ARAB TIMES, TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021 SPORTS 14 Elliott loses crew chief to NASCAR penalties Larson wins at Watkins Glen, eyes regular-season title WATKINS GLEN, N.Y., Aug. 9, mistakes to win,” Elliott said. “It was to wind down as Elliott continued to Brad Keselowski, who fi nished (AP): Kyle Larson took another step too late in the race to recover from it. charge. The grandstands were sold second three straight times at The toward a regular-season NASCAR That’s what cost us.” out and cheers for Elliott grew as he Glen nearly a decade ago, is still Cup title. Chase Elliott lamented a Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, and continued his surge. He passed Truex looking for his fi rst road course win race that he let get away. Denny Hamlin rounded out the top for second at the top of the esses with and had perhaps his best shot at a Larson gained the lead from Mar- fi ve. eight laps to go and set his sights on breakthrough came when he landed tin Truex Jr. during green fl ag pit Larson also held off Elliott in his teammate just over fi ve seconds in the pole for the race. He led the fi rst stops in the fi nal stage Sunday, built overtime to win on the road course at front with lapped traffi c ahead. nine laps ahead of Team Penske a big lead and kept his hard-charging Sonoma in June and leaves Watkins Elliott’s surge fi zzled over the fi - teammate Joey Logano before his Hendrick Motorsports teammate at Glen tied with Denny Hamlin with nal fi ve laps and Larson negotiated a day began to unravel. He spun out bay over the fi nal laps to win at Wat- 917 points for the series lead. gaggle of four lapped cars, overcom- on his own heading to the competi- kins Glen International. “It’s fun racing him,” Larson said ing a mistake in the fi rst turn, and tion caution, fl at-spotted all four tires “I knew my car was good and the after his series-leading fi fth victory cruised to the fi nish. and was forced to pit again because strategy worked out,” said Larson, of the season. “I look forward to the Elliott had surged hard in the fi rst he was struggling with rear grip. who was constantly reminded by next few weeks and even into the stage but fl at-spotted his tires in turn Keselowski fi nished 35th, two laps his crew that his lead was quickly playoffs;. There’s still a lot of rac- 1 and dropped to 36th near the end down. shrinking over Elliott in the No. 9 ing left. It’s going to be fun. I’m glad of the second stage before rallying. Six-time NBA champion Mi- Chevrolet. “We were able to main- there’s a fun little points battle. I feel Truex, Christopher Bell, and Lar- chael Jordan, partners with driver tain that gap for a while and even- like in years past it’s kind of been a son were in a three-car breakaway Denny Hamlin in 23XI Racing, was tually start to pull away. Good thing blowout.” early on the 50-lap fi nal stage. Chris- watching his driver from the pits. the nine wasn’t close enough. He It was the fi rst Cup race after topher Bell challenged Truex for Wallace matched his number, fi n- was really, really fast. He’s the guy a two-week break for the Tokyo the lead with Larson on lap 48 but ishing 23rd. to judge off of. I was defi nitely wor- Olympics and there was no practice couldn’t make it stick and backed off. WGI president Michael Printup ried about him all day. He was so Kyle Larson celebrates winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race in Wat- or qualifying. Eight laps later, Larson took out said before the race that the grand- fast.” kins Glen, N.Y., on Aug. 8. (AP) Larson and Truex were together Bell entering the fi rst turn, a down- stands were sold out for the sixth Elliott was seeking his eighth road at the front of the fi eld with 20 laps hill 90-degree right-hander, drop- time in seven years and camping course victory and third in a row at Elliott was relegated to the back of won from 34th on the starting grid, to go in the 90-lap race around sev- ping Bell to eighth as Elliott contin- sold out for the fi rst time. NASCAR The Glen, which would have tied the fi eld before the race when his No. Elliott made a gallant charge but en-turn, the 2.45-mile layout. Kyle ued to make a strong comeback from did not race at The Glen last year be- Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin for 9 Chevrolet failed inspection twice couldn’t overcome Larson’s big lead Busch in third was nearly 10 seconds last. Bell, whose No. 20 Joe Gibbs cause of the pandemic. the Cup record at the historic road and crew chief Alan Gustafson was and crossed the fi nish line 2.45 sec- behind and just ahead of Elliott. Racing team was hit with the same The Cup series heads to the road course in upstate New York’s Finger ejected. But just as he did at Road onds behind. Larson had a lead of nearly three penalty as Elliott, rallied to fi nish course at Indianapolis Motor Speed- Lakes. America a month earlier when he “I just hate it. I made too many seconds on Truex as the laps began seventh. way next Sunday. Medal count fall by 6% Ancer survives WGC playoff, Fewer medals, more heart for US at most unusual Olympics TOKYO, Aug 9, (AP): Kara abuse cases, then as a resource to Winger is the American record- help athletes cope with a yearlong captures fi rst PGA Tour title holder in the javelin throw who delay and the COVID pandemic. just wrapped up her fourth Their offices stayed busy over Olympics. She has never finished the 17 days in Tokyo. higher than sixth place. In the end, COVID-19 knocked When she got the call over the out only four of the 600-plus ath- weekend telling her she would be letes officially named to the team, carrying the flag Sunday for the a remarkable logistical challenge United States at the closing cere- in a pandemic that came with its mony of the Tokyo Games, her share of stumbles and critiques. first reaction was “shock.” Some athletes who worked all “I expected tweets with people their lives to get to this point were saying ‘What has she done?’” bitter that they couldn’t share the Winger said. trip with friends, family or fans. Turns out, an awful lot over a That was largely a decision by career that has spanned two local organizers that left the decades. That the American ath- USOPC with limited options. letes chose her as flagbearer is a Still, Hirshland and the rest of fitting lens through which to view the federation leaders are bound to the US accomplishments at these hear their fair share of critiques - if Games. not about Tokyo, then about what The Americans won 113 med- lies ahead. als, which, for the fifth straight The Beijing Games start a scant Summer Games, was double-dig- 180 days from Sunday’s closing its more than the nearest competi- act in tion. It was, however, eight fewer Tokyo. than what they won five years ago Much as the in a Rio de Janeiro Olympics with USOPC fewer events. was forced into playing a lead role OLYMPICS in changing the outlook When the athletes voted for on the Winger to represent them, they IOC’s rule tapped into the core message reso- banning nating inside a fractured, fractious Winger demonstra- US Olympic family over the last tions, it will few years: The medals shouldn’t be pressed by some to boycott matter more than the athletes who those Games as a sign of protest of win them. Or sometimes not mat- China’s much-criticized human- ter at all. rights record. The federation “We spent a ton of energy on almost certainly won’t go down creating an environment where that road, but the questions will people could be heard, and feel persist. safe to be heard,” said Sarah So will doubts about its effec- Abraham Ancer holds the trophy after winning the World Golf Championship-FedEx St. Jude Invitational tournament, on Aug 8, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP) Hirshland, who came on as the tiveness in putting athletes first. A CEO of the US Olympic and snapshot: One program designed Paralympic Committee in 2018. to funnel more money into ath- South Africa’s Van Rooyen wins Barracuda Championship She was tasked with repairing letes’ pockets through sponsorship the damage from sexual-abuse deals has been lauded by some, cases that led athletes to wonder if but criticized by others in the MEMPHIS, Tenn., Aug Championship for his first PGA World Golf Championship - the at 21 under after a 68. they were valued for more than tightly knit world of agents who 9, (AP): Abraham Ancer Tour title, finishing with 50 points FedEx St. Jude Invitational in In Farmington. Utah, Joshua simply what they won. deal with Olympic clients. in the modified Stableford scoring Memphis, Tennessee. Creel won the the Utah If Winger as flagbearer is one And the USOPC is still involved of Mexico won the FedEx system.