Sailing-Spain take lead on day one of SailGP in New York
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Spain took the lead on day one of the sixth round of the SailGP season on Saturday, picking up the win in the opening race in New York as Diego Botin's team are well positioned for consecutive victories.
Defending series champions Spain, who won the San Francisco event in March, made it look easy despite light winds and strong tides as they took the first win of the day.
Competing against one of the most famous skylines in the world on the iconic Hudson River, they sailed away from the fleet and led at mark one before sealing a 14-second lead over second New Zealand on the finish line.
After a brilliant opening performance, Spain were off to a turbulent start in the second race but finished fourth, moving up from their last 12th position at the start line.
They started at the back once again in the third and last fleet race of the day but moved themselves up into the third to lead overnight on 25 points before day two of the event on Sunday.
Spain, led by Olympic champion driver Botin, are five points ahead of second-placed Denmark and France in third.
Australia and Brazil were going head to head in the second race before Tom Slingsby's team, now rebranded as the BONDS Flying Roos after new celebrity co-owners Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds were announced on Thursday, took the win.
New Zealand, winners in New York last year, won the third race but 11th spot in the second saw them finish fourth for the day.
The race was brought forward due to a storm forecast later in the day, and started two and a half hours earlier than originally scheduled.
The global racing championship is back into action after a wingsail defect forced a brief hiatus with the cancellation of May's Rio event.
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
4 hours ago
- Daily Express
US break mixed 4x100m freestyle world record
Published on: Sunday, August 03, 2025 Published on: Sun, Aug 03, 2025 By: AFP Text Size: US swimmers Kate Douglass, Jack Alexy and Patrick Sammon jubilant after the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay in Singapore. SINGAPORE: The United States set a new world record in sealing a dominant victory in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay at the world championships on Saturday. The US team took gold in Singapore in 3min 18.48sec, beating Australia's previous leading time of 3:18.83 set in 2023. The 'neutral athletes' team from Russia finished second in 3:19.68, with France third in 3:21.35. The American team of Jack Alexy, Patrick Sammon, Kate Douglass and Torri Huske took control from the start and from then on their battle was against the clock. 'We all came out tonight wanting to get that win for Team USA and with the world record, we all knew in the back of our mind we had that ability,' said Douglass. 'I'm really happy with how it turned out.' The US topped the medal table at the start of the day and their latest success consolidated their lead heading into the final day of the championships. 'It's great to be racing with my team-mates,' said Alexy. 'The world record was in the back of our minds.' United States great Katie Ledecky beat Summer McIntosh in a titanic three-way battle to win a thrilling 800m freestyle world title. Ledecky won her seventh career gold in the event but she was challenged like never before, touching the wall in a championship-record 8min 05.62sec—a fingertip ahead of Australia's Lani Pallister (8:05.98) and McIntosh (8:07.29). It was Canadian sensation McIntosh's first defeat of the championships and ended her bid to match Michael Phelps as the only swimmer ever to win five individual golds at a single world championships. The 18-year-old has already won three golds this week in Singapore. Ledecky, 28, had too much staying power for her younger rival, with Pallister also in gold-medal contention until the final lunge for the line. 'They pushed me all the way,' said Ledecky, a four-time Olympic champion in the event. 'I'm just really happy I could put that together. I just kept telling myself to trust my legs.' The race was billed as a potential changing of the guard, with McIntosh in red-hot form. She had also threatened Ledecky's world record earlier this year. Pallister was determined to insert her name into the conversation as well, as the Australian kept pace with Ledecky and McIntosh in a fast start. The lead changed hands several times but Ledecky, swimming between her two rivals, looked best-placed to strike for home. In the end it was the American celebrating with her country's flag on the pool deck after an epic race. 'I think I just came into tonight trying to enjoy it as much as I can,' said Ledecky. 'I don't feel like I have much to lose at this point in my career. 'I just try to enjoy it every time I get to walk out in front of a crowd like this.' A fit and firing Gretchen Walsh completed a butterfly double, romping to victory in the 50m event. The American, who won the 100m butterfly earlier in the week, touched the wall in 24.83sec, beating Australia's Alexandria Perkins (25.31) and Belgium's Roos Vanotterdijk (25.43). Sweden's Sarah Sjoestroem, the world record holder and a six-time world champion in the event, is not competing in Singapore. Walsh took advantage of her absence and showed that she will be a force to reckon with in LA in three years' time. New father Cam McEvoy powered to the 50m freestyle world gold to go with his Olympic crown. The 31-year-old Australian—who is at his seventh world championships—reclaimed the title he won in 2023. McEvoy turned on the afterburners in the second half of the sprint to win in 21.14sec. Britain's Ben Proud took silver in 21.26, with Jack Alexy of the United States in bronze in 21.46. McEvoy's son Hartley was born only last month and the swimming ace gave a shoutout to his family after victory. the better of Regan Smith, touching the wall in a championships-record 2min 03.33sec to beat her American arch-rival into second place in 2:04.29. Australia's Kaylee McKeown underlined her backstroke dominance with a world championships double after winning the 200m Saturday. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone secures World Championships spot with 400m win
SYDNEY McLaughlin-Levrone confirmed her place at the upcoming World Championships with a commanding victory in the 400m at the US trials on Saturday. The two-time Olympic 400m hurdles champion and world record holder clocked 48.90 seconds at Hayward Field, showcasing her versatility in a new discipline. McLaughlin-Levrone, 25, decided to shift her focus to the flat 400m this season after an unbeaten six-year streak in the hurdles. She revealed the decision was made shortly before the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meet in July. 'Going into Pre, we had an idea we wanted to focus on the 400,' she said. 'This is a challenge, it's not as comfortable for us, but I want to challenge myself.' The American sprinter emphasized her commitment to mastering the event. 'I felt like this is the year I wanted to step out of the box and really push myself in a different way,' she told AFP. 'It's uncomfortable, but I wanted to commit to it.' Despite her dominance in the 400m hurdles—where she became the first woman to break the 52-second and 51-second barriers—McLaughlin-Levrone ruled out a return to the event for the Tokyo Diamond League finals. 'No, we'll focus just on the 400,' she said. 'It's a daunting task in itself, and I respect the competitors. I want to give my all to these races.' Her transition to the flat 400m has been marked by patience and learning. 'This year has taught me patience,' she said. 'I've learned a lot about myself and the event. Every day is about stepping on the track, being the best I can be.' McLaughlin-Levrone's victory on Saturday was decisive. She led early and extended her advantage down the final straight, finishing ahead of Isabella Whittaker (49.59) and Aaliyah Butler (49.91). – AFP
The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
A village carries the nation's weight
Historic lift: Filipina weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz competing at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where she became her country's first gold medallist. — Reuters After producing a Filipina champion, Kesang Tua could be grooming a Malaysian Olympic gold medallist TUCKED away in a rural corner of Melaka, Kesang Tua is a quiet village with more durian plantations and livestock farms than anything else.
