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Lewis Hamilton celebrates a fourth place which highlights Ferrari's tough season in F1

Lewis Hamilton celebrates a fourth place which highlights Ferrari's tough season in F1

Washington Post18-05-2025

IMOLA, Italy — Lewis Hamilton finished his first Formula 1 race in Italy for Ferrari by dedicating his result to the team's fans. The fact it was fourth place shows how difficult Ferrari's season has become.
'Grazie a tutti (thank you, everyone) for the tifosi, that was for them,' Hamilton said over the team radio, honoring the passionate fans whose shirts made the stands at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix a sea of Ferrari red.

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TikTok Changes The Game For Women's Sports
TikTok Changes The Game For Women's Sports

Forbes

time28 minutes ago

  • Forbes

TikTok Changes The Game For Women's Sports

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Why USA Hockey didn't name an Olympic goalie, and why the competition could be fierce
Why USA Hockey didn't name an Olympic goalie, and why the competition could be fierce

New York Times

time38 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Why USA Hockey didn't name an Olympic goalie, and why the competition could be fierce

USA Hockey on Monday unveiled the first six players on the roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Notably missing from the initial announcement was a goaltender to accompany brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, star forwards Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel, and defensemen Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy. Advertisement The United States' pool of goalies is so strong that it didn't make sense to name just one to the roster this soon. Considering the pre-determined, arbitrary number of six players that each country was asked to announce, it might have made sense to name a full starting lineup of three forwards, two defensemen and a netminder. But only six of the 12 countries selected a goalie among their first six players. For USA Hockey in particular, there's a lot of evaluating to do in the crease between now and the Dec. 31 deadline to submit the official Olympic roster. 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His .892 save percentage and -6.43 GSAx were both career worsts. It was a perfect storm of new pressures as the starter with a long-term contract and an underperforming team in front of him, but Swayman is still young, and one of the most physically gifted goalies in the league combined, with great anticipation. He will need a good start to 2025-26 to fend off the talented group of goalies right behind him. Wolf had one of the better rookie seasons we've seen in awhile, finishing second in Calder Trophy voting behind Montreal defenseman Lane Hutson. He proved that despite being only 6-feet, his elite quickness and edge work are just as effective in the NHL as they've been at every level he's ever played. Advertisement Wolf's 26.38 goals saved above expected weren't just the seventh-most in the NHL last season, they were the most ever by a rookie goalie since the stat began being tracked in 2007. With a strong start to 2025-26, he would immediately join the conversation about the elite in the league, and could be among the United States' choices for the Olympics. It's easy to forget Demko's name in this conversation, considering his 2024-25 season was defined by the injuries that held him out for most of it. He started only 23 games for Vancouver and didn't look particularly sharp in them, but Demko is only one year removed from finishing second to Hellebuyck for the 2024 Vezina Trophy. When healthy, Demko has a unique combination of size, speed and technical precision that gives him one of the highest ceilings of any goalie on the planet. Will we ever see him at that level again? The Canucks clearly have reservations, signing Kevin Lankinen to a five-year, $22.5 million extension in February. That, along with Demko's status as a pending free agent after 2025-26, give the San Diego native plenty of motivation for a big year. If he returns to form, it'll be hard to argue Demko isn't one of the three best American goalies. In his opportunity to prove himself as a starter, all Stolarz did was lead the NHL with a .926 save percentage. The hulking New Jerseyan was a rock in the Maple Leafs' crease this season, and was having an outstanding postseason before he was knocked out of the second round with an injury. It might not be likely, but if a couple of the goalies above stumble out of the gates and Stolarz holds his form from the past season, he could sneak into the top three. Like with Demko, Stolarz is also entering a contract year, barring an extension from the Maple Leafs this summer. Daccord was born in Boston to a Canadian father and Swiss mother, and a lot has been made of his eligibility to play for each country in international play. According to IIHF rules, he could've chosen to play for Team Canada at this year's World Championships, but Daccord chose to play for Team USA. Advertisement Daccord played three games in that tournament, posting an impressive .919 save percentage and 2.00 goals against average in the limited opportunity behind Swayman. The 28-year-old is unlikely to crack the top three for the Olympics, but he has quietly been outstanding for the Seattle Kraken over the last two seasons. During that span, his 36.16 GSAx rank eighth in the league and second behind only Hellebuyck among Americans. (Photo of Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger: Jerome Miron / Imagn Images)

NASCAR's Mexico City race: How a historic event overcame skepticism and delays
NASCAR's Mexico City race: How a historic event overcame skepticism and delays

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

NASCAR's Mexico City race: How a historic event overcame skepticism and delays

Shane Van Gisbergen, center, celebrates at the Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race with second place Christopher Bell, left, and third place Chase Elliott at Hermanos Rodríguez race track in Mexico City, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) Shane Van Gisbergen, center, celebrates at the Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race with second place Christopher Bell, left, and third place Chase Elliott at Hermanos Rodríguez race track in Mexico City, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) MEXICO CITY (AP) — Despite the handful of industry insiders too scared to leave their hotels in Mexico City, NASCAR's first international Cup Series race of the modern era was a cultural experience that brought new fans to the series and provided its competitors with a chance to enjoy a new country. The event had its detractors — rumors persisted for months that it would be canceled over security concerns or the escalating tensions between the United States and Mexico — and some NASCAR team members remained critical all the way through Sunday's race. Advertisement But was it a success? Even with travel delays, hotel room snafus and confusion over shuttle transportation, it was unequivocally a shining moment for NASCAR. 'Every single thing about this weekend exceeded my expectations,' said Daniel Suarez, the Monterrey-born NASCAR driver who was the face of the three-day weekend. 'The people, the fans, the sponsors, the excitement, the energy. I had expectations for this weekend... and I can tell you that I personally exceeded those expectations.' The idea to try the road course at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez — host of one of the most popular Formula 1 events on that calendar — was the brainchild of Ben Kennedy, executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovations officer. The great-grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. has been aggressive in shaking up a schedule that went to the same tracks on the same weekends for decades. Bringing the Cup Series to Mexico City — only the third race outside the U.S. in 77 years — was a chance to expose stock car racing to a new demographic and give Mexican fans their first chance to see the series race live. Advertisement 'This was a historic moment for our sport, for Mexico, and for the global motorsports community,' Kennedy said after Shane Van Gisbergen won Sunday's race to lock the New Zealander into the playoffs. 'One of the coolest parts about this weekend was seeing the reaction of the fans. I had the opportunity to go into the stands a few times,' he continued, 'the energy and the passion of the fans here is unmatched.' Kennedy said 90% of those in attendance were from Mexico, with 44% from Mexico City. Most important, there were 'a lot of new fans coming out of this weekend.' Will NASCAR return? Even so, Kennedy could not guarantee another race in Mexico City. FIFA has World Cup games scheduled for this same week next year and there are the logistical issues of finding a date during a packed 38-week schedule. Advertisement The cars had to leave Michigan International Speedway immediately after last week's race to make the 40-hour journey across the border, and now must get to Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania in time for this weekend's race. 'I want to go everywhere in the world — England, Germany, South America, Australia, every where we can go,' said Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, the vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports. "The next thing that makes sense in Canada. But we have to figure out the schedule before we do too much of this. 'We can't do this. Michigan, Mexico City, back to Pocono, can't happen. We're doing it and we're excited to take on the challenge, but it's going to wear on us and I don't think we can do it all back-to-back. So we've got to make some adjustments to the schedule and how do we fit it all in into what's already a very difficult schedule.' Where will NASCAR go next? Advertisement Nothing is off the table for Kennedy, who is globally exploring where NASCAR can race and showcase its product. One glaring issue: Those in the industry who remain comfortable with the same old schedule of traveling to Bristol, Tennessee, and Martinsville, Virginia, and Darlington Raceway in South Carolina twice a year. While those markets are tied deeply to NASCAR's Southern roots, there isn't room for growth in playing to the same crowds over and over. The pushback on Mexico City didn't come from any high-profile drivers, but Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s spotter had a scathing social media post ripping the city in which he said 'screw this place, people can talk it up all they want' and 22-year-old driver Carson Hocevar had a similar sentiment in derisive comments on a live stream he has since walked back. 'Maybe a kid that had never been out of the country until Thursday should never give an opinion about what any place is like other than (hometown) Portage, Michigan,' Hocevar posted on social media. "I was skeptical about the trip and believed everything I read or heard about Mexico City from people who more than likely also had never been here. Advertisement 'Now that I've actually left my hotel a couple times and raced here in front of some of the most passionate fans I've ever seen, my opinion has changed,' he continued. 'I am embarrassed by my comments.' A cultural field trip This was baffling to some of the more well-traveled drivers, including Kyle Larson, who has raced at 200-plus different tracks around the world and makes annual trips to Australia and New Zealand. He also attended the 2021 Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi and then vacationed in Dubai. He likened Mexico City to a field trip for NASCAR because the drivers all stayed in the same hotels and rode buses together to the circuit each day. On a normal weekend, they are holed up in their motorhomes at the track and rarely venture out. Advertisement 'It's honestly really fun and enjoyable to be around your competitors and get to know each other a bit better because on a typical weekend, we just kind of lock ourselves in wherever we're at,' he said. "We don't talk to anybody or anything. So it's nice that, yeah, you're almost forced to hang out with each other. It's cool. You get to know them, so I've enjoyed that.' Even Kyle Busch, who was arrested in Mexico in 2023 for carrying a concealed weapon, was surprised by the few who had a negative response to racing in Mexico City. 'The food is amazing, the city has some of the top restaurants in the world,' Busch said. 'This is a great place to be and I don't understand the people holed up in their hotels too scared to leave. Live a little.' ___ AP auto racing:

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