Established 1961 13 Sports Monday, June 28, 2021 joins Nadal in missing Tokyo Olympics LONDON: Serena Williams said yester- today. Maybe another day. Sorry.” Wimbledon. “In the past it’s been a won- day that she will not compete at the Williams is the joint most successful derful place for me. I really haven’t Tokyo Olympics next month, joining fel- Olympian in history in terms of thought about it, so I’m going to keep low legend in gold medals alongside sister Venus hav- not thinking about it.” withdrawing from the Games. The 39- ing won one gold medal each in singles Nadal announced earlier this month he year-old American revealed her decision and three in doubles. Venus edges the would be missing Wimbledon and the at her pre-Wimbledon press conference. medal count slightly as she also won a Olympics so as to look after his body and “I’m actually not on the Olympic list, so... silver in mixed doubles in 2016 in Rio. prolong his career. His great rivals Roger Not that I’m aware of. If so, then I Serena, who is bidding to equal Federer and have yet to shouldn’t be on it,” she said. Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand decide whether they will go to Tokyo. She refused to divulge the reasons for Slam singles titles at Wimbledon, added Federer, who like Serena is 39, said her decision. However, a ban on foreign she had not really thought about what it Saturday it will depend on how he fares fans as well as family members at the would mean to miss the Games. She won at Wimbledon. Two-time defending Olympics would have meant Williams the 2012 Olympic singles title in London Olympic singles champion being separated from her daughter on the same Centre Court where she has will be going, fitness permitting, as he Alexis Olympia. won seven Wimbledon singles titles. has been selected in the Team GB squad. The Olympics have already been She also won doubles gold with sister Austrian will be delayed by a year and organizers have Venus in Sydney (2000), (2008) another absentee. The 27-year-old 2020 been forced to introduce strict measures and London. “I have not thought about it US Open champion announced his deci- LONDON: US player Serena Williams attends a press conference in the Main Interview to fight COVID-19. “There’s a lot of rea- (missing the Games),” said Williams, who sion on the same day as Nadal and just Room at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, south-west London, yesterday, sons that I made my Olympic decision,” plays world number 100 Aliaksandra before he withdrew from Wimbledon ahead of the start of the 2021 Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament. — AFP she said. “I don’t feel like going into them Sasnovich of Belarus in the first round at due to a wrist injury. —AFP Holloway, Thomas fire Olympic From gangs and guns warning at US trials to Tour de France for EUGENE: World 110m hurdles champion Grant Holloway and rising 200m star Gabby Thomas fired South Africa’s Dlamini warning shots to rivals at next month’s Tokyo Olympics on Saturday after storming to impressive BREST: South Africa’s Nic Dlamini set off victories at the US athletics trials in Oregon. on cycling’s Tour de France on Saturday, a Holloway, the reigning world champion, sealed his long way from the township of his childhood ticket to Tokyo after coming within a whisker of and hoping his odyssey inspires youngsters breaking Aries Merritt’s record of 12.80sec set in 2012. growing up in similarly modest circum- The 23-year-old from Virginia clocked a world-lead- stances to reject gun crime. ing 12.81sec in the semi-finals at Eugene’s Hayward Dlamini says there was an outpouring of Field, before winning the final in 12.96sec ahead of joy when he was selected for the Tokyo Devon Allen in 13.10sec and Daniel Roberts in 13.11sec. Olympics that was redoubled when news There was a similarly emphatic victory for Thomas in the women’s 200m, with the 24-year-old came he’d be taking part in the world’s EUGENE: Devon Allen, Grant Holloway and Trey Cunningham compete in the Men’s 110 Meters Hurdle Final on day Harvard graduate surging home in 21.61sec, the greatest bike race, the first black South nine of the 2020 US Olympic Track and Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on Saturday in Eugene, Oregon. — AFP fastest time in the world this year. Only the late African to do so. Florence Griffith-Joyner — whose world record of His status in South Africa is such that 21.34sec from the drug-tarnished 1988 Olympic clock as he pulled away down the stretch. hammer thrower DeAnna Price and pole vaulter Dlamini had a surprise call of congratulation Games remains intact — has ever run faster. Benjamin said just missing out on the world Katie Nageotte. Price became only the second from Springboks’ Rugby World Cup winning Thomas had already set world-leading times in record would as motivation heading to the woman in history to break the 80-metre barrier with captain Siya Kolisi. “I wasn’t going to sleep the opening two rounds of the 200m. However she Olympics. “.05sec isn’t anything in the grand scheme her victory in the hammer, producing a mammoth much tonight anyway, but that was the high- saved her best for last, taking the lead coming off the of things,” he said. “I was training my butt off during 80.31m throw with her fifth attempt of the final. That light of my day,” explained Dlamini, whose bend and powering home, arms aloft in celebration. COVID during 2020. “It hurts a little bit that it was season-leading effort saw Price join Poland’s Anita sports director later said: ‘Nic is the Siya Jenna Prandini took second in 21.89 while youngster right there and I couldn’t grab it, but it’s just more Wlodarczyk as the only woman to have thrown fur- Kolisi of cycling in Africa’.” Anavia Battle took third in 21.95. Veteran sprint fuel for the fire.” Kenny Selmon finished second to ther than 80m. The 25-year-old may have left South queen Allyson Felix, already assured of a place at the clinch a place at the Olympics in a personal best “I threw over 80m. Oh my God. My mind is like Africa in his late teens for the chic Italian Olympics in the 400m, finished fifth. 48.08sec while David Kendziera grabbed the third mind blowing,” said Price, the 2019 world champion, town of Luca, but he insists his thoughts will qualifying spot with a time of 48.38sec. who was left pinching herself at being mentioned in be with the Capricorn Park township kids Near-miss for Benjamin the same breath as Wlodarczyk, the double Olympic who support him as he pedals his way Another dominant performance saw Rai Benjamin Teen prodigy and four-time world champion. “She is just this around France over the next month. “In the clock the second fastest time in history with his win Meanwhile, the men’s 200m semi-finals produced amazing athlete,” Price said. “This is pretty crazy. township itself, you’d be well known for own- in the 400m hurdles. The 23-year-old 2019 world another dazzling performance from 17-year-old Being in that territory is a true honor.” championships silver medalist went out slowly ing a gun,” he told AFP of his roots in prodigy Erriyon Knighton. The high school track star In the women’s pole vault, Nageotte cleared a Capetown. “You’d be more respected for before accelerating off the final bend to demolish his qualified for Sunday’s final with a blistering time of world-leading height of 4.95m to finish first ahead of owning a gun or shooting someone. It’s a rivals with a world-leading time of 46.83secs. 19.88sec, relegating reigning 200m world champion Morgann LeLeux. Rio Olympics silver medalist Only world record-holder Kevin Young, whose Noah Lyles (19.91sec) to second in their semi-final. Sandi Morris grabbed the third available ticket to place where doing the wrong things gets you mark of 46.78sec has stood since 1992, has ever run The world-leading performances were not restricted Tokyo with a vault of 4.60m, winning on countback up there. Growing up you’d see from a young faster. Benjamin, the son of former West Indies Test to the track. from Olivia Gruver and Jenn Suhr, the veteran 2012 age that the kids wanted to get involved in cricketer Winston Benjamin, was racing against the The women’s field events saw impressive wins for Olympic champion. — AFP gangsterism because they see everyone looks up to the gangsters.” year’s tournament, still scarred by the bruising loss to Dlamini says his ascent to professional Djokovic ready to Djokovic in the semi-finals. sport is helping change that attitude. “When they announced the Olympics (his own be first among Federer eyes ninth title selection for the Tokyo road race) it started Eight-time winner Federer, meanwhile, will be 40 changing things, teenagers wanting to turn in August and won just one match on grass at Halle in their lives around. It gave them hope that equals at Wimbledon the build-up to Wimbledon. Federer, who underwent anything is possible. And when they two knee surgeries in 2020, won the last of his eight announced the Tour it was even stronger,” he LONDON: Novak Djokovic targets a record-equal- said. He may also be something of a role ing 20th major and sixth Wimbledon title from tomor- Wimbledons in 2017 and the most recent of his 20 majors in Australia in 2018. model for having stood up to rangers in row which will edge him tantalizingly closer to 2019, who broke his arm in a scuffle over an becoming only the third man in history to complete a The Swiss star has lost three finals to Djokovic at alleged non-payment of an entry fee to calendar Grand Slam. the All England Club — 2014, 2015 and the epic The world number one has already won a ninth 2019 clash. “Truthfully, I don’t think my goal was to where he was cycling. and second French Open this season. play till, whatever, 39 or 40 or more,” said Federer That has put him halfway to emulating Don Budge on Saturday. “It was maybe more like 35 maybe I Nicest bike (1937) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969) in sweeping all was thinking, which was already a high number at Dlamini’s own role model is South African four majors in the same year. It is a feat even his clos- the time.” trail-runner Ryan Sandes, who tried to per- est rivals and Rafael Nadal have never Federer, in the opposite half of the draw to suade him to pursue a career in athletics. managed. “Everything is possible,” said 34-year-old Djokovic, begins his campaign on Tuesday against LONDON: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic takes part in a “Cycling had become almost part of my Djokovic after winning the French Open earlier this France’s against whom he holds a practice session at The All England Tennis Club in backbone by then,” he says of a decision that Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 25, 2021, month when asked if the Golden Slam of all four 6-0 -to-head advantage. The rest of the cur- now seems to be the right one. ahead of the start of the 2021 Wimbledon majors and Olympic gold was a realistic target. rent top 10 have endured relatively mediocre “My first bike was a re-spray, but I swear Championships tennis tournament. —AFP Djokovic memorably captured a fifth Wimbledon Wimbledon records. at the time it looked like the nicest bike I’d in 2019, saving two championship points to defeat Only 33-year-old , a sur- ever seen,” Dlamini told AFP at his team Federer in the longest ever final at the All England prise semi-finalist two years ago, has reached further Tsitsipas made the last 16 in 2018 before exiting in hotel in Brittany. “If you grow up in a town- Club at four hours and 57 minutes. He was deprived than the last 16. has made only the the first round two years ago. The Greek, however, is ship you are sort of like living in a box, you of defending his title in 2020 when Wimbledon was third round but was buoyed Saturday by a first grass one of the form players of 2021, winning titles in don’t get to go out and see nicer things. So I cancelled due to the pandemic. court title in Mallorca. Dominic Thiem has withdrawn Monte Carlo and Lyon before forcing Djokovic to thought my bike was really nice,” he smiles. Djokovic has won seven of the last 11 Slams as he due to a wrist injury. recover from two sets down in the Roland Garros final. He was soon in a sports club and spent ramps up his assault on the record of 20 majors held had a best last-16 run in 2017 Queen’s Club champion is also a time away from Capricorn in the extended jointly by Federer and Nadal. The Serb starts his but was a first-round loser two years ago while dangerman for Djokovic. The Italian made the last 16 summer holidays during the 2010 World Cup defense tomorrow against British world number 250 has yet to get past the second round. in 2019 where it took Federer to stop his progress. He in South Africa. “We had a clubhouse and we Jack Draper who was born just six miles (9.5km) from Of the remainder of the top 10, French Open runner- was also the first man to win the Queen’s title on debut trained and slept there, it wasn’t the most since Boris Becker in 1985 — the German went on to the All England Club. Nadal, the Wimbledon champi- up and Matteo Berrettini are beautiful place but I was 14 and we trained on in 2008 and 2010, has already withdrawn from this Djokovic’s most likely threats. win a maiden Wimbledon just weeks later. — AFP and watched the World Cup and the Tour de France with all the others,” he says fondly person if they travel on the same plane.” as well as eight other people, including host-city remembering his beginnings. Stricter screening “We’ll immediately prepare a system to isolate officials and bus drivers — had been in close con- “Lots of good memories from back and test them even before making a determination tact with the two infected individuals, Kyodo News then,” said Dlamini, who would soon move considered for Tokyo (whether they had close contact with an infected reported. on to Luca and then to Girona in Catalonia person),” he said in a program discussing coron- Public opinion has been firmly opposed to hold- after he graduated to Qhubeka’s World avirus measures by public broadcaster NHK. His ing the Games this year over pandemic fears, Tour team a few years ago. “My mum Olympics arrivals comments come after two of the nine-member though recent polls suggest opposition may be (Gloria Zalani) is super proud and obvious- TOKYO: Olympic teams should be immediately Ugandan Olympic delegation tested positive for the softening. No overseas fans will be allowed and ly the rest of my family are too. I have a isolated if they arrive in Japan with a person infect- virus following their arrival this month. domestic spectators will be capped at 10,000 per five-month-old son and a wife and I wish ed with coronavirus, a Games official said yester- Even after one person was confirmed infected event. Japan has seen a comparatively small virus they could be here with me,” he says. day, after members of Uganda’s squad tested posi- during screening at Tokyo’s Narita airport on June outbreak, with around 14,600 deaths, despite “Especially on Mandela Day in Paris,” he tive. Hidemasa Nakamura, a senior Tokyo 2020 19, the rest of the team travelled on a chartered bus avoiding harsh lockdowns. An initially slow vaccine added of July 18 which is also the date of Games official, said that it is “highly probable that to Izumisano in Osaka prefecture. Local health drive has picked up, with nearly nine percent of the the Tour’s finish this year. — AFP people will come into close contact with an infected authorities later determined that the entire team — population inoculated. — AFP