Sports

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston at NY Yankees (Postponed)

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(NEW YORK) — A little more than a week ahead of the Tokyo Summer Olympics, Ralph Lauren has revealed what Team USA athletes will be wearing for the opening ceremony.

The classic all-American look includes a navy blazer, a striped shirt, printed scarf, a striped belt and slim-cut denim pants. There were also protective face masks created to match the look, which incorporates rich hues of red, white and blue throughout.

With these new uniforms, the brand has also debuted its RL COOLING wearable technology, which has a self-regulating temperature cooling device that will be incorporated into Team USA’s flag bearer’s uniform during the opening ceremony parade.

David Lauren, Ralph Lauren Corporation’s chief branding and innovation officer and vice chairman of the board, said in a statement that the brand is celebrating “America’s pioneering spirit and tradition while embracing modernity and innovation.”

“Recognizing Tokyo’s summer heat, we sought to develop a solution for Team USA that fuses fashion and function — allowing them to look and feel their best on one of the world’s biggest stages,” Lauren said in a statement.

The fashion label initially started exploring thermal management systems within its apparel in 2018 with its heated jacket at the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, an agency of the United States Department of Energy, suggests that personal thermal management is a portable and localized solution that, if scaled, has the potential to reduce the reliance on mass energy-intensive cooling systems, like HVAC systems, for personal comfort.

“Ralph Lauren’s dedication to providing innovative, sustainable and functional outfits for Team USA athletes helps elevate their Games time experience,” Peter Zeytoonjian, senior vice president of consumer products at U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Properties, said in a statement. “As our Olympic and Paralympic athletes step out on the global stage this summer, we’re proud to have the continued support of a brand whose thoughtful approach to how they can better serve our athletes uniquely benefits Team USA.”

In April, Ralph Lauren also revealed Team USA’s Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony uniforms, which include crisp white, blue and red looks and a drawstring jacket with an American flag on the sleeve, a Polo shirt, a striped belt and denim pants.

For anyone wanting to show their patriotic spirit, Ralph Lauren has also made its 2020 Team USA collection available to buy in select Ralph Lauren stores and online.

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(NEW YORK) — Simone Biles is off to Tokyo.

The four-time Olympic Gold medalist left for the 2021 Olympics Wednesday with the rest of Team USA and before jetting off, Biles sat down with ABC News’ Kaylee Hartung for her last one-on-one interview before the competition at United Airlines’ send off event for the team.

“It means the world to me. I did it in 2016 at various time for World Championships, so to have another opportunity, it’s just amazing,” Biles told ABC’s Good Morning America about representing the U.S. for a second time at the Summer Games.

However, this year will be different for Biles and many athletes coming back to the Olympics to take home the gold or reclaim their titles.

With many COVID protocols in place, there will be no spectators in the stands to feed off energy from during the games and athletes will have to follow a set of rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“We’ve had a lot of calls because COVID protocols will be different for an Olympic Games, as we’ve seen in previous seasons of all different sports so far this year,” Biles said. “As for the crowd, that’ll be super weird because it’ll kind of be like training. We’ve never done that as well either. So it’ll be a different experience, but we’re ready for whatever they throw at us.”

For Biles, participating in the 2021 Olympic Games means competing and traveling solo for the first time without her family cheering her on in the stands.

“I honestly have never done a competition without my parents there, so I’m a little bit nervous, but I know they’ll be there in spirit,” she said. “My mom is like, ‘Please FaceTime me before.’ So I’m sure she’ll be calling me as we get ready because they’ll be up already and ready to watch.”

Though her parents won’t be there with her in Tokyo, Biles is in good company of her teammates, Sunisa Lee, 18, Grace McCallum, 18, MyKayla Skinner, 24, Jade Carey, 21, and Jordan Chiles, 20, who Biles has become close with over the past year.

“She’s doing so amazing right now,” said Biles about Chiles. “She’s like my little sister, so I’m really proud. I’m excited for her and I think she deserves this. People are finally seeing what she’s capable of.”

At 24 years old, Biles is attempting to become the first woman to win consecutive Olympic titles in more than 50 years. It’s a challenge she almost didn’t take on due to the ups and downs of 2020 overall and the uncertainty about competing.

“At the end of the day, it was the uncertainty. We knew that the games were postponed — we didn’t know for how long,” said Biles.

When she was given the news about how long the games were going to be postponed for, she thought about taking time off.

“Mentally and physically — it’s just so draining and we had been prepared. We were already on the rise, to go to the Olympic Games or to try to compete, so it’s just like, it was a whirlwind,” she said.

Despite the challenges over the past year, Biles is confident that the team is ready to compete.

“We’ll still bring the joy and we’ll bring back the medal,” she said.

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(MILWAUKEE) — The NBA Finals is now anyone’s game.

The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns at home Wednesday night, 109-103, to tie up the series 2-2.

Both teams will now head to Phoenix for Game 5, tipping off at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday.

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(NEW YORK) — U.S. Olympic marathoner Aliphine Tuliamuk said she never expected to be a new mom competing in the Olympics, and she also never expected to have to worry about whether she would be allowed to bring her infant daughter to the Olympics.

The coronavirus pandemic changed both of those things for Tuliamuk, who won the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February 2020.

When the Tokyo Olympics were postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, Tuliamuk and her fiancé, Tim Gannon, decided to use the time off from competing to have a child.

Tuliamuk, 32, gave birth to their daughter, Zoe, in January.

“I’ve always wanted to be a mom and I’ve also wanted to become an Olympian and compete at the highest level of our sport,” Tuliamuk told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “I never thought I was going to be at the Olympics as a new mom.”

“That would not have happened until 2020 happened,” she said.

Tuliamuk began training again in March, two months after Zoe was born.

For the next several months she kept training with a focus of competing in Tokyo with Gannon and their daughter by her side.

Tuliamuk’s journey to the Olympics took a detour earlier this summer when she learned that, due to COVID-19-related restrictions, athletes’ family members would not be able to join them in Tokyo, including Zoe. The restriction put an impossible burden on Tuliamuk, who is still breastfeeding Zoe.

“When they put restrictions in and sent us an email that she wasn’t going to be able to come, I was really devastated,” she said. “What do they expect us to do? I can’t just leave my breastfeeding child behind.”

Tuliamuk spoke out publicly against the restriction and also sent a letter to the head of the International Olympic Committee.

Earlier this month, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee reversed course and said nursing mothers should be allowed to bring their children with them to the games.

“After careful consideration of the unique situation facing athletes with nursing children, we are pleased to confirm that, when necessary, nursing children will be able to accompany athletes to Japan,” the committee said in a statement obtained by ABC News.

The wording of the policy still drew criticism from some, with Olympic moms such as U.S. soccer star Alex Morgan pointing out that it is always “necessary” for mothers to be with their nursing children.

Olympic officials last week said a state of emergency had been declared in Tokyo due to COVID-19 and spectators would not be allowed in venues to watch the games in the city’s new stadiums.

Less than two weeks before she is set to travel to Japan, Tuliamuk said she is still planning to bring Zoe with her to the Olympics. Also traveling with them will be Gannon, who is permitted to accompany Tuliamuk to the Olympics as her personal coach.

“I’m just full of gratitude,” she said. “I cannot wait to go to Sapporo and have an amazing race and race for myself, race for my teammates and my sponsors, my family and my daughter.”

The Tokyo Olympics will begin July 23. The women’s marathon is scheduled to be held in Sapporo on Aug. 7, the day before the closing ceremony.

Tuliamuk said she has been inspired to speak out because she said she knows that “mom athletes can compete at the highest level of sport.”

“If we want to support female athletes, part of being a female athlete is also having a family and if you want to support me as a complete athlete, you should be able to make room for my family. You should be able to make room for me if I decide to have a family,” said Tuliamuk. “You can’t just talk about supporting women and then not actually support them.”

She said she has also found inspiration from Allyson Felix, Kara Goucher and Alysia Montaño, three female track and field athletes who alleged in 2019 that they were penalized by Nike for being pregnant.

Shortly after they spoke out, Nike announced plans to do more to protect female athletes’ pay during and after pregnancy.

“We’ve seen over and over that when people use their voices, they deliver change,” said Tuliamuk, adding that her sponsor, Hoko, has supported her as a mom. “If Allyson Felix and Kara Goucher and Alysia Montaño hadn’t spoken out, I don’t know how I would have been treated.”

“I feel very lucky because of what women before me have done,” she said.

Tuliamuk said she also hopes that by speaking out she is helping to create more equal opportunities for future generations of girls, including Zoe.

“I want to make sure my daughter understands that this world is not easy but that does not mean that you give up. It means that you double down and you work very, very hard and you seize every opportunity that you get,” she said. “That’s how you achieve your goals.”

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(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Milwaukee 109, Phoenix 103

WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
WNBA All-Stars Team 93, USA Woman’s National Team 84

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(SAN DIEGO) — San Diego high school student Nick Herrmann was told by some doctors he might never play basketball again.

On June 14, the 16-year-old cancer survivor stepped onto the court for the Torrey Pines High School basketball team and hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win the sectional championship game.

Herrmann was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his left leg in 2018 and spent nine months in the hospital, where he underwent four surgeries in just under two months.

“I was told I may never play basketball again and, even worse, I could have possibly lost my leg. I spent many nights, long nights, in the hospital doing chemotherapy and many hours doing physical therapy in order to rehab and get back to playing basketball,” Herrmann told “World News Tonight.”

Nick Herrmann and his teammates celebrate after winning the basketball division championship.
Herrmann was back on the court this year to help his team to an undefeated season and the win in the San Diego open division championship game.

Looking ahead, he said he’s planning to play basketball in college this fall and shared a message of motivation to inspire others who may be going through tough times.

“To all those people going through similar things, I want you to know that you can do anything,” he said. “Never stop pushing and never stop working towards your dreams.”

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(NEW YORK) — Olympian Danielle Lawrie’s 7-year-old daughter Madison learned the hard way that training for the Olympics is no joke.

Lawrie, 34, is a mother of two and a member of the Canadian softball team that will compete in the Tokyo games later this month. While training at home, Lawrie said Madison always wants to join in but then quickly realizes she’s made a mistake.

“She realizes she’s over her head within 3 minutes in every single time,” Lawrie says. “She starts breathing super heavy, and the tears start to come out, and she starts to say she can’t do it. That’s where I come in and completely change the way she’s supposed to think about it. You can do it, it’s hard but we can finish, we do not give up.”

Lawrie posted a hilarious and heartwarming video of their training session to her Instagram that has gotten thousands of views.

“I love that a video like this is gaining some momentum because to me raising strong kids is the best way,” Lawrie said. “The world is already tough, so why not make our kids even tougher to be able to handle whatever is to come? Pushing through adversity and not allowing your children to give up is pushing them to believe in themselves even when they didn’t think it was possible.”

Lawrie says even though there are often tears, she knows Madison will never stop being her workout buddy.

“Maddie will 100% work out with me again in the future. It will be our thing,” Lawrie said. “She’s so proud when she’s done. …She loves me telling her how proud I am of her, and I make it a priority to always make her feel like the most badass chick in the room.”

This will be Lawrie’s second Olympic Games with team Canada and her first as a mother. After competing in the 2008 games and retiring, she decided to start training again in 2017 to see if she could get to one more games.

“I’m so proud that she’s gotten to see me grind the way I have because it’s opened that door for her,” Lawrie said. “If momma can do it… you surely can.”

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(SEATTLE) — NFL cornerback Richard Sherman was booked at the King County Correctional Facility and is under investigation for burglary domestic violence, according to the jail’s records. The story was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

According to the jail’s records, Sherman was also denied bail.

The NFL Players Association released a statement saying it knows about the arrest. Sherman serves as a vice president on the executive committee of the union.

 “We were made aware last night of the arrest of one of our player leaders for an alleged domestic violence incident and have activated our domestic violence crisis protocol for the protection and support of everyone involved,” the statement said. “We will continue to monitor the situation closely as more facts are made available to us.”

pic.twitter.com/w2Mar8Y7LD

— NFLPA (@NFLPA) July 14, 2021

Sherman is currently a free agent. He played the last three seasons for the San Francisco 49ers. Before that, he played 7 seasons for the Seattle Seahawks.

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(NEW YORK) — Lionel Messi and Barcelona have reached a new 5-year agreement for Messi to remain with the club according to an ESPN report. The report also says that Messi will be taking a significant pay cut to remain with the team.

The deal comes almost a year after Messi, widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time, submitted a letter to Barcelona announcing his intentions to leave the team. He withdrew the letter shortly thereafter, but was unable to reach an agreement with the Catalan club to the point where he entered free agency on July 1.

Barcelona is facing a harsh financial reality at the moment with more than €1 billion in debt, likely the reason for Messi’s pay cut.

The Argentinian forward has played for Barcelona since entering their youth academy in 2000 as a 13-year-old. Messi made his first team debut in a friendly against Porto in 2003 and since then, has broken a number of club and international records.

Messi has scored 672 goals in 778 appearances for the team, leading the club in both stats. On top of that, he’s one of the most decorated players of all time. He won the Golden Ball award for the best player at the 2014 World Cup and has also won 6 Ballon D’Or awards given to the player voted as the best in the world.

Messi’s ascendance also ushered in a golden age for Barcelona as a team. He led the squad to 10 La Liga titles, 4 Champions League trophies, and 7 Copa Del Rey championships. The Argentinian also won his first international trophy this summer, guiding his home country to a Copa America title, Argentina’s first since 1993.

 

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