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AsiaOne
6 days ago
- Sport
- AsiaOne
Young Lions and distance runner Soh Rui Yong left out of SEA Games contingent, Singapore News
SINGAPORE – Singapore will be fielding its largest-ever contingent for the Dec 9-20 SEA Games, but high-profile names such as the national men's Under-22 football team and two-time marathon champion Soh Rui Yong have been omitted from the initial list. The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) on Aug 6 announced the first batch of athletes and teams selected for the Games, with a total of 762 athletes across 42 sports provisionally picked for the event. The national sports associations have until Aug 15 to lodge appeals for their athletes. It is understood that the Young Lions missed the initial cut as they have not produced any international results that meet the SNOC's qualifying criteria of matching the third-placed finishers of the previous edition. The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) had withdrawn the team from the Asean U-23 Championship from July 15 to 29, whose results could have been used to support their nomination for the SEA Games. This would be the first time since 1969 that Singapore are not competing in the football competition at the Games. The Republic first played in the SEA Games men's football tournament in 1965 before sitting out in 1967 and 1969 – they have featured in every edition since, winning three silvers and four bronzes when it was a senior competition until 1999. When it became an U-23 tournament from 2001, the Young Lions won three bronzes in 2007, 2009 and 2013. After the age limit was further lowered to 22, Singapore have not made the podium and reached a nadir in 2023, when they finished bottom of their group and were thumped 7-0 by arch-rivals Malaysia. The Straits Times understands that the FAS will challenge the decision. It has made preparations for the U-22 side to play friendlies against the Philippines and Malaysia – both teams did not make the semi-finals in 2023 – in August to back up their appeal. On the situation, FAS president Forrest Li said at its media day on Aug 6: 'There is a selection process and certain criteria, and it's not just for football, there are a lot of sports and we understand that. What we can do now is to try our best to meet the selection criteria, and I think we still have a very decent chance (of the team competing at the SEA Games). 'We are working very closely with all the stakeholders... (who) understand it is important for our fans to see our football teams at the SEA Games, and this provides a tremendous opportunity for our young footballers. So, we will keep trying.' In athletics, two-time SEA Games marathon champion Soh was left out of the squad despite meeting the 2hr 35min 49sec qualifying mark – he clocked 2:27:49 at the Houston Marathon in January. The SNOC said in its statement: 'The SNOC selection committee has not supported the nomination of Soh Rui Yong at this stage. The SNOC has been in dialogue with Singapore Athletics regarding his nomination, and should Singapore Athletics choose to re-submit it, the SNOC will review the nomination through its appeals committee in due course. 'The SNOC reaffirms its commitment to sending athletes who not only meet the performance benchmarks but also uphold the values and behaviours expected of Singapore's national representatives. Representing the nation is both a privilege and a responsibility that demands sporting excellence and exemplary character.' Soh, Singapore's fastest marathoner (2:22:59) who won gold in 2015 and 2017, was also not selected for the SEA Games in 2019 and 2022, as well as the 2018 Asian Games, following clashes with the SNOC. The SNOC previously noted that Soh's conduct and behaviour 'have continued to fall short' of the standards it expects of and holds its athletes to. In athletics, double SEA Games marathon champion Soh was left out of the squad despite meeting the 2hr 35min 49sec qualifying mark – he clocked 2:27:49 at the Houston Marathon in January. PHOTO: Soh Rui Yong However, he was picked for the 2023 SEA Games, where he did not compete in the marathon but won the 10,000m silver in Cambodia. He then missed the Asian Games in 2023 for failure to 'honour commitments which he had provided to the SNOC, including on occasions following his participation at the Cambodia 2023 SEA Games', as the organisation noted that he had 'continued to make disparaging and derisive remarks about others in the public domain'. Thanking Singapore Athletics president Lien Choong Luen and deputy general manager Bastian Dohling for attending to the matter, Soh, who turned 34 on Aug 6, said: 'I'm currently enjoying my birthday and not worrying about SEA Games selection. I'll leave it to Singapore Athletics to do the necessary, our association has been great and nothing but helpful.' Other than the Young Lions and Soh, the national polo and woodball teams, as well as men's volleyball team were not selected for the upcoming SEA Games. Additional reporting by Deepanraj Ganesan This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.
Boston Globe
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
2025 Boston Marathon: Who are the top American runners to watch on Monday?
Though Obiri and Lemma are two of the favorites, there are several other elite athletes in the field who have the means to cross the finish line first on Boylston Street. Unlike last year's Boston Marathon — where several top American runners opted not to take part in the race just a few months after the Here's a look at some of the top American athletes to follow during Monday's race. Advertisement Conner Mantz After missing the 2024 Boston Marathon following the Olympic marathon trials, Mantz is expected to make some noise on April 21 as the top U.S. men's distance runner. The winner of the 2024 Olympic marathon trials, Mantz has routinely etched his name in the record books over the last few years. At the 2023 Chicago Marathon, he finished sixth overall with a final time of 2:07:47, Advertisement Mantz — who finished 11th overall in the field during the 2023 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:10:25 — was the top American finisher at the 2024 Men's Marathon event at the 2024 Summer Olympics with an eighth-place time of 2:08:12. Clayton Young A longtime training partner of Mantz, Young is expected to make his Boston debut on April 21. Young and Mantz have routinely finished as the top two Americans in several marathons across the world in recent years, usually finishing just one place apart. Young finished second behind Mantz in the 2024 U.S. Olympic marathon trials (2:09:06) before placing behind Mantz again as the second U.S. finisher in the 2024 Olympic Games with a ninth-place time of 2:08:44. At the 2024 New York City Marathon, Young finished in seventh place (2:09:21), just behind Mantz in sixth place at 2:09:00. While both Mantz and Young are usually joined at the hip during these competitions, the 2025 Boston Marathon could offer the opportunity for Young to push past Mantz in one of the more storied competitions in distance running. Keira D'Amato The 40-year-old D'Amato D'Amato once held the American record in the marathon with a time of 2:19:12 at the 2022 Houston Marathon, before it was eventually surpassed by Emily Sisson (2:18:29) at the 2022 Chicago Marathon. In July 2023, she also set a new American record for the women's half marathon — finishing the Gold Coast Half Marathon in Australia with a time of 1:06:39. That record is now held by Weini Kelati, Advertisement 'Boston is what brought me into the marathon,' 'So it's so special to me to be coming back now, and not as someone who, before, I registered myself, paid for my own flight. That's normal, and everyone does that, but now it feels like such a privilege and a gift that they've invited me to come, they've helped me with travel arrangements. It's surreal that I've gotten to experience both sides.' One thing worth keeping tabs on D'Amato is her health, as she was forced to drop out of the 2024 Chicago Marathon in October due to a foot injury. D'Amato once held the American record in the marathon with a time of 2:19:12 at the 2022 Houston Marathon. Carlin Stiehl for The Boston Globe CJ Albertson The top U.S. finisher in the 2024 Boston Marathon (2:09:53), Albertson is looking to improve upon his seventh-place finish in Boston. Albertson — who finished fifth in the U.S. Olympic trials with a time of 2:10:07 — posted a personal record of 2:08:17 at the 2024 Chicago Marathon in October. The 31-year-old Albertson has been an effective performer during Boston's unpredictable and daunting conditions over the years. During the 2021 Boston Marathon, Albertson paced the entire field by more than two minutes at the halfway mark of the race before ultimately finishing in 10th place with a final time of 2:11:44. Advertisement Emma Bates Bates proved plenty of doubters wrong during the 2024 Boston Marathon. Despite suffering a torn plantar fascia in October 2023 that forced her to miss the Olympic trials, Bates returned to competition at the 2024 Boston Marathon and finished as the top U.S. runner with a 12th-place time of 2:27:14. Bates has been one of the most consistent competitors in Boston over the last few years — finishing in fifth place at the 2023 race with a time of 2:22:10. That showing in 2023 fell just short of the fastest time by an American woman in Boston, narrowly missing Shalane Flanagan's record of 2:22:02 from 2014. Emma Bates travels down Boylston street on her way to the finish line during the 2024 Boston Marathon. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff Des Linden Linden is no stranger to the Boston Marathon, as the 41-year-old distance runner In 2018, Linden became the first American woman to break the tape in Boston since Lisa Rainsberger in 1985 — posting a time of 2:39:55 on a rain-soaked course. The two-time Olympian finished third overall among American runners during the 2024 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:28:27. Related : Sara Hall Another accomplished athlete in Boston, Hall finished 15th overall (and second among U.S. women) during the 2024 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:27:58. Hall — who finished 17th overall at the 2023 Boston Marathon (2:25:48) — also finished in fifth place at the 2024 U.S. Olympic marathon trials, finishing with a time of 2:26:06. Jessica McClain McClain served as an alternate for the U.S. Olympic marathon team at the 2024 Summer Games. She earned a spot on the squad after placing fourth in the Olympic marathon trials with a time of 2:25:46, setting a personal best by close to four minutes. Advertisement McClain's first world major was the 2024 New York City Marathon, where she finished eighth overall with a time of 2:27:19. Dakotah Popehn Another regular participant in Boston, Popehn is coming off of a successful 2024 where she earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic marathon team. Popehn punched her ticket to Paris by finishing third in the Olympic marathon trials with a time of 2:25:31, eventually finishing in 12th place at the Summer Games with a time of 2:26:44. During Popehn's last Boston Marathon in 2023, she finished in 27th place with a time of 2:33:53. Zach Panning Panning turned heads during the 2024 Olympic marathon trials, leading for a majority of the race before eventually finishing in sixth place with a time of 2:10:50. The 30-year-old distance runner finished 10th in the 2024 Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:09:16. Daniel Romanchuk A lauded para-athlete who took home a gold medal in the 400 meters (T54) at the 2020 Summer Paralympics before winning gold in the 5000 meters (T54) at the 2024 Summer Paralympics, Romanchuk also has two Boston Marathon wins on his resume — winning the 2019 race with a time of 1:21:36 and the 2022 race in 1:26:58. Romanchuk, who became the first American to win Boston since 1993 during that 2019 victory, finished in second place during both the 2023 and 2024 races, coming up behind Switzerland's Marcel Hug in both events. Susannah Scaroni Another standout participant in Boston, Scaroni finished fourth overall in the women's wheelchair division in 2016, third in 2014, 2015, and 2017, and second in 2018 before winning the race in 2023 with a final time of 1:41:45. Advertisement Scaroni — who won a gold medal in the 5000 meters (T54) at the 2020 Summer Paralympics — will look to claim another title in Boston after having to withdraw just ahead of the 2024 race due to a shoulder injury. Conor Ryan can be reached at
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Austin woman tackles Tokyo Marathon decade after brain tumor removal, relearning to walk
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Running a single marathon is a massive accomplishment in and of itself. Running a marathon after having a brain tumor removed, and needing to relearn how to walk? That's nothing short of miraculous. That's the journey Austinite Sara Ferniza began more than a decade ago, when a fall and head injury in 2013 revealed an undetected brain tumor growing. After an emergency room visit and an MRI uncovered the tumor in her brain, Ferniza sought the advice of a neurosurgeon in Chicago — who confirmed the tumor had likely been slowly growing in her brain for years. At first, doctors told her its slow growth didn't warrant any immediate action. In 2015, a follow-up series of MRIs revealed the tumor had grown to the size of a plum, and doctors encouraged her it was time to remove it. 'He says, 'Sara, your tumor is on top of your brain, very close to the motor skills that affect your left side of your body, my leg and my left arm,' she told KXAN. 'Of course, being a runner and being passionate about fitness, I said, well, since we have to remove it, let's do it sooner rather than later.' She scheduled the surgery for June 2015, facing a 50/50 chance of not being able to walk or run as a result of the surgery. Following the procedure, doctors confirmed it was a benign, non-cancerous tumor — but Ferniza was in the throws of recovery after developing a drop foot on her left side and losing the ability to walk. After a 14-week bout of intensive physical therapy, Ferniza began to reintroduce consistent, assisted walking into her routine, starting off at 15 minutes a day and building up. 'I had to be assisted to go out for walks daily, several times a day. And needless to say, that was very challenging,' she said. 'I was very fortunate that I was able to get friends — the running community here in Austin was incredible. My friends at Rogue Running were able to bring me meals for myself and my family, as well as walk with me. That was my biggest ask. Can you please go with me for a walk? Because this is going to help my recovery.' At a medical follow-up several months into therapy and recuperation, she had one question for her doctor: When can I run my next marathon? 'He said, 'Sara, most patients ask me when can I walk? You want to run a marathon?'' she recounted. Seven months after her surgery, Ferniza crossed the finish line at the Houston Marathon, serving as a pacer for the race. For Ferniza, the Austin running community doubles as her second family, a source of inspiration and fuel to push herself harder and to not give up on her goals, dreams and aspirations. When it came to bouncing back from her surgery and rebuilding her fitness, she said that community served as a cornerstone and a reminder to keep going. 'I think I was just trying to prove that no matter what obstacles are in front of you, if you really focus and you work hard and have a lot of faith, you can overcome those obstacles,' she said. 'It takes a lot of people. I'm fortunate to have a very big running community that supported me through the journey and that fueled me. Also, the fact that I have a family, two daughters, that I like to set an example for, it was huge and that kept me motivated.' In the near-decade since that first race back, Ferniza has leaned into her own strength and her community support to tackle yet another momentous goal: Completing the Abbott World Marathon Majors' six races in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City. That dream became a reality earlier this month, when she crossed the finish line at the Tokyo Marathon on March 2 and earned her sixth Star Medal. 'I've been striving for this marathon, for the Marathon Majors, for 10 years, and that coincidentally happened after my brain surgery,' she said. 'I've been very fortunate for the last three years, my three international marathons — London, Berlin and Tokyo — I've been able to run as an Abbott employee and part of [Team Abbott]. That gives me great pleasure to be able to represent a company that embodies running and fitness and health and be part of the team, so it has come full circle for me.' Looking ahead, Ferniza said she hasn't decided on her next marathon yet, but she is serving as an ambassador for the annual Statesman Cap10K race on April 6 in Austin. Whether people want to run it, jog it, walk it or anything in between, she said it's a testament to the enduring spirit of Austin — and the running communities within it. 'That is a big hometown party,' she said, smiling. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
