Monthly Archives: May 2016

Boxing

Pablo Ramirez, Lawrence King, and Sardius Simmons All Advance to 2016 Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions Quarterfinals

Leave a comment

The three 2015 finalists competing in the 2016 Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions all excelled on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals. All three scored 5-0 wins to continue their quest to reach Saturday’s final. Lawrence King of Buffalo, took out Edel Gomez of Omaha in the 178lb division while Sardius Simmons of Michigan dispatched Preston Eagletail of the Upper Midwest in the 201lb division. 2015 Golden Boy Pablo Ramirez of Texas opened his title defense with a win over Felix Parrilla of New England in the 108lb division.

Thursday is the quarterfinals with the semifinals on Friday and the finals on Saturday.

Previous 2016 Golden Gloves Coverage:
Preview
Tuesday Update

Badminton

US Ends 2016 Uber Cup With Sweep of Mauritius

Leave a comment

The US women’s badminton team ended the 2016 Uber Cup on a high note by sweeping Mauritius to finish third in their group Iris Wang got the US on the board with a 21-10, 21-6 win before the first three set match of the Uber Cup for the US saw Crystal Pan get a 14-21, 21-14, 15-5 (retired) win. The US clinched the win with Annie Xu‘s 21-9, 21-7 win in the third singles match. Pan and Wang got a walkover in their doubles match before Xu and twin sister Kerry Xu won 21-9, 21-11 to clinch the sweep for the US. It was the first Uber Cup win for the US since 1978, though the format in the past has not provided them this easy of opposition.

The Badminton world gets back to the BWF Super Series with the Indonesia Open starting on May 30th.

Previous 2016 Uber Cup Coverage:
Preview
Korea Update
Chinese Taipei Update

Cycling, UCI Men's World Tour

Joey Rosskopf a Competition High 40th in Stage Eleven of Giro d’Italia

Leave a comment

Joey Rosskopf had been the top American in two stages so far in the Giro d’Italia but neither of them had been nearly as impressive as his 40th place finish in stage 11. Rosskopf finished 1:49 back in a medium-mountain stage that saw many riders over 5 minutes back. He was the only American in the top 100 on Wednesday. Nathan Brown continues to be the top American, now 50th place 38:56 back. Joe Dombrowski is 53rd with Chad Haga rounding out the three Americans in the top 100 as he is currently 99th.

Thursday will be the first flat stage since stage three, only 113 miles as well.

Previous UCI World Tour Coverage:
Giro d’Italia Preview
Stage 1 Update
Stage 2 Update
Stage 3 Update
Stage 4 Update
Stage 5 Update
Stage 6 Update
Stage 7 Update
Stage 8 Update
Stage 9 Update
Stage 10 Update

Olympic Trials, Rio 2016 Olympic Trials, Shooting

Leaders Increase Margins on Second Day of Shotgun Olympic Trials

Leave a comment

In all three events underway at the Shotgun Olympic Trials the leaders, all 2012 Olympians, used the second day of the trials as a chance to increase their leads. In men’s skeet Frank Thompson posted a 47 and actually saw Phillip Jungman overtake him with a 49. Thompson took the lead back however when he finished second in the finals while Jungman finished sixth. The three point advantage from the final gave Thompson a two point lead going into the final two days with a score of 367. Hayden Stewart scored a 49 just like Jungman but only earned one point for a fifth place finish and now trails Thompson by three points. In the women’s competition 2012 Olympian Kimberly Rhode shot a 50 while Amber English shot a 46 and then Rhode won the final with English third in what might be a decisive day in that competition. Rhode’s lead went from four points to ten and English will need Rhode to struggle to have any chance of making up the deficit.

In the first day of men’s double trap 2012 Olympian Josh Richmond shot a 134, a large nine point margin over Derek Haldeman, who was just one point back. On the other hand, Jeffrey Holguin, who had been eight points back, shot a 141. Richmond finished second in the final to earn four points while Holguin grabbed two points in fourth and Haldeman just a single point in fifth. Richmond now has a three point lead, though over Holguin now.

Thursday is the end of the double trap competition and the third day of the skeet competition.

Previous US Shotgun Olympic Trials Coverage:
Event II Preview
Tuesday Update

Cycling, UCI Women's WorldTour

Americans? We Got a Few in Amgen Tour of California

Leave a comment

It’s no surprise that there are a ton of American women competing in the Amgen Tour of California but perhaps sheer number is a bit noteworthy. 43 of the 106 women competing are from the US, 18 more than have competed in the seven races on the 2016 UCI Women’s WorldTour so far combined. The most prominent names are Megan Guarnier, second in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio, Coryn Rivera, 11th in the same race, and Evelyn Stevens, second in La Fleche Wallonne Feminine.

The first day is a 72.7 mile hilly stage around Lake Tahoe on Thursday. The race continues until Sunday in various parts of California.

Previous UCI Women’s WorldTour Coverage:
Tour of Chongming Island Recap

Boxing

Ten US Women Including Two 2012 Olympians to Compete at AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships

Leave a comment

It’s a vitally important week ahead in Astana, Kazakhstan as the best amateur women’s boxers in the world will be competing for the title of World Champion and in three weight classes, a spot in the Olympics. The US team of ten includes two boxers returning from the 2012 Olympic team. Claressa Shields is of course the favorite in the 75kg division where she won gold as a 17-year-old while Marlen Esparza will be competing in the 45-48kg division instead of the 51kg division where she won bronze in London. The 45-48kg division is not an Olympic weight class so she will not be contesting a spot in Rio, the US competitor in the 51kg weight class is Virginia Fuchs. The other American going for a spot in Rio will be Mikaela Mayer in the 60kg division.

The other six entrants for the US are 2015 Golden Gloves champion Christina Cruz in the 54kg division, Stalacia Leggett in the 57kg division, 19-year-old Jajaira Gonzalez in the 64kg division, Naomi Graham in the 69k division, Franchon Crews in the 81kg division, and Shadasia Green in the +81kg division.

In the three Olympic weight classes (51kg, 60kg, 75kg) the four semifinalists will earn Olympic berths.

Preliminaries starting Thursday and running through Monday will narrow the field in each weight class to eight for Tuesday’s quarterfinals. The two US boxers competing on the first day will both be in weight classes with Olympic spots available, Virginia Fuchs and Mikaela Mayer.

Boxing

Lawrence King Opens 2016 Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions With 5-0 Win

Leave a comment

The first of the three 2015 finalists to open up their 2016 Tournament of Champions, Lawrence King of Buffalo, didn’t have any problems with Vincent Baccus of Kansas-Oklahoma in a 5-0 win on Tuesday in the 178lb division. The other two finalists from last year, Sardius Simmons of Michigan in the 201lb division and Pablo Ramirez of Texas, the “Golden Boy” last year after winning the 108lb division, have yet to get in the ring in Salt Lake City.

Wednesday will be used to narrow the fields to eight quarterfinalists in each division. Thursday is the quarterfinals, Friday the semifinals, with the finals on Saturday.

Previous 2016 Golden Gloves Coverage:
Preview

Cycling, UCI Men's World Tour

Nathan Brown With Huge Fourth Place Finish in Stage Ten of Giro d’Italia

Leave a comment

Other than Chad Haga’s two top 20 finishes in the time trials no American had finished higher than 23rd in a stage of the Giro d’Italia so far. That changed in a big way on Tuesday as Nathan Brown posted a fourth place finish on the competitions first day back from a rest day. There was a lot of separation at the front as Brown was 1:53 back of the winner and over a half minute behind third place. Brown moved into the top 50, now sitting at 42nd and 26:56 back. For the first time in the Giro d’Italia there were two Americans in the top 50 of a stage as Joe Dombrowski was 40th, 4:29 back. Dombrowski is now in 50th place, 31:51 back. Haga made it three in the top 100 as he placed 75th and moved into the top 100 in 85th. Ian Boswell still sits in the top 100 overall in 90th.

Wednesday will be a 141-mile medium-mountain stage.

Previous UCI World Tour Coverage:
Giro d’Italia Preview
Stage 1 Update
Stage 2 Update
Stage 3 Update
Stage 4 Update
Stage 5 Update
Stage 6 Update
Stage 7 Update
Stage 8 Update

Stage 9 Update

Olympic Trials, Rio 2016 Olympic Trials, Shooting

Frank Thompson Pulls Into Lead on First Day of Shotgun Olympic Trials

Leave a comment

2012 Olympian Frank Thompson got off to a strong start on Tuesday at the Shotgun Olympic Trials posting a first day 74 in men’s skeet to pull ahead with a one point lead over Phillip Jungman, who shot a perfect 75 on the day. Hayden Stewart scored a 72 and now trails Thompson by two points. Thomas Bayer shot a 73 and is now five back but alone in fourth place. On the women’s side 2012 gold medalist Kimberly Rhode shot a 70 while Amber English shot a 71 as Rhode’s lead was trimmed from five points to four.

On the second day of the competition on Wednesday there will be two more rounds of 25 targets followed by a finals competition. With the scores so tight in both competitions the finals are a big opportunity to pick up a few extra points. There will also be the first 150 targets of the double trap competition and a final in that contest as well.

Previous US Shotgun Olympic Trials Coverage:
Event II Preview

Badminton

US Swept by Chinese Taipei, Eliminated In Group Stage at 2016 Uber Cup

Leave a comment

The US women’s badminton team was swept for the second straight day at the 2016 Uber Cup, ending any hopes of advancement from the group stage. The US was more competitive than against Korea as Iris Wang lost her match 21-13, 21-12 and Annie Xu and Kerry Xu lost their doubles match 21-15, 21-14. Jennie Gai had a singles match and lost 21-8, 21-10, not bad for a 15-year-old.

The US will wrap up their 2016 Uber Cup with a matchup against 0-2 Mauritius on Wednesday. Neither team has won a match in Kunshan, but Mauritius did win a set against Chinese Taipei.

Previous 2016 Uber Cup Coverage:
Preview
Korea Update