Update on the latest sports
Athletes enjoying their first days at the giant Olympic village ahead of the Paris Games
PARIS (AP) — Australian beach volleyball player Taliqua Clancy got an unexpected surprise walking around the athletes’ village at the Paris Olympics. Among the legions of other athletes from around the world, one figure stood out: French President Emmanuel Macron. Clancy says “we got to see him which was cool” adding “hopefully we can see a few more famous faces.” The village houses more than 14,000 athletes and officials and is the size of 70 soccer pitches. Clancy’s teammate Mariafe Artacho del Solar says “it feels very safe.” Volleyball players may be the envy of other Olympians because they play next to the Eiffel Tower.
LeBron James selected as Team USA male flagbearer for Paris Olympics opening ceremony
LeBron James wasn’t totally sure what the opening ceremony was all about when he was picked for his first Olympics in 2004. This time, he’ll be one of the stars of the show. James has been picked by his fellow U.S. Olympians to serve as the male flagbearer for the Americans in Friday night’s opening ceremony for the Paris Games. He becomes the third basketball player to carry the U.S. flag at the start of an Olympics, joining Dawn Staley for the Athens Games in 2004 and Sue Bird for the Tokyo Games that happened in 2021.
Competing and parenting: Some athletes are doing double duty at the Olympics
From training and competing to preparing bottles for feedings and changing diapers, some of the Olympians at the Paris Games will be balancing their roles of athletes and parents. There will be some help from organizers this time for athletes in Paris juggling the demands of elite sports with the tasks of parenthood. The International Olympic Committee and Paris organizers set up what they call the first Olympic Village nursery to allow athletes to be closer to their children and have quality time with them during the Games.
ACC commissioner promises to fight ‘for as long as it takes’ amid legal battles with Clemson, FSU
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips says the league will fight “as long as it takes” in legal cases against Florida State and Clemson as those member schools challenge the league’s ability to charge hundreds of millions of dollars to leave the conference. Speaking Monday to start the league’s football media days, Phillips called lawsuits filed by the schools “extremely damaging, disruptive and harmful” to the league. Most notably, those schools are challenging the league’s grant-of-rights media agreement that gives the ACC control of media rights for any school that attempts to leave amid a TV deal with ESPN running through 2036.
Tiger Woods watches 15-year-old son Charlie shoot a 12-over 82 in US Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Charlie Woods shot a 12-over 82 on Monday in the U.S. Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills. The 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods birdied both of the par 5s on the Oakland Hills North Course and struggled on the par 3s and 4s, carding five double bogeys and four bogeys. Woods will have to have quite a turnaround Tuesday on a course known as The Monster to be among the low 64 scorers from a field that started with 264 players from 40 states and 35 countries. He earned a spot in the field last month in Coral Springs, Florida.
Brittney Griner honored to be wearing a USA Basketball jersey again after time in Russian prison
PHOENIX (AP) — There were times Brittney Griner thought she would never wear a USA Basketball jersey again. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was sitting in a Russian prison in 2022 sentenced to nine years in jail for drug possession and smuggling. Playing for her country again was a far-fetched idea at that point. Ten months later Griner was free after a high-profile prisoner exchange. Now, 19 months later she’s suiting up for the U.S. in the Paris Games. Griner, wearing her No. 15 USA jersey before the team played at the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday, said she gets chills now putting it on.
Columbus Blue Jackets hire Dean Evason as their next coach
The Columbus Blue Jackets have hired Dean Evason as coach. This is his second head coaching job in the NHL. Evason spent parts of the past five seasons coaching the Minnesota Wild. New Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell fired Pascal Vincent not long after taking over control of the organization’s hockey operations department. Evason will be Columbus’ third coach in as many seasons not counting Mike Babcock being hired and resigning on the eve of training camp last September. The team said Monday that Evason agreed to a multiyear contract.
NASCAR’s restart rules questioned after Larson takes advantage of unusual Brickyard 400 finish
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Ryan Blaney thought he was perfectly positioned to win Sunday’s Brickyard 400. As he led the outside lane of cars down Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s front straightaway in overtime, Blaney thought he’d inherit the lead when race leader Brad Keselowski ran out of fuel. Instead, as Keselowski pulled off the track, Kyle Larson pulled his third-place car next to Blaney, giving him the preferred low driving line and the inside track to the lead — and eventually the win. Larson played it by the rules. But Blaney thinks the rulebook may need an update.
Athletes are as excited as regular visitors to be tourists in Paris during the Olympic Games
PARIS (AP) — Paris is a popular destination for tourists, of course. The food and drink. The art and history. The landmarks. And so on. The city itself will be one of the protagonists of the 2024 Olympics. That’s why the Eiffel Tower and Seine River are featured just as prominently as Simone Biles or Katie Ledecky in NBC’s ads. And it’s why many of the athletes heading to France for the Summer Games that start Friday have drawn up lengthy to-do lists of the various tastes they want to taste or sip and the museums and other sights they want to see while there.
QB Jordan Love won’t be practicing with Packers with contract situation unsettled
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Jordan Love won’t be practicing with the Green Bay Packers as long as the quarterback’s negotiations on a contract extension remain unresolved. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said Monday that Love reported to camp last week but wouldn’t be working out until a deal is reached. Love’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season. Gutekunst remained optimistic the Packers and Love could reach a deal soon. He noted that Love is participating in all other team activities.