Summer McIntosh falls just short to Katie Ledecky in ‘race of this century' to take bronze at swim worlds
But Saturday night was the climb into swimming Valhalla: the 800-metre freestyle against American icon Katie Ledecky. This was the race. Katie Ledecky had lost the 800 once when she was 13, once to McIntosh at a minor meet, and in fact she has barely been challenged. Ledecky has left so much swimming flotsam in her wake. She breaks you.
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Vancouver Sun
15 minutes ago
- Vancouver Sun
Canadian tennis hopeful Victoria Mboko's fans include 3 tennis-playing siblings
Canada's latest tennis phenom is just 18 years old and needed a wild card from organizers just to enter the National Bank Open in Montreal. But Victoria Mboko has already made a name for herself, and her country, with her victories on the court. Mboko was born in Charlotte, N.C. , in 2006. Her parents, Cyprien Mboko and Godee Kitadi, left the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1999 over political turmoil and then moved to Toronto when Moko was still a young child. All her grandparents still live in in the DRC, and she hopes to go back soon to see them. She is the youngest of four siblings, all of whom play tennis. Her sister, Gracia, and oldest brother Kevin both competed at college level. Her other brother, David, had to stop due to eye problems. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'I just remember watching them from the sidelines and not wanting to be left out,' Mboko told the Women's Tennis Association in a recent interview. Perhaps not surprisingly, she first picked up a racket at the age of three. Now that she's now gone further in the game than her siblings, the tables have turned and they're the ones cheering her on. Still, some things in families never change. 'I've actually never beaten any of them,' she said. 'I never like to lose a lot. I played my sister once in a tournament and I lost 0 and 0. I was absolutely devastated. They still hold that over me to this day!' Something else with a hold on her is her mom's Congolese cuisine, and especially dessert. 'Beignets are these little balls made out of dough — it's a French translation of doughnut — and I could eat so many of them,' she said. 'For an athlete, they're not great to eat. But when I come home she always makes a bunch of them, because she never gets to see me.' Mboko also speaks French, which helped her in the press conferences at the National Bank Open, where journalists asked questions in both official languages. 'It's been a crazy night for me,' she said at Wednesday's press conference , following her unexpected win — and her sixth straight victory — over former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the tournament's semifinals. 'It's unbelievable to even think about it, and I'm just really happy to be here and just to celebrate it with all the Canadian fans that came to watch,' she added. Mboko got off to a rocky start as Rybakina took the opening set, but the young Canadian player told herself: 'Stay in there.' She added: 'I just had that kind of mentality in the second set, and it really helped me get through a lot of difficult points.' It did indeed, as Mboko came back to win the next two sets in front of a delirious, sold-out IGA Stadium crowd, many of whom held signs that read 'Allez Vicky!' It's a switch for the young player, who grew up watching the Rogers Cup in Toronto as a spectator. 'I remember going there as a kid and watching all the great players playing,' she said. 'We were watching a lot of Serena and Venus, and that's where I took a lot of inspiration, because Serena was literally the greatest of all time. I used to see how the pros are and I used to be in so much awe of them. And now I'm seeing them like right beside me. It's crazy how life works, it's such a great feeling.' She's a big fan of fellow Canadian Bianca Andreescu, who in 2019 became the first Canadian in 50 years to win the Canadian Open. Mboko could become the next if she beats Naomi Osaka of Japan in the final, set for Thursday night. She expects her opponent will put up 'a hard battle.' Andreescu has been very supportive of the younger player. 'I'm always rooting for Vicky,' she told the Women's Tennis Association from Rome this year. 'I messaged her and said, 'Hey, if you want to talk, let me know.' At the end of the day, we're the only ones who can relate to each other, so if we can help each other that's the main thing. But she has a very strong game style, she's very aggressive and she can play defence.' Having everyday Canadians cheering her on in Montreal has also been wonderful. 'I feel like every day I've been saying how I've been thanking them for how much they've been helping me,' Mboko said. 'Playing in front of the home crowd obviously has it its advantages. You know, you always have everyone pumping you up as much as they can … I feel really blessed to have that kind of support.' Mboko seemingly 'came out of nowhere,' spectator Sylvie Quesnel told the Montreal Gazette . 'I didn't know her, and now she's in the finals.' Nancy Gagnon, who has attended the tournament every year for a decade, told the Gazette she had never seen a match like this one: 'I couldn't believe the amount of cheering and clapping.' And Stephan Cromps even compared it with a playoff game by the Montreal Canadiens. 'It was stressful. We were on the edge of our seats the whole time.' — With files from Canadian Press Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Montreal Gazette
42 minutes ago
- Montreal Gazette
Quarterbacks take centre stage as Alouettes look for rebound against Elks
Montreal Alouettes By At age 37 and with three losses in four games, the clock might be ticking on the career of Alouettes quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson. With Davis Alexander on the six-game injured list and with uncertainty behind Bethel-Thompson in Caleb Evans and the untested James Morgan, the Als might have no better options at the position for the time being. But Bethel-Thompson needs to start producing. And winning. It's as simple as that in pro sports. 'For Bethel and our quarterbacks, they just have to be themselves and play ball,' head coach Jason Maas said. 'And play better than we did last week. That's the whole offence, not just one guy. But, obviously, it always starts with the quarterback. He'll make every decision and touch the ball on every snap. We've kind of beat the dead horse on it this week. 'I'm not thinking about (Bethel-Thompson's future) and I don't think he is, either,' Maas added. 'He's taking it day by day. Obviously, he's not 22. There's more years behind him than ahead of him. Ultimately, pro sports is about producing. That's what you've got to be able to do to stay where you are. That's his goal and our goal. Our belief is in him.' The Als must rebound from last Saturday's 34-6 drubbing administered by Saskatchewan or concerns will continue being raised. On Friday at Molson Stadium (7:30 p.m., TSN1, TSN4, RDS, TSN Radio-690, 98.5 FM) they host Edmonton (1-6), which has the CFL's worst record and is on a two-game losing streak. But don't be fooled by the Elks' record. Their last two defeats, against Saskatchewan and Hamilton, were by a combined seven points, and they would have defeated the Tiger-Cats last week had former Alouettes receiver Kaion Julien-Grant not dropped an end zone pass in the final seconds. Former Als starting quarterback Cody Fajardo has played those last two games after the benching of Canadian Tre Ford. Fajardo, named the outstanding player in Montreal's 2023 Grey Cup victory against Winnipeg, has passed for 603 yards and three touchdowns since the switch was made. He completed his first 17 passes, a career high, against Hamilton. When the Als decided Alexander was their quarterback of the future, Fajardo was traded to Edmonton last winter for Bethel-Thompson. While the two players won't be on the field together Friday, this game undoubtedly comes down to which of the two performs better. Judgments of the trade, at least initially, most certainly will be based on that. 'I know it'll be a special game for (Fajardo). I'm sure he's not going to be shy about saying it,' Maas said. 'I know he'll bring it and he's going to be excited to play here; he should be. There's obviously a chip on his shoulder.' While the demonstrative Fajardo has always shown his emotions conspicuously, Bethel-Thompson is stoic and rigid, rarely making eye contact with media members during interviews. While gracious with his time, there is definitely an edge to his demeanour. He almost appears surly. 'I just want to win this week,' Bethel-Thompson said. 'I'm focused on this week, doing my job this week and executing what I can. I like Cody as a person and a player. It should be a good matchup. It'll be good to see some friendly faces, but it's just a game. It's an important game for us to get back on the right track. 'A lot of things went wrong (against Saskatchewan). First and foremost, the quarterback didn't execute. I could have made some plays that would have kept us on the field. It's an important game for everybody. After that performance last week, I definitely want to bounce back. I'm looking forward to playing well, playing smooth and protecting the ball.' Ciante Evans — back for his third stint with Montreal — will start at field cornerback for Dionté Ruffin (adductor), who has been placed on the six-game injured list. Linebacker Najee Murray returns from injury, while offensive-lineman Cyrille Hogan-Saindon, a free-agent addition from Ottawa last winter, replaces the injured Justin Lawrence. Injured receivers Tyson Philpot and Austin Mack remain sidelined. While the Als didn't score a touchdown against Saskatchewan, Montreal's defence did nothing to provide a jump or make a play when one was needed. 'We have to try and create a turnover, maybe a forced fumble,' said rush-end Shawn Lemon. 'Things like that to create a spark. That's what we're expecting to do this week.'
Ottawa Citizen
an hour ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Quarterbacks take centre stage as Alouettes look for rebound against Elks
Article content At age 37 and with three losses in four games, the clock might be ticking on the career of Alouettes quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson. Article content With Davis Alexander on the six-game injured list and with uncertainty behind Bethel-Thompson in Caleb Evans and the untested James Morgan, the Als might have no better options at the position for the time being. Article content But Bethel-Thompson needs to start producing. And winning. It's as simple as that in pro sports. Article content Article content 'For Bethel and our quarterbacks, they just have to be themselves and play ball,' head coach Jason Maas said. 'And play better than we did last week. That's the whole offence, not just one guy. But, obviously, it always starts with the quarterback. He'll make every decision and touch the ball on every snap. We've kind of beat the dead horse on it this week. Article content Article content 'I'm not thinking about (Bethel-Thompson's future) and I don't think he is, either,' Maas added. 'He's taking it day by day. Obviously, he's not 22. There's more years behind him than ahead of him. Ultimately, pro sports is about producing. That's what you've got to be able to do to stay where you are. That's his goal and our goal. Our belief is in him.' Article content The Als must rebound from last Saturday's 34-6 drubbing administered by Saskatchewan or concerns will continue being raised. On Friday at Molson Stadium (7:30 p.m., TSN1, TSN4, RDS, TSN Radio-690, 98.5 FM) they host Edmonton (1-6), which has the CFL's worst record and is on a two-game losing streak. Article content Article content But don't be fooled by the Elks' record. Their last two defeats, against Saskatchewan and Hamilton, were by a combined seven points, and they would have defeated the Tiger-Cats last week had former Alouettes receiver Kaion Julien-Grant not dropped an end zone pass in the final seconds. Article content Former Als starting quarterback Cody Fajardo has played those last two games after the benching of Canadian Tre Ford. Fajardo, named the outstanding player in Montreal's 2023 Grey Cup victory against Winnipeg, has passed for 603 yards and three touchdowns since the switch was made. He completed his first 17 passes, a career high, against Hamilton. Article content When the Als decided Alexander was their quarterback of the future, Fajardo was traded to Edmonton last winter for Bethel-Thompson. While the two players won't be on the field together Friday, this game undoubtedly comes down to which of the two performs better. Judgments of the trade, at least initially, most certainly will be based on that.
