
Why three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto will retire after the 2026 Winter Olympics
The 25-year-old Japanese star won an Olympic bronze medal in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and took the silver medal in the world championships in March with gold to American Alysa Liu.
Sakamoto acknowledged that age is catching up with her.
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San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Angels turn triple play when Shohei Ohtani lines out to Zach Neto and 2 Dodgers are caught off base
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels turned the eighth triple play in team history Tuesday night, with shortstop Zach Neto getting two putouts and an assist off a line drive by Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani. Miguel Rojas was on second and Dalton Rushing was on first for the Dodgers in the sixth inning when Ohtani hit a drive right up the middle past reliever Brock Burke. Neto caught Ohtani's liner and stepped on second base in stride to get Rojas. Neto quickly threw to first, where Nolan Schanuel tagged out Rushing as the Dodgers rookie attempted to sneak back. The Angels' triple play was their first since Aug. 18, 2023. It also preserved a 5-5 tie in the latest edition of the Freeway Series. The Angels have won the first four games this season against the Dodgers.


San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Judge homers, Stanton goes 4 for 5 with a homer, as Yankees rout Twins 9-1
NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit his first homer in nearly three weeks, Giancarlo Stanton had his first four-hit game in nearly two years, and the New York Yankees routed the Minnesota Twins 9-1 on Tuesday night. Carlos Rodón (12-7) allowed one hit in seven innings. He allowed a leadoff single to Austin Martin and cruised after a 31-pitch first inning. He became the first Yankee to complete seven innings since the left-hander pitched eight against the Cubs on July 11. Stanton went 4 for 5 for his first four-hit game since Aug. 24, 2023 against Washington. He doubled in his first at-bat, homered in the fifth and singled in his final two at-bats before getting lifted for a pinch runner following a two-run single. Judge homered for the first time since July 23 when he hit a drive off Minnesota rookie starter Travis Adams (1-2). Anthony Volpe hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the second as the Yankees beat the Twins for the ninth straight time. Stanton added a homer in the fifth to give the Yankees a 5-1 lead. It was the second time this season Stanton and Judge connected in the same game and 54th time overall, including the playoffs. The Yankees won their third series since the All-Star break and won the first two games of a series for the first time since sweeping Seattle July 8-10. Adams allowed four runs and four hits in 2 1/3 innings. Key Moment Rodón loaded the bases when he hit Ryan Jeffers and allowed a run on a ground ball by Royce Lewis in the first. He ended the inning by retiring Kody Clemens and permitted one runner the rest of the way. Key Stat Stanton has nine of his 14 career four-hit games with the Yankees. Up Next New York rookie RHP Cam Schlittler (1-2, 4.38 ERA) faces Minnesota RHP Joe Ryan (11-5, 2.79) on Wednesday. ___


USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Two Ohio State players named to ESPN's 2025 preseason College Football All-American team
Like preseason polls, preseason All-America teams can be tricky. With input from pro scouts, college coaches and media colleagues, here's our 2025 team at ESPN. As we continue to march through fall camp and head towards the beginning of the college football season, we've seen plenty of Ohio State players receive preseason accolades and honors. The Buckeye program always has a few players mentioned among the best in the country because -- well -- it IS Ohio State after all. This week, two OSU players received another preseason honor when ESPN announced its preseason 2025 College Football All-American team. And while there are plenty of Ohio State players that could have been mentioned, and maybe just missed the cut, there are two that continue to appear on everyone's preseason list of best players as members of ESPN's first-team preseason All-American squad. On offense, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was honored with ESPN gushing about the star wide receiver and perhaps the best player in all the game. "Smith returns as college football's premier player and the one who strikes the most fear into opposing defensive coordinators' hearts," wrote Chris Low. "The 6-3, 225-pound sophomore is a nightmarish matchup for defensive backs with his blend of size, strength and speed. He had 17 touchdown catches last year, including four in the Buckeyes' first two playoff games, and averaged 17.5 yards per catch." On the defensive side, you can once again guess which OSU player was recognized on the first team, none other than all-everything safety Caleb Downs. "Downs came into college football as one of the top prospects in the country, played that way as a freshman at Alabama and took yet another step this past season after transferring to Ohio State and helping lead the Buckeyes to the national championship," Low said. "The prototypical safety, Downs was third on Ohio State's team last season with 81 tackles, 7 ½ of them for loss, and had two interceptions." It should be noted that there was also one other Ohio State player who was mentioned on ESPN's second-team, and that was tight end Max Klare. He, too, is expected to do big things and build off of what he did at Purdue. In other words, there is still plenty of talent in the cupboard on the banks of the Olentangy. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.