAB TIMES, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 SPORTS 14

Cruz unanimously defeats Vargas Charlo outpoints Montiel to retain WBC title , June 20, (AP): Jarmall Charlo unanimously outpointed Juan Macias Montiel to retaitn the WBC middleweight championship at the . Charlo (32-0, 22 knockouts) re- ceived winning scores of 118-109, 119-109 and 120-108 from the three judges. Montiel (22-5-2, 22 KOs) lost in his fi rst chance at a title and for the second time in three fi ghts. “They had a game plan to fi ght, and that’s what they came out to do,” Char- lo said. “We came out to defend our title, and that’s what we did.” Charlo came out to a standing ova- tion from his hometown crowd and did not disappoint. With chants of “Let’s go Charlo! Let’s go Charlo!” breaking out several Naoya Inoue, of Japan, holds up times during the fi ght, Charlo dominated his belts after defeating Michael throughout. Charlo was on the offensive Dasmarinas, of the Philippines, in for much of the fi ght, peppering Montiel a bantamweight title fight, on June with body shots and rocking him during 19, in Las Vegas. (AP) the fi fth and sixth rounds with fl urries of rights and lefts, leaving Montiel wobbly. translator. “I felt like I reached another level after this fi ght, and I hope to fi ght BOXING more number ones in the future and be- come a champion myself.” Charlo landed 258 of a career-high “I was in there fi ghting, he just made 769 (34%) total shots compared to Mon- some elegant adjustments,” Charlo said. tiel’s 127 of 427 (30%) and connected on “That’s what I like to call it. The best 41 body shots compared to Montiel’s 4, boxers in the world make the best adjust- according to CompuBox. The champion ments, and my trainer Ronnie Shields landed 46% of his power shots com- said ‘Dude made some adjustments, and pared to 43% for Montiel, while Charlo you made some adjustments back. That’s connected on 57 of 330 jabs (17%), and how you got the victory’.” Montiel connected on only 7 of 145 jabs Following the fi ght, Charlo put a (5%), according to CompuBox. medallion around Montiel’s neck. Charlo has won three of his four title “He was coming to win the WBC fi ghts by unanimous decision. He last championship,” Charlo said. “He was a defended the title at the end of Septem- true warrior tonight. I take nothing away ber against in Jermall Charlo, right, fights Juan Macias Montiel during a WBC middleweight world championship boxing match, on June 19, in Houston. (AP) from Montiel. He’s an awesome fi ghter. Connecticut. Awesome game plan. … I dug deep, he Following the fi ght, Charlo issued dug deep. A fi ght broke out tonight.” a challenge to WBO middleweight Charlo said he received stitches champion Demetrius Andrade for a above his right eye, the fi rst time in his possible unifi cation fi ght. career he had to be stitched up. “He’s got a belt,” Charlo said. “Let’s Busch races to 100th Xfinity However, Montiel came back with a go get him. He’s talking. … We’re all fl urry of his own in the eighth round, about that. I’m ready. I’m not worried landing four straight left hands mid- about that. We’re going to clean up the way through the round to leave Charlo division sooner or later. I’m really re- wobbling momentarily and opening up laxed. You see me walking through it. a cut above Charlo’s right eye. … I don’t make the fi ghts. I don’t pick “I think I made a quality leap to- the fi ghts. Whatever circumstances victory in return to Nashville day, and I hope to keep having these he’s in, I’m not here for any of that. opportunities,” Montiel said through a I’m a fi ghter.” Allgaier finishes 2nd, Burton 3rd 15-year-old Grimes outraces veteran Anderson

LEBANON, Tenn., June 20, (AP): Kyle Busch raced Dressel, Ledecky romp to wins at US swim trials to his 100th career Xfinity OMAHA, Neb., June 20, (AP): The Series victory at Nashville stars shined brightly on the next-to-last Superspeedway, where he night of the U.S. Olympic swimming Richardson notches colorful win at trials won for the fourth time. trials. Caeleb Dressel added another event EUGENE, Ore., June 20, (AP): Whether again in the final in 10.86 - she figures also setting up a possible showdown Busch won in the Xfinity Series in to his Tokyo program, powering to a watching from Jamaica, Japan or the U.S, to grab her fair share of attention next with the Jamaican world champion, 2009 and the Truck Series in 2010 dominating victory in the 100-meter it was hard to miss that shock of flowing, month in Tokyo. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. and 2011, but the track closed the butterfl y. orange hair that came streaking across An over-the-limit tailwind prevent- year he won his last race. The speed- Katie Ledecky blew away the fi eld the finish line first in Eugene. ed the 10.64 from becoming official way re-opened this weekend and will in the 800 freestyle, winning by more It belongs to Sha’Carri Richard- ATHLETICS and leaving Richardson only 0.01 be- host its first Cup race Sunday. than 5 seconds in a race where the run- son. And after the eye-opening show hind Fraser-Pryce’s top time of 2021. ner-up spot provided the only drama. she put on at Olympic trials - blowing With her performance, the 21-year- But the season is far from over. The Ledecky locked up her fourth indi- away the field in the 100-meter semis old out of LSU picked up a spot in the world record of 10.49 was set by Flor- CAR RACING vidual race at the Olympics with a time in a wind-aided 10.64 seconds, then Olympics and a national title while ence Griffith Joyner in 1988. of 8 minutes, 14.62 seconds, adding to Busch led seven times for 123 laps Kyle Busch, (front left), holds his her victories in the 200, 400 and 1,500 missed out on a race at the Olympic As with Ledecky, no one was even 49.50 set two years ago at the world and beat Justin Allgaier in overtime for trophy after winning a NASCAR free. pool. She fi nished third, 15-hundredths close to Dressel as he fi nished the fl y championships in Gwangju, South Ko- his third victory in three Xfi nity races Xfinity Series auto race, on June 19, in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP) of a second behind the youngster. in 49.87 - just off his world record of rea. this season. His 100th win in his 360th SWIMMING No complaints, though. career start is a nearly 28% winning after he collected the checkered fl ag, he Tom Shields claimed the second percentage. spot on the U.S. team by touching next thanked his “Rowdy Nation” supporters Leading right from the start, It might be all said and done after and mocked the haters. in 51.19. Shields was an Olympian in two more Xfi nity Series races. Busch Ledecky was essentially racing her- Busch was vilifi ed by fans in 2009 for 2016, taking gold as part of the 4x100 doesn’t think Joe Gibbs Racing has self. She started out under world-re- smashing the winner’s Gibson guitar tro- medley relay. sold any Xfi nity races yet for him in cord pace but tailed off when it was Dressel, who already made the 2022 and so this year could be his last phy in victory lane and he playfully pre- clear no one could challenge her. tended he was going to do it again while Olympic team with a victory in the 100 running his allowed fi ve events a sea- Ledecky fi nished more than 10 sec- freestyle, made it 2-for-2 on the night celebrating NASCAR’s re-opening. But son. onds off her world-record performance when he returned a short time later to NASCAR only allows Cup driv- after lifting the Gibson over his head, he at the Rio Olympics. win his heat in the semifi nals of the 50 ers to compete in fi ve Xfi nity and fi ve instead pretended to play it like a rock Fifteen-year-old Katie Grimes out- free. Truck Series races a year and Busch star. Allgaier fi nished second and was raced veteran Haley Anderson for the Dressel is hoping to swim three in- uses all his starts. NASCAR fi rst set followed by Harrison Burton, Josh Berry expected second spot at the Olympics, dividuals events in Tokyo and perhaps the limit at 10 races in 2017, cut it to and AJ Allmendinger. knocking more than 11 seconds off all four relays, giving him a chance to seven in 2018 and then fi ve last year. Reigning Xfi nity Series champion her personal best to touch second in join Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz and Busch and Allgaier had a spirited late retained a 90-point lead over All- 8:20.36. Matt Biondi as the only swimmers to battle and swapped the lead six times in mendinger in the standings despite Anderson, who already made the Caeleb Dressel participates in the men’s 100 butterfly during wave 2 of the win seven swimming medals at the the fi nal 49 laps. As the crowd booed him crashing and fi nishing 32nd. team in marathon swimming, just U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, on June 19, in Omaha, Nebraska. (AP) Olympics.