Saturday, September 27, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
US Open
Displaying the talent and tenacity that allowed her to dominate tennis earlier in the decade, Serena Williams outlasted Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 7-5 Sunday night in a thrill-a-minute match chock full of marvelous strokes and momentum swings to win her third US Open championship and ninth Grand Slam title. And there was this "added bonus," as Williams termed it: She returns to the top of the rankings. "I think this title meant more to Serena than any title she's ever won," her father and coach, Richard Williams said. As the women met at the net when it ended, Williams felt compelled to say to Jankovic, "I'm sorry I got so excited."
Back at his best, back at the top of tennis, Roger Federer easily beat Andy Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 Monday to win his fifth consecutive U.S. Open championship and 13th major title overall. Federer is the first man since Bill Tilden in the 1920s to win the tournament that many times in a row. He also moved within one major championship of tying Pete Sampras' career record of 14. The victory clearly came as something of a relief to Federer, who has struggled during a lackluster-only-for-him season. He lost in the semifinals at the Australian Open, and to nemesis Rafael Nadal in the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon, meaning Federer was on the verge of his first year since 2002 without a major title. And his record streak of 237 consecutive weeks at No. 1 ended last month when Nadal surpassed him.I'm happy to see both Serena and Federer win. It wouldn't have bothered me much had either of them lost, but especially in Federer's case, I'm glad for the outcome. I was also happy to see Murray make the finals. He had never won even a set against Nadal before, so this is a big deal for him, and for the UK, who have been waiting for a champion of their own.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
R.I.P. Genuine Risk
Former Kentucky Derby winning filly Genuine Risk passed away at Newstead Farm in Virginia on Monday. The mare was 31 years old. Owned by Diana Firestone, Genuine Risk became only the second filly to win the Kentucky Derby when she made history in 1980. Sent off at odds of 13-1 she defeated Rumbo by one length in the 1 1/4 mile race. She was the first female to capture the Run for the Roses since Regret in 1915. Eight years later, Winning Colors joined the two as the third filly to claim the Kentucky Derby… Trained by Leroy Jolley, she was voted 1980 champion three-year-old filly. In a 15-race career, Genuine Risk found the winner's circle 10 times and earned $646,587. She entered the Racing Hall of Fame in 1986.
Disgraced sprinter Marion Jones was released Friday from federal prison after completing most of her six-month sentence for lying about her steroid use. Jones left a halfway house in San Antonio around 8 a.m., said LaTanya Robinson, a community corrections manager for the federal Bureau of Prisons. Jones, who has a house in Austin, will remain on probation. Jones' attorney did not immediately respond to a call or e-mail from The Associated Press requesting comment. The sprinter admitted last October that she used a design Area Laboratory Co-Operative, the lab that became the center of a steroids scandal that touched numerous professional athletes, including baseball star Barry Bonds. Her admission of drug use in 2007 came after years of denials.
Two members of the 2008 Jamaican Olympic track team received shipments of performance-enhancing drugs through an Internet distribution network, according to documents obtained by SI. The documents state that between June 2006 and February 2007, two shipments of Somatropin (Human Growth Hormone, HGH) and one shipment of Triest (Estrogen) were sent to Delloreen London, at a Texas address that traces to the athlete Delloreen Ennis-London; the birth date on the document matches the athlete's as well, though the document lists the person's gender as male. Ennis-London, 33, is a Jamaican hurdler who won the silver medal in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2005 World Championships. In Beijing, she finished fifth in the event, but came within .01 of taking bronze. Though the information only pertains to receipt and not actual use of performance-enhancers, both drugs are banned for Olympic athletes.
Disgraced sprinter Marion Jones was released Friday from federal prison after completing most of her six-month sentence for lying about her steroid use. Jones left a halfway house in San Antonio around 8 a.m., said LaTanya Robinson, a community corrections manager for the federal Bureau of Prisons. Jones, who has a house in Austin, will remain on probation. Jones' attorney did not immediately respond to a call or e-mail from The Associated Press requesting comment. The sprinter admitted last October that she used a design Area Laboratory Co-Operative, the lab that became the center of a steroids scandal that touched numerous professional athletes, including baseball star Barry Bonds. Her admission of drug use in 2007 came after years of denials.
Two members of the 2008 Jamaican Olympic track team received shipments of performance-enhancing drugs through an Internet distribution network, according to documents obtained by SI. The documents state that between June 2006 and February 2007, two shipments of Somatropin (Human Growth Hormone, HGH) and one shipment of Triest (Estrogen) were sent to Delloreen London, at a Texas address that traces to the athlete Delloreen Ennis-London; the birth date on the document matches the athlete's as well, though the document lists the person's gender as male. Ennis-London, 33, is a Jamaican hurdler who won the silver medal in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2005 World Championships. In Beijing, she finished fifth in the event, but came within .01 of taking bronze. Though the information only pertains to receipt and not actual use of performance-enhancers, both drugs are banned for Olympic athletes.
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