Athletics
Bolt strikes again for 10th world championships gold
BEIJING – Usain Bolt put his supremacy beyond doubt.
With one of his coasting-at-the-end performances in the 200 meters Thursday, Justin Gatlin still couldn’t get close as the Jamaican won a record 10th gold medal at the world championships.
Looking left and failing to see any red from Gatlin’s jersey, Bolt lifted both arms and punched his thumbs into his chest to show once again he is the greatest sprinter of all time.
With a time of 19.55 seconds, he set the best time of the season. And despite slowing down, he still beat Gatlin by .19 – much more than the .01 second edge Bolt had in Sunday’s 100 final.
College Football
Colorado State to visit Florida and an old friend
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Colorado State and Florida will play in 2018 as part of coach Jim McElwain’s hefty buyout.
The schools will play in Gainesville on Sept. 15, 2018, with the Rams getting $2 million for the game.
The game is part of the $7 million buyout the Gators agreed to pay Colorado State when they hired McElwain in December. Additionally, McElwain is required to pay his former school $2 million. Florida is paying Colorado State $3 million through 2020 in annual installments of $500,000.
“That was all part of the gig,” McElwain said Thursday. “I know that they’ve got really good players, and they’ll come in and beat our tail when that time is.”
Colorado State hired former Georgia assistant Mike Bobo to replace McElwain.
Cycling
Chaves wins his 2nd stage of Spain’s Grand Tour
SIERRA DE CAZORLA, Spain – Esteban Chaves of Colombia timed his final charge perfectly to win the Spanish Vuelta’s sixth stage, notching up his second stage win to take the overall race lead Thursday.
The 25-year-old fended off challenges by Daniel Martin of Ireland and Tom Dumoulin of Netherlands up the final ascent and finished in four hours, 46 minutes, 16 seconds.
Chaves leads overall on 21 hours, 55 minutes, 13 seconds, with Dumoulin second overall and Martin third.
Golf
Jordan Spieth stumbles out of the blocks at Barclays
EDISON, N.J. – The start of the FedEx Cup playoffs brought out the worst score from Jordan Spieth in three months.
Spieth shot a 40 on his back nine and opened The Barclays with a 74.
Bubba Watson had seven birdies that led to a 5-under 65 and a three-way share of the early lead with Spencer Levin and Camilo Villegas.
VYSOKY UJEZD, Czech Republic – Both Eduardo De la Riva and Renato Paratore shot a 7-under 65 to take a shared lead after the first round at the Czech Masters Thursday.
PRATTVILLE, Ala. – Brittany Lang birdied five of the first seven holes in windy conditions and shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.
Tennis
Draw set for Williams’ Grand Slam shot in NYC
NEW YORK – Serena Williams could face Maria Sharapova in her second consecutive major semifinal as she seeks to complete the Grand Slam at the U.S. Open.
The U.S. Tennis Association held the draw Thursday. In the third round, Williams could face young American Sloane Stephens, who beat her in the 2013 Australian Open. Another up-and-coming U.S. player, Madison Keys, could await in the fourth round.
On the men’s side, Roger Federer and Andy Murray could meet in one semifinal and Novak Djokovic and Kei Nishikori in the other.
Associated Press
