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  • Backstroke queen McKeown pulls off another double

Backstroke queen McKeown pulls off another double

Backstroke queen McKeown pulls off another double
Silver medallist US’ swimmer Regan Smith, gold medallist Australia’s swimmer Kaylee McKeown and bronze medallist US’ swimmer Claire Curzan celebrate on the podium the women’s 200m backstroke swimming event during the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Aug. 2, 2025. (AFP)
Updated 3 min 13 sec ago

Backstroke queen McKeown pulls off another double

Backstroke queen McKeown pulls off another double
Updated 3 min 13 sec ago

Once again it was American Regan Smith looking to take down McKeown
Fastest off the blocks, McEvoy once again denied Ben Proud (21.26) gold

SINGAPORE: World record holder Kaylee McKeown underlined her status as the undisputed queen of backstroke swimming as she added the 200 meters gold to her triumph in the 100 at the world championships in Singapore on Saturday.

Once again it was American Regan Smith looking to take down McKeown, only to be reeled in on the last lap as the Australian dominator clocked 2:03.33, the third fastest swim of all time.

It was nearly a second better than Smith (2:04.29), who had taken silver behind McKeown in the 100 and 200 at the Paris Olympics and was runner-up to her again in the 100 in Singapore.

Just like in Paris, McKeown’s win came straight after compatriot Cameron McEvoy stormed to his second 50 freestyle title in 21.14 seconds, becoming the oldest Australian swimming world champion at the age of 31.

Fastest off the blocks, McEvoy once again denied Ben Proud (21.26) gold, having beaten the Briton to the Olympic title by a fingertip in Paris exactly a year ago.

A new dad since Paris, McEvoy thanked his wife Maddi and gave a shout-out to his baby boy Hartley.

“It’s a very different life,” he said.

“I’ve got to navigate it, I’ll figure it out. But it’s cool to have that at home and still be here doing what I love.”

Gretchen Walsh kept the US team medal haul ticking upwards with a dominant victory in the 50 butterfly, adding to her 100 title in Singapore.

Touching the wall in 24.83 seconds, Walsh was nearly half a second better than runner-up Alex Perkins, who set an Australian record of 25.31.

Piastri edges Norris as McLaren dominate Hungarian GP final practice

Piastri edges Norris as McLaren dominate Hungarian GP final practice
Updated 16 sec ago
AFP

Piastri edges Norris as McLaren dominate Hungarian GP final practice

Piastri edges Norris as McLaren dominate Hungarian GP final practice
  • Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri beat team-mate and title rival Lando Norris by just three-hundredths of a second as McLaren dominated
Updated 16 sec ago
AFP
BUDAPEST: Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri beat team-mate and title rival Lando Norris by just three-hundredths of a second as McLaren dominated Saturday’s third and final practice session at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The two McLaren men clocked times of 1min 14.916 sec and 1:14.948 respectively to finish 0.399 clear of third-placed Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and are separated by just 0.032 seconds.
Piastri’s best lap was three-tenths faster than Norris’ pole lap last year and set up a thrilling duel in prospect for qualifying later on Saturday when rising temperatures, requiring additional cooling for the cars, will favor different teams.
After his struggles in Belgium last weekend and on Friday in Hungary, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton bounced back to more familiar form by taking fourth place, three-tenths adrift of Leclerc.
Four-time champion Max Verstappen wound up 12th for Red Bull.
The close nature of the contest would have intrigued the visiting Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One’s retired former ringmaster who negotiated the first Hungarian race, behind the ‘iron curtain’ in 1986.
With 20 minutes gone, the big teams joined the fray. After his travails on Friday, Verstappen needed some improvement and quickly clocked 1:16.547 to go top only for Leclerc, George Russell and then Piastri to move clear.
The Australian’s lap of 1:16.240 lifted him clear of Russell, but it was not enough to resist the increased pace of Verstappen who went top in 1:16.202 — half a second better than his Friday best.
Contrary to Hamilton’s struggles, Leclerc showed pace in his Ferrari to beat Verstappen after half an hour in 1:16.137, six-hundredths of a second clear, but Piastri returned to remind his rivals of his affinity with the circuit in 1:15.871.
Somewhat unexpectedly, Hamilton then proved his overnight homework had been fruitful by rising to second, ahead of Leclerc, in 1:16.015, a reminder of his status as a record eight-time winner at the Hungaroring.
Norris, at this time, was down in fifth, rising to third after 35 minutes, two-tenths adrift of Piastri who, after a pits visit, returned to clock 1:14.916, a lap faster than last year’s pole, by Norris, by three-tenths.
Norris followed him to overhaul Hamilton who stayed third seven-tenths adrift of the mighty McLarens before being pushed to fourth by Leclerc.

Ledecky wins 800m freestyle world title in thriller

Ledecky wins 800m freestyle world title in thriller
Updated 10 min 44 sec ago
AFP

Ledecky wins 800m freestyle world title in thriller

Ledecky wins 800m freestyle world title in thriller
  • United States great Katie Ledecky beat Summer McIntosh to win a thrilling 800m freestyle world title in Singapore on Saturday
Updated 10 min 44 sec ago
AFP

SINGAPORE: United States great Katie Ledecky beat Summer McIntosh to win a thrilling 800m freestyle world title in Singapore on Saturday.
Ledecky touched the wall in a championship-record 8min 05.62sec, ahead of Australia’s Lani Pallister (8:05.98) and Canada’s McIntosh (8:07.29).

Topics: Ledecky swimming

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Prosecutors call for PSG’s Achraf Hakimi to face rape trial

Prosecutors call for PSG’s Achraf Hakimi to face rape trial
Updated 12 min 11 sec ago
AFP

Prosecutors call for PSG’s Achraf Hakimi to face rape trial

Prosecutors call for PSG’s Achraf Hakimi to face rape trial
  • The Nanterre prosecutor’s office told AFP that they had requested that the investigating judge refer the rape charge to a criminal court
  • Hakimi was charged in March, 2023 with raping a 24-year-old woman
Updated 12 min 11 sec ago
AFP

NANTERRE, France: French prosecutors on Friday called for Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi to face trial for the alleged rape of a woman in 2023 which the Moroccan international denies.

The Nanterre prosecutor’s office told AFP that they had requested that the investigating judge refer the rape charge to a criminal court.

“It is now up to the investigating magistrate to make a decision within the framework of his order,” the prosecutor’s office told AFP in a statement.

Hakimi, 26, played a major role in PSG’s run to their first Champions League title, the full-back scoring the opener in the 5-0 rout of Inter Milan in the final in May.


Hakimi, who helped Morocco to their historic progress to the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup, was charged in March, 2023 with raping a 24-year-old woman.

Hakimi allegedly paid for his accuser to travel to his home on February 25, 2023, in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt while his wife and children were away on holiday.

The woman went to a police station following the encounter alleging rape and was questioned by police.

Although the woman refused to make a formal accusation, prosecutors decided to press charges against the player.

She told police at the time that she had met Hakimi in January 2023 on Instagram.

On the night in question she said she had traveled to his house in a taxi paid for by Hakimi. She told police Hakimi had started kissing her and making non-consensual sexual advances, before raping her, a police source told AFP at the time.

She said she managed to break free to text a friend who came to pick her up.

Contacted by AFP after Friday’s development Hakimi’s lawyer Fanny Colin described the call by prosecutors for a trial as “incomprehensible and senseless in light of the case’s elements.”

“We, along with Achraf Hakimi, remain as calm as we were at the start of the proceedings.

“If these requisitions were to be followed, we would obviously pursue all avenues of appeal,” she continued.

According to Colin, her client had “been the target of an attempted extortion.”

“Nothing in this case suggests an attempted extortion,” Rachel-Flore Pardo, the lawyer representing the woman, said.

“My client welcomes this news with immense relief,” she told AFP.

“We will not tolerate any smear or destabilization campaign, as is unfortunately still too often the case for women who have the courage to report the rape of which they are victims,” she added.

The son of a cleaning lady and a street vendor, both Moroccans who have lived in Spain since the 1980s, Hakimi was born in Getafe, a southern suburb of Madrid.

Hakimi came through the youth system at Real Madrid before joining Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in 2018.

He went on to make 73 appearances for the German club.

He moved to Inter Milan in 2020 and then on to PSG in 2021 where he has established himself as an integral part of the team.

In Qatar, Hakimi was a cornerstone of the Morocco team that became the first African or Arab nation to reach the semifinals of a World Cup.

Topics: Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Achraf Hakimi rape French prosecutors

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Thad Jean wins 2025 PFL Welterweight World Tournament championship in Atlantic City

Thad Jean wins 2025 PFL Welterweight World Tournament championship in Atlantic City
Updated 47 min 3 sec ago
Arab News

Thad Jean wins 2025 PFL Welterweight World Tournament championship in Atlantic City

Thad Jean wins 2025 PFL Welterweight World Tournament championship in Atlantic City
  • Movlid Khaybulaev wins 2025 PFL Featherweight World Tournament championship
Updated 47 min 3 sec ago
Arab News

ATLANTIC CITY: The 2025 PFL World Tournament finals began on Friday night at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, with tournament champions being crowned in the welterweight and featherweight divisions.

The undefeated Thad Jean (11-0) claimed the 2025 PFL Welterweight World Tournament championship with a dominant unanimous decision victory over former Interim Bellator champion Logan Storley (18-4). The fight went the full five rounds, with Storley once again proving his toughness and resilience under fire from Jean.

Despite Storley’s relentless wrestling pressure and takedown attempts, it was Jean’s striking that stole the show, displaying pinpoint accuracy, fluid combinations and devastating power that kept his opponent on the defensive throughout. Jean’s performance not only earned him the belt but also solidified his status as one of the most dangerous welterweights in the world.

The co-main event saw Russia’s Movlid Khaybulaev (24-0-1) take on Peru’s Jesus Pinedo (25-7-1) in a clash between two former PFL champions, each seeking to claim the 2025 PFL featherweight title. Khaybulaev’s world-class grappling proved to be the deciding factor, neutralizing Pinedo’s explosive power and keeping the Peruvian on his back for much of the bout. Still, the first-ever Peruvian MMA champion made the most of the striking exchanges, even scoring a knockdown. But in the end, it was Khaybulaev who sealed the victory, securing a late choke to force the tap and capture the 2025 PFL Featherweight World Tournament championship.

Algeria’s Asael Adjoudj (10-1) effectively used his significant reach advantage to shut down nearly every offensive attempt from France’s Yves Landu (21-9) over the first two rounds in the SmartCage. However, in the third, Landu surged back, securing a dominant mount position and unleashing a barrage of strikes, threatening to finish the fight on multiple occasions. Adjoudj rallied in the final moments with a dangerous submission attempt as the clock wound down, ultimately doing enough to earn a unanimous decision from the judges.

Kicking off the main card, Jordan Newman (8-0) was dropped within seconds of the opening round by a perfectly placed punch from Eslam Abdelbaset (16-4). The Egyptian fighter swarmed in to finish, but the undefeated Roufusport standout weathered the early storm and responded with punishing knees that visibly damaged Abdelbaset’s eye. After a grueling first round, Abdelbaset returned to his corner but failed to answer the bell for round two. Referee Keith Peterson waved off the bout, awarding Newman the victory and preserving his unblemished record.

The 2025 PFL World Tournament continues on Friday, Aug. 15 from Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, with the continuation of the finals.

2025 PFL World Tournament: Finals — Atlantic City main card results:

Thad Jean (11-0) def. Logan Storley (18-4) via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)

Movlid Khaybulaev (24-0-1) def. Jesus Pinedo (25-7-1) via submission (arm-triangle choke) at 1:17 of round five

Asael Adjoudj (10-1) def. Yves Landu (21-10) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Jordan Newman (8-0) def. Eslam Abdelbaset (16-4) via TKO (fighter retirement) at 5:00 of round one

Early card results:

Jakub Kaszuba (15-0) def. Sergio Cossio (27-11-1) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Kyle Driscoll (14-4) def. Husein Kadimagomaev (11-2) via split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28)

Fred Dupras (9-2) def. Nathan Kelly (11-5) via technical submission (guillotine) at 4:38 of round two

Sarek Shields (8-2) def. Nick Meck (9-3) via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) at 5:00 of round one

Tom Pagliarulo (10-2) def. Matt Turnbull (9-7) via KO (knee to body) at 4:36 of round one

Upcoming 2025 PFL World Tournament schedule:

2025 PFL World Tournament: Finals — Aug. 15 — Bojangles Coliseum, Charlotte, NC

2025 PFL World Tournament: Finals — Aug. 21 — Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Hollywood, Florida

Topics: Atlantic City Welterweight World Tournament

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Sevastova topples Pegula to book date with Osaka; Swiatek advances in Montreal

Sevastova topples Pegula to book date with Osaka; Swiatek advances in Montreal
Updated 02 August 2025
AFP

Sevastova topples Pegula to book date with Osaka; Swiatek advances in Montreal

Sevastova topples Pegula to book date with Osaka; Swiatek advances in Montreal
  • Sevastova, a former world No. 11 now ranked 386th, snapped fourth-ranked Pegula’s 11-match WTA Canada win streak, the longest since Serena Williams reeled off 14 consecutive wins in 2011, 2013 and 2014
  • Second-seeded Iga Swiatek — playing her first tournament since winning Wimbledon — raced into the fourth round with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Germany’s Eva Lys
Updated 02 August 2025
AFP

MONTREAL: Anastasija Sevastova stunned two-time defending champion Jessica Pegula 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 on Friday to book a fourth-round clash with Naomi Osaka at the WTA Canadian Open.

Sevastova, a former world No. 11 now ranked 386th, snapped fourth-ranked Pegula’s 11-match WTA Canada win streak, the longest since Serena Williams reeled off 14 consecutive wins in 2011, 2013 and 2014.

She will try to extend her Montreal run in a round of 16 meeting with Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion from Japan who ousted another Latvian, 22nd seed Jelena Ostapenko, 6-2, 6-4.

“Somehow, I was down 2-0 in the second set and started to play better and better,” Sevastova said. “Third set I played really good.

“Just trying to stay on the court as long as possible,” added Sevastova, who has dealt with injury since returning from maternity leave in February 2024.

In the night session, second-seeded Iga Swiatek — playing her first tournament since winning Wimbledon — raced into the fourth round with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Germany’s Eva Lys.

Swiatek next faces Denmark’s Clara Tauson, who beat Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-3, 6-0.

Pegula, last year’s US Open runner-up in her best Slam showing, was the first woman to win back to back Canadian Open titles since Martina Hingis in 1999-2000.

But she has struggled in recent months, dropping her openers at Wimbledon and at Washington last week.

The American broke to open the match and again at love to claim the first set.

But she couldn’t maintain an early break in the second, with Sevastova breaking for a 5-4 lead and denying Pegula on three break chances before holding in the final game to force a third set in which she seized a 4-1 lead on the way to victory.

“It was a weird match for me,” Pegula said. “I felt like I had total control and then I just played a couple of terrible games for, like, three games.

“That totally flipped the momentum of the match, and I went from being up a set and 2-0 to being down very quickly.

“I don’t really feel like I’m playing great tennis,” Pegula admitted. “At times I am, but I feel very up and down, kind of sloppy, which I don’t like. I’ve got to figure it out.”

Osaka, twice a winner at both the US and Australian Opens, is one match away from her first quarter-final run at either a Grand Slam or WTA 1000 event since she returned from maternity leave at the start of 2024.

Now ranked 49th, Osaka broke on a double fault to capture the first set in 30 minutes and raced to a 3-1 lead in the second.

They exchanged breaks before Osaka served for the match with a 5-3 lead, but Ostapenko saved a match point on a forehand crosscourt winner and broke when Osaka sent a forehand beyond the baseline.

The Japanese star responded by breaking Ostapenko at love in the final game.

“I went in there knowing she’s a great player and if I give her a chance she’s going to hit a winner on me, so I just tried to keep my pace and stay as solid as I could,” Osaka said.

Australian Open champion Madison Keys, seeded sixth, beat fellow American Caty McNally 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 and will next meet Karolina Muchova, a 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 6-3 winner over Belinda Bencic.

Fifth-seeded American Amanda Anisimova, regrouping this week after a crushing 6-0, 6-0 loss to Swiatek in the Wimbledon final, swept past Britain’s Emma Raducanu 6-2, 6-1.

She lined up a meeting with Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, who beat Russian Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 6-1.

Topics: tennis

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