Only one American will be taking part in the first of three ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup stops as it takes place in Duisburg, Germany this weekend. With most Americans competing for Olympic spots in the Pan American Championships only Lydia Keefe Sampson will be taking part here for the US. Sampson will be competing in the C1 200m event. That event begins with heats on Friday and of the seven athletes in Sampson’s heat only the top will move into the final while the other six move to the semifinals later in the day where three more final spots will be available.
Megan Guarnier Leads Amgen Tour of California
With 43 Americans competing in the Amgen Tour of California it’s no surprise that one of them is leading, especially considering it is Megan Guarnier. Guarnier finished in first with a time of 3:05:09, four seconds ahead of Emma Johansson of Sweden. Guarnier was joined in the top ten by Kristin Armstrong and Evelyn Stevens ten seconds back in third and fourth. Coryn Rivera was seventh, 16 seconds back, while Tayler Wiles (ninth), Katie Hall (tenth), Lauren Stephens (11th), Scotti Lechuga (12th), Mara Abbott (14th), and Kristabel Doebel-Hickok (15th) were all 18 seconds back. Other Americans in the top 25 were Brianna Walle in 18th, Kathryn Donovan in 22nd, Megan Alderete in 23rd, and Emma White in 24th.
Friday is a 12.6 mile team time trial in Folsom. The race continues until Sunday in various parts of California.
Previous Amgen Tour of California Coverage:
Preview
All Five Americans Part of 166-Man Peloton in Stage Twelve of Giro d’Italia
You might be alarmed to hear that Joey Rosskopf in 116th was the only American to place in the top 130 on Thursday. It wasn’t all that bad though as all five Americans were actually part of the 166-man peloton so their actual positions didn’t cost them at all. As you’d expect with a massive peloton overall positions barely changed on the day with Nathan Brown remaining the top American, still in 50th place and 38:56 back. Joe Dombrowski remains 53rd with Chad Haga moving up one spot to 98th.
Friday they will return to a medium-mountain stage 106 miles in length.
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
Stage 11 Update
30 Americans to Compete at Fencing World Cup Events in Three Cities This Weekend
The final three world cup stops on the fencing circuit are this weekend in Europe. The women’s foil event takes place in Tauberbischofsheim, Germany, the women’s epee event is in Legnano, Italy, and the men’s epee event is in Paris, France.
Most of the US athletes, including all 12 in Paris, will need to go through the preliminary round to qualify for the table of 64 however three of the eight in Tauberbischofsheim, Lee Kiefer, Nzingha Prescod, and Nicole Ross, and one of the 10 in Legnano, Courtney Hurley, will be exempt from preliminaries and awarded spots directly in the table of 64.
In all three cities the preliminaries are on Friday, the table of 64 is on Saturday, and the team events are Sunday.
Previous Fencing World Cup Coverage:
Madrid, Foshan, and St. Petersburg Recap
Pablo Ramirez, Lawrence King, and Sardius Simmons All Advance to 2016 Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions Quarterfinals
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
US Ends 2016 Uber Cup With Sweep of Mauritius
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
Joey Rosskopf a Competition High 40th in Stage Eleven of Giro d’Italia
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
Leaders Increase Margins on Second Day of Shotgun Olympic Trials
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
Americans? We Got a Few in Amgen Tour of California
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
Ten US Women Including Two 2012 Olympians to Compete at AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships
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.