Monthly Archives: June 2016

Fencing, Fencing World Cup

5-2 Friday Sees Madison Zeiss Advance to Table of 64

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It was 50-50 for the two American women trying to earn a spot in the table of 64 in Friday’s preliminaries for the foil grand prix event in Shanghai. Amy Jia only managed to win one of her six pool matches and was eliminated there but Madison Zeiss went 4-2 and earned a knockout match for a spot in the table of 64. Zeiss got 13-8 win over China’s Jiaxin Huang to earn a fourth US spot in the table of 64 along with Lee Kiefer, Nzingha Prescod, and Nicole Ross who all had byes into the table of 64.

The men’s competition gets underway with two Americans in the preliminaries: Drew Johnston and Axel Kiefer. Four other Americans, Alexander Massialas, Gerek Meinhardt, Race Imboden, and Miles Chamley-Watson, already have spots in the table of 64 locked up.

Previous Fencing World Cup Coverage:
Moscow Recap

Diamond League, Track and Field

Justin Gatlin Wins Third Straight 100m in Diamond League in Rome

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Justin Gatlin continued his hot start to the 2016 Diamond League winning the 100m for the third straight event as he posted a season best time of 9.93, besting fellow American Ameer Webb by just 0.01 seconds. Webb himself set a personal best in the event. Gatlin was the only American to win an event in Rome but there were some other good finishes for the US. Marquise Goodwin had a season best second place finish in the long jump as he continues to round into form before the Olympic Trials. Michael Hartfield finished fifth in the same event. Webb also finished strong in the second event he took part in, a second place finish in the 200m to match his 100m finish. Going second and third in the women’s 100m were English Gardner and Barbara Pierre.

Also finishing in the top five were Vernon Norwood, fifth in the 400m, Cassandra Tate, fourth in the 400m hurdles, Stanley Kipkoech Kebenei, fifth in the 3000m steeplechase with a personal best, Katie Nageotte, fifth in the pole vault, and Tia Brooks, fifth in the shot put. Ajee Wilson was 11th in the 800m and Brittany Borman also finished 11th in the javelin throw.

The next Diamond League event is in Birmingham, England on Sunday.

Previous Diamond League Coverage:
Rome Preview

Badminton

US Badminton National Championships Start Friday

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Some of the best US Badminton athletes will be heading to West Palm Beach, Florida for the National Championships starting on Friday. Titles will be awarded in men’s and women’s singles as well as men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles.

Of note in the field…
Men’s doubles – the US Olympic team of Phillip Chew and Sattawat Pongnairat is seeded #1
Women’s singles – defending champion Beiwen Zhang, reached the quarterfinals on the Singapore Open in April and is seeded #1
Women’s doubles – Jing Yu Hong/Zhang are defending their national championship and seeded #1
Mixed doubles – Chew and Jamie Subandhi, the US Olympic team, are seeded #1. Defending champion Yu Hong is paired with Abhishek Ahlawat this year and unseeded.

 

Olympic Trials, Rio 2016 Olympic Trials, Shooting

Final Five Olympic Spots to be Determined This Weekend at Air Shooting Olympic Trials

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There are only five spots still available on the US Olympic Shooting team for Rio and after this weekend we’ll know who will fill those spots. Competitions in women’s air rifle and pistol along with men’s pistol are awarding an Olympic spot to the top finisher this weekend while the top two in men’s rifle will get Olympic berths. Unlike competitions for other Olympic berths all of the shooters enter this event with clean slates.

In the women’s air rifle Emily Holsopple was 15th in Bangkok, Sarah Beard was eighth in Rio, and Sarah Scherer was eighth in Bangkok providing the US three with some strong international finishes who will be competing this weekend. In men’s air rifle Lucas Kozeniesky was 21st in Bangkok, Dempster Christenson was 26th in Rio, and Ivan Roe was 16th in Bangkok.

The women’s air pistol competitors have not had a ton of success in world cup events this year but Lydia Paterson did just finish 31st in Munich last month. On the men’s side Will Brown will be the heavy favorite with his silver from Bangkok and fifth place finish in Rio. Nickolaus Mowrer has also been competitive with a 16th place finish in Bangkok.

In all four competitions there will be three days of qualifying + eight-person finals with the overall combined scores determining the winners.

Previous US Shooting Olympic Trials Coverage:
Shotgun Recap

Canoeing, ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup

Full Strength American Contingent Will Compete at ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup in Montemor

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After having just two athletes compete through the first two events of the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup the US has a much larger presence at the third and final stop of 2016 in Montemor, Portugal. Action gets underway on Friday and continues through Sunday.

Maggie Hogan, who will be competing for the US at the Olympics in Rio in K1 500m, will be competing on Friday in the K1 1000m. Hogan will take part in a five-woman heat where the top three go directly to Saturday’s final and the next three will advance to the semifinals later on Friday. In the K1 1000m men’s competition Shawn Kaho’okele and Timothy Burdiak will compete. Only the top finisher in each heat reaches the final so both will likely reach semifinals later in the day.

In the men’s C1 1000m Ian Ross will compete for the Us with the top three into the final and a semifinal taking part later in the day as well. It is the only canoe event of the day. The only other solo event on Friday is the women’s K1 200m where Ariel Farrar-Wellman and Emily Wright will take part. This is an event where only the top finisher advances directly to the final so later in the day semifinals are likely.

In the men’s K2 200m the US has two teams competing, Christopher Miller and Stanton Collins as well as Aaron Mullican and Burdiak. This event qualifies three to the final with a single semifinal held later in the day on Friday. The women’s K2 200m has the same advancement scenarios with Wright and Farrar-Wellman competing.

The final event of the day is the men’s K2 1000m where Miller and Collins will compete again. This one qualifies just one straight to the final with the Saturday semifinal a more likely destination.

Previous ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup Coverage:
Racice Recap

Canoeing, ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup

Seven Americans Will Compete in ICF Slalom World Cup in Ivrea, Italy

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The first of five ICF Slalom World Cup events for 2016 starts Friday in Ivrea, Italy. Seven Americans are entered in the field of four total events. Friday will be the first two heats for men’s and women’s K1 as well as men’s C1 with the semifinals and finals for the men’s events on Saturday and on Sunday for the women. The US has Zachary Lokken, Tyler Smith, and Tren Long competing in the men’s C1 while Richard Powell, Tyler Westfall, and Tyler Smith compete in the men’s K1. Anna Maria Ifarraguerri is the only American women competing as she takes part in the women’s K1.

ISSF World Cup, Shooting

Shotgun Gets Their Turn at ISSF World Cup in San Marino

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The third ISSF World Cup Shotgun event of 2016 begins Friday in San Marino. Though both men’s and women’s trap begin on Friday the US does not have any entrants in the men’s event. The men’s trap is a weak event for the US and the only shotgun event where they did not qualify anyone for the Olympics. In the women’s trap event the US will have newly locked in 2016 Olympian Corey Cogdell competing. Cogdell has yet to make the six-woman final but was top 12 in both Nicosia and Rio. The entire women’s trap event (three rounds of shooting in qualifying and then the final) will take place on Friday.

Previous ISSF World Cup Coverage:
Munich Recap

Fencing, Fencing World Cup

Final Fencing Grand Prix Stop, a Foil Event in Shanghai, Starts Friday

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Eleven Americans have their sights set on gold in Shanghai at the final foil grand prix stop for the 2015-16 season. Six of those are men that won’t start their competition until Saturday. Friday the women’s competition gets underway with the preliminary round, though only two of the five American women, Amy Jia and Madison Zeiss, will be competing in this round. Lee Kiefer, Nzingha Prescod, and Nicole Ross all have byes into the table of 64 on Saturday.

Previous Fencing World Cup Coverage:
Moscow Recap

Diamond League, Track and Field

Justin Gatlin Will Go For Third Straight Win in 100m in Diamond League in Rome

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Justin Gatlin has been one of the stars of the Diamond League so far this year winning the 100m in both Shanghai and Eugene to start the year. Gatlin will lead a large US contingent in Rome as he goes for his third straight win in the event in a field that may see his best challenger be fellow American Ameer Webb. Webb himself will be looking to back up his 200m win in Doha when he runs in that event. Another American looking to defend a previous win is Tia Brooks who won the shot put in Doha and did not participate in the event in Rabat. Over in the women’s 400m hurdles Cassandra Tate already has two top-five finishes including a second place finish in Rabat, while Marquise Goodwin is coming off a third place long jump finish in Rabat.

Previous Diamond League Coverage:
Eugene Recap