sport

Italian teenager breaks an 18-year-old record in China to become the youngest pole sitter in Formula One history.

Italian ⁠teenager Kimi Antonelli said it was “just the beginning” after he set a pole record in China with Mercedes predecessor and seven-times world champion ⁠Lewis Hamilton lavishing praise on him.

At 19 years, six months and 17 days Antonelli became the youngest Formula One driver ever to take pole position for a full Grand Prix on Saturday.

“A great record. ⁠It’s going to take a while for someone to ever get close to that one,” Ferrari driver Hamilton, whose seat Antonelli took in 2025, told a news conference after qualifying third.

The previous record was set by now-retired German driver Sebastian Vettel when he put Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls) on ‌pole at the age of 21 and 72 days at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.

Big question marks hung over Antonelli when he arrived at Mercedes as a rookie alongside George Russell, the current championship leader, after Hamilton shocked the sport by moving to rivals Ferrari.

Pundits questioned whether the then-18-year-old could live up to Hamilton’s legacy, even as Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff consistently touted the Italian as a top-tier talent.

“He took my seat! And he hit ⁠it hard from the get-go, so it’s really great to see him ⁠progressing and he really deserves it,” a beaming Hamilton said while sat next to Antonelli.

The Italian was his country’s first pole sitter since Giancarlo Fisichella for Mercedes-powered Force India, the team that is now Aston Martin, in Belgium in 2009.

“I’m ⁠very happy because at the end, you know, it’s just the beginning,” said Antonelli, who had a sprint pole in Miami last year but ⁠has yet to win a race.

“Obviously there’s a lot more ⁠to come. And, yeah, really looking forward to tomorrow … the car is feeling really good, the car is strong so, yeah, a lot to play for tomorrow.”

Antonelli was helped by Russell having no battery and getting stuck in gear at ‌the start of the final phase and then getting only one flying lap for pole, which he converted into second place on the grid.

“Many said the kid was too young to be ‌in ‌a Mercedes, we should have prepared him otherwise. He did good today,” said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.

“It’s a shame that George couldn’t do the lap.”

Former champion Max Verstappen was only eighth fastest, continuing an unhappy weekend in a clearly struggling Red Bull.

Sunday’s Grand Prix will be raced over 56 laps of the 5.451km (3.387-mile) Shanghai International Circuit.

Times columnist Mirjam Swanson is right. Bam Adebayo is an impostor. If ever there was justification for an asterisk next to a record, his illegitimate assault on a scoring record is it. It was contrived and shameful.

Ron Yukelson
San Luis Obispo

Agree with Times columnist Mirjam Swanson, Bam Adebayo’s a fraud! It was a total setup once he got close to Kobe’s record-setting 81 points. Both teams … the Heat and the Wizards … conspired with their flopping and intentional fouling to get him to 83. Is this what the NBA has sunk to? Shame, shame.

Marty Zweben
Palos Verdes Estates

Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game, while impressive, appeared to be a sloppy affair comparable to an All-Star game full of dunks and threes. His field-goal percentage was under 50%. He shot 43 free throws. which was somewhat of an NBA disgrace. Kobe’s 81 took place in a game that was close most of the way, meant getting into a playoff spot, and demonstrated Kobe’s artistry in a majestic display of the entire offensive arsenal he worked so hard to perfect. He was a maestro and savant. I feel like he has been soiled.

Dell Franklin
Cayucos

There has already been much complaining about Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game, complaining that his teammates fed him the ball hoping that he would surpass Kobe’s single-game total of 81. Those of us of a certain age know that the exact same thing happened when Wilt scored 100 in 1962. Perhaps the thing to do is not to look to diminish this effort, but to appreciate it for the accomplishment it is. Congratulations to Bam.

Ronald O. Richards
Los Angeles

Antonelli’s new record – he is 19 years and 212 days old – beat the previous held by Sebastian Vettel, who was 21 years and 72 days old when he took pole at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.

Antonelli said he was “very happy” but accepted that he might well not have taken pole had Russell had a problem-free qualifying.

He said: “George had an issue, so probably could have been a different story but happy to be on pole for the first time.”

Russell described his second place as “damage limitation” after a litany of problems through qualifying.

The championship leader said: “It was a crazy session. Front wing broke at the end of Q2. The team weren’t sure it had broken but I was sure it had. Then got stranded on track and just made it back out in time. It was more a case of just getting a lap done.

“P2 is better than I was expecting when I started the lap with no battery and tyre temperature. Really happy to be here because I could have been down in 10th.”

In the first session, Leclerc became the first driver to beat Russell in a competitive session this year with a time just under 0.1secs quicker than the Briton.

Then in the second session, Russell ended up third fastest behind Antonelli and Leclerc after he suffered a broken front wing flap.

Heading out for the final session with a new wing, Russell’s car stopped on track on his out lap as the gearbox refused to change gear.

Antonelli drove past his team-mate as he set the fastest time on his first flying lap, 0.3secs quicker than Leclerc.

After frantic work in the garage, Mercedes managed to fix Russell’s car by applying a series of default procedures such as switching the car off and on again and swapping out the steering wheel.

He got just out in time to set a lap but his rushed preparation meant the car was not in its optimum condition as he went for a time.

However, Antonelli had his own problems on his final run – he suffered the same front wing problem has Russell had done in Q2.

Hamilton, who tussled with Russell for the lead in the opening laps of the sprint race earlier on Saturday, was 0.351secs off pole and said he had hopes of challenging the Mercedes again in the grand prix.

“It was a really tough qualifying,” Hamilton said. “A bit harder with the wind. It is so gusty today. So challenging.

“Really happy and grateful to be up here with these guys. Engineers did some great work over the break and managed to get a little closer to these guys.

“It’s still going to be a challenge but I am sure we’re going to have some fun. Learned a lot in the sprint race and our goal is to break the gap to these guys somehow.”

The McLarens were just over 0.1secs behind the Ferraris and Norris said: “We’re happy we’re close to them, gives us a good shot at tomorrow.”

But Verstappen was downcast to be nearly a second off the pace in the Red Bull.

“We change a lot on the car, and it makes zero difference,” the four-time world champion said.

“The whole weekend we’ve been off. The car is completely undriveable. I cannot even put a bit of a reference in. Every lap is like survival.”

Who: Manchester United vs Aston Villa
What: English football’s Premier League
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom
When: Sunday March 15, at 2pm (14:00 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera’s live coverage begins at 11:00 GMT

Manchester United and Aston Villa face a crunch clash on Sunday in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification.

The pair hold third and fourth spots respectively in the Premier League, with United edging Villa on goal difference, while Chelsea and Liverpool sit three points behind the pair in fifth and sixth.

With only the top four being guaranteed a place at the top table of European football, the encounter at Old Trafford holds huge value to both with nine games to go of the season.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the match.

Man Utd look to bounce back from first defeat under Carrick

Manchester United’s ⁠interim manager Michael Carrick on Friday said his players were “itching to get going” again, after suffering their first ⁠defeat under his leadership.

Last week, 10-man Newcastle United ended Carrick’s unbeaten run since he replaced Ruben ⁠Amorim in January.

“I understand the first defeat feels different but it was going to come at ‌some point. Most teams have suffered that at some point,” Carrick told reporters.

“It has been a really good week in some ways, we have put ourselves in a position where there is a lot to play for.”

Carrick brushes off Scholes dig at Man Utd

United’s ⁠defeat by Newcastle prompted a dig from former player Paul Scholes, ⁠who wrote on Instagram: “Michael has definitely got something special about him … cos Utd have been crap last four games.”

Asked about his former teammate’s comment, Carrick said: “It was nothing really, nothing to say about it really.

“I think that is just where we are in terms of social media and things, and captions and quotes. It can be taken in different ways, so just be calm about it and understand the real meaning of things.

“Listen, there are different opinions out there and it’s fine. People can have different opinions.

“It’s just things get taken from one extreme to another. It is what it is. I am not worried about it and don’t make a big deal of it either.

“There’s nothing to say about it, really,” he said.

How have Aston Villa fared in the Premier League this season?

Villa had a turbulent start to the campaign, as they failed to register a win in their first five league matches – losing two. A run of 12 league wins in 13, however, propelled them into a title challenge by the turn of the year.

A 4-1 defeat at Arsenal on New Year’s Eve marked the start of another downturn, though, with only three wins recorded in 11 games starting with the defeat in London.

The midlands club have lost three of their last five on the road in the league, recording only one win in that time.

Last up for Man Utd

United suffered their first defeat under Carrick in their match at Newcastle United on March 4.

The home side were reduced to 10 men when Jacob Ramsey was sent off on the stroke of half-time.

It came in a frantic end to the first half that saw Anthony Gorden give Newcastle an injury-time lead from the penalty spot, only for Casemiro to head home an equaliser to send the sides in level.

William Osula netted the winner in the 90th minute to give Eddie Howe’s side all three points despite their numerical disadvantage.

“It was disappointing the way the game ended (against Newcastle) but we have digested that, looked at it and learned from it,” Carrick said ahead of the Villa match.

“We have trained really well this week and the boys are itching to get going.”

Last up for Aston Villa

Villa were 1-0 winners at Lille in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, ending a four-game winless streak that included three defeats.

Ollie Watkins scored the only goal of the game in the 61st minute.

The return leg will be played at Villa Park on Thursday.

What happened the last time Man Utd played Aston Villa?

Villa recorded a 2-1 win in the reverse Premier League fixture at Villa Park in November, despite an encouraging display for Ruben Amorim’s United.

Morgan Rogers scored both goals for Villa – his first was scored in the 45th minute but United were level in first-half stoppage time through Matheus Cunha.

What happened in the corresponding fixture between Man Utd and Villa last season?

United were 2-1 winners in the Premier League match at Old Trafford last season.

The Red Devils were greatly aided by the sending off of Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez just before the break.

Amad Diallo and an 87th minute Christian Eriksen penalty sealed the win for the home side.

Head-to-head

This will be the 202nd meeting between the clubs with Manchester United winning 107 of the matches. Aston Villa have won 52 of the encounters, which date back to November 1892 and a 2-0 home win for United in the old Division One.

Manchester United team news

Carrick said Mason Mount had taken a “big step” and could return from a two-month absence against Villa this weekend.

The ‌midfielder missed their last six league games due to injury.

“He is an important player for us,” he said.

“He is not 100 percent and he has only trained for a small period of time. ‌But ‌he is back and that’s good for us. We will see if he is involved on Sunday. That is it in terms of the players coming back.”

Matthijs de Ligt, Patrick Dorgu and Mason Mount all remain absent though, and Lisandro Martinez has been added to that list with a calf injury, while there remains an injury doubt over Luke Shaw.

The defender was forced off with injury in the defeat by Newcastle, but Noussair Mazraoui, who also came off injured in that game, is set to be available.

Aston Villa team news

Midfielder John McGinn returned to action at Lille on Thursday night and could be in line for a start at Old Trafford.

Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara remain absent through injury, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the Villa lineup.

Right-back Matty Cash is also a doubt having missed the Lille match after picking up a knock in Villa’s last Premier League outting.

Manchester United predicted starting lineup

Lammens; Mazraoui, Yoro, Maguire, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo, Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko

Aston Villa predicted starting lineup

Martinez; Bogarde, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Luiz, Onana, Sancho, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins

Friday’s Results

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

Bell 11, Palisades 3 (8 innings)

Eagle Rock 11, Stella 1

El Camino Real 5, Cleveland 1

Fairfax 13, Dorsey 3

Fremont 5, Lincoln 0

Gardena 13, Santee 4

Garfield 3, Venice 2

LA Wilson 7, Vaughn 6

Monroe 11, King/Drew 2

Northridge Academy 5, AMIT 0

Panorama 14, Reseda 11

Rancho Dominguez 13, Westchester 3

SOCES 17, Canoga Park 1

Sun Valley Magnet 12, Collins Family 0

Van Nuys 5, Chavez 1

SOUTHERN SECTION

AAE 11, CIMSA 0

Aliso Niguel 11, Fullerton 8

Anaheim Canyon 8, El Modena 7

Apple Valley 8, Serrano 5

Arcadia 11, Muir 1

Arlington 1, Liberty 0

Arroyo 20, Downey Calvary Chapel 1

Baldwin Park 22, Sierra Vista 5

Beaumont 7, Desert Hot Springs 0

Big Bear 14, Pacific 10

Bishop Montgomery 9, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 0

Bishop Union 10, Legacy Christian Academy 0

Bolsa Grande 6, Saddleback 5

Brea Olinda 3, El Toro 1

Burbank Burroughs 18, Glendale 1

Calvary Baptist 11, Rosemead 1

Canyon Springs 10, Hemet 7

Carpinteria 5, Nordhoff 2

Cathedral 11, Bosco Tech 6

Coachella Valley 6, Yucca Valley 0

Corona Santiago 8, Chino Hills 4

Costa Mesa 10, Ocean View 2

Crescenta Valley 8, Hoover 2

Cypress 14, JSerra 2

Diamond Bar 9, Santa Ana 1

Don Lugo 3, Upland 3

Dos Pueblos 11, Buena 3

Duarte 5, Azusa 3

Eastvale Roosevelt 7, Whittier Christian 0

Edgewood 11, Gabrielino 3

El Segundo 2, North Torrance 1

Elsinore 5, Rancho Verde 4

Fountain Valley 6, Los Alamitos 2

Hart 16, Canyon Country Canyon 6

Heritage Christian 7, Channel Islands 0

Hesperia 11, Ridgecrest Burroughs 8

Huntington Beach 4, Edison 1

Indian Springs 4, San Bernardino 3

Irvine 9, Northwood 1

Irvine University 7, St. Margaret’s 5

Jurupa Valley 4, La Sierra 2

Katella 6, Laguna Hills 4

Knight 10, Eastside 1

La Canada 13, Temple City 3

Lancaster 11, Antelope Valley 0

La Salle 6, St. Paul 5

La Serna 7, Whittier 2

Long Beach Poly 7, Long Beach Jordan 5

Long Beach Wilson 5, Long Beach Cabrillo 1

Los Amigos 4, Magnolia 3

Lucerne Valley 11, Silver Valley 5

Marina 5, Newport Harbor 4

Mark Keppel 12, San Gabriel 3

Mary Star of the Sea 13, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 5

Mayfair 6, Garden Grove 1

Millikan 8, Compton 0

Miller 20, Entrepreneur 0

Montebello 6, Alhambra 1

Moreno Valley 5, Heritage 3

Newbury Park 16, Camarillo 3

New Roads 7, Brentwood 5

Nogales 10, Garey 4

Norwalk 9, Dominguez 4

Nuview Bridge 6, Riverside North 0

Oak Hills 12, Sultana 8

Orange 10, Savanna 5

Orange Vista 9, Lakeside 3

Oxnard Pacifica 8, Oxnard 0

Palos Verdes 3, Mira Costa 1

Paramount 19, Firebaugh 6

Placentia Valencia 11, Godinez 1

Ramona 11, Norte Vista 1

Rancho Christian 18, Hillcrest 7

Rancho Cucamonga 6, Alta Loma 3

Rio Hondo Prep 10, Escondido Charter 10

Riverside Poly 6, Paloma Valley 1

Royal 7, Moorpark 0

Rubidoux 5, Patriot 4

Salesian 19, Verbum Dei 5

San Juan Hills 10, Citrus Valley 1

San Marcos 2, Rio Mesa 1

Santa Aba Calvary Chapel 3, Buena Park 0

Santa Ana Foothill 7, Cajon 0

Santa Fe 7, California 0

Santa Margarita 19, Los Osos 9

Santa Paula 9, Malibu 3

Saugus 12, Castaic 9

Schurr 7, Bell Gardens 3

Segerstrom 8, La Palma Kennedy 4

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 4, Paraclete 1

Sierra Canyon 9, Valencia 1

Simi Valley 17, Oak Park 0

SLOCA 6, Valley Christian Academy 4

Southlands Christian 12, Bassett 5

St. Anthony 9, St. Monica 6

St. Bernard 8, Gardena Serra 5

Sunny Hills 9, Esperanza 2

Tesoro 6, Yorba Linda 3

Twentynine Palms 20, Desert Christian Academy 2

University Prep 34, Mojave 0

Valley View 10, Citrus Hill 2

Ventura 11, Santa Barbara 6

Victor Valley Christian 8, ACE 7

Villa Park 6, La Habra 1

Vista del Lago 13, Perris 3

Vista Murrieta 13, Yucaipa 5

Western 5, Santa Ana Valley 1

West Ranch 3, Golden Valley 0

Woodbridge 5, Laguna Beach 4

INTERSECTIONAL

Boron 30, Immanuel Christian 1

Carson 3, Lakewood 0

El Rancho 2, LA Roosevelt 1

HMSA 11, Animo Venice 1 (5 innings)

Lee Vining 11, Trona 11

Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 4, Triumph Charter 2

South Gate 16, South El Monte 6

Temecula Valley 6, Henderson (NV) Basic 3

Thousand Oaks 8, Skyline (ID) 0

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Carson 13, Venice 1

Granada Hills Kennedy 2, SOCES 1

LA Wilson 16, Rancho Dominguez 6

Narbonne 18, Contreras 2

Orthopaedic 20, Jefferson 1

Santee 26, Gardena 17

Sylmar 16, Fulton 0

Torres 16, Bernstein 6

SOUTHERN SECTION

Aliso Niguel 9, Garden Grove Pacifica 1

Alta Loma 11, Grand Terrace 4

Azusa 15, Nogales 1

Bishop Amat 8, Rancho Cucamonga 6

Bishop Conaty-Loretto 10, Hawthorne 0

Bloomington 17, Vista del Lago 3

Brentwood 15, Inglewood 3

Charter Oak 12, Don Lugo 4

Colton 8, Woodcrest Christian 0

Dana Hills 8, Woodbridge 0

Dos Pueblos 9, Buena 0

Duarte 12, Baldwin Park 2

Edgewood 14, Southland Christian 3

Etiwanda 9, Ganesha 8

Flintridge Sacred Heart 2, Burbank Providence 1

Jurupa Valley 20, La Sierra 1

La Canada 15, South Pasadena 0

Liberty 19, Heritage 5

Linfield Christian 15, Temecula Valley 4

Loara 27, Costa Mesa 3

Lucerne Valley 29, Silver Valley 12

Maranatha 5, Santa Monica 3

Mark Keppel 18, Mountain View 13

Monrovia 5, Temple City 1

Newbury Park 14, Channel Islands 0

Northview 6, Ontario Christian 2

Northview 6, Western Christian 2

Ocean View 15, Corona del Mar 2

Orange 11, Estancia 0

Orange Vista 11, Rancho Verde 1

Oxnard 9, Oxnard Pacifica 1

Paloma Valley 3, Valley View 1

Pasadena Marshall 20, Elizabeth 2

Patriot 13, Rubidoux 0

Placentia Valencia 7, Anaheim 6

Portola 15, Oxford Academy 5

Redlands East Valley 4, Canyon Springs 1

Rio Mesa 7, San Marcos 2

Riverside Prep 21, Hesperia 2

San Bernardino 20, Indian Springs 0

San Dimas 10, Diamond Bar 0

San Marino 18, Blair 0

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 10, Westminster La Quinta 0

Santa Ana Valley 16, Century 6

Serrano 17, PACS 1

Sierra Vista 13, Garey 2

South El Monte 22, Rowland 12

South Hills 15, Lakewood 1

St. Bonaventure 21, Santa Paula 5

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 31, Beverly Hills 1

Sunny Hills 10, Cerritos 7

Twentynine Palms 21l Banning 15

University Prep 13, Sultana 7

West Torrance 5, Redondo Union 3

Whittier Christian 8, Arrowhead Christian 0

Wiseburn-Da Vinci 10, Culver City 0

Yucca Valley 18, Coachella Valley 7

INTERSECTIONAL

Chadwick 13, Palisades 2

Leuzinger 6, South Gate 2

Pasadena Marshall 20, Elizabeth 2

Riverside King 1, Clovis North 0

Riverside King 12, Hollister 5

South Torrance 6, San Pedro 4

Taft 22, Hueneme 3

Torrance 5, Wilmington Banning 3

Van Nuys 13, Immaculate Heart 12

West Ranch 9, El Camino Real 1

When Zyw was diagnosed with MND, he was working as a sommelier and wine buyer in London. His first symptom was his left thumb going numb.

Initially misdiagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome, Zyw “had no reason to think about this impossible, improbable diagnosis at the time”.

A third of those diagnosed with the devastating disease die within a year, half die within two. Zyw is one of the “lucky ones”.

While his disease has progressed slowly, he has now lost most of the functionality in his hands, and the muscles in his upper body are wasting away.

A return to snowboarding was one of the positives in the dark aftermath of his diagnosis.

Having learned to snowboard as a child on a dry slope in Edinburgh, he competed as a freestyler into his early 20s before a knee injury put paid to that.

“I learned very quickly that the only aspect of this diagnosis in my control is my attitude towards it,” he added.

“I couldn’t affect how quickly the disease was going to manifest itself, how quickly I was going to fall off a cliff, how quickly I was going to lose motor functions.

“When I held on to that positive message, every day became easier and that’s what I’ve done every day since.”

The Davy Zyw Fan Club has been out in full force at the Games, flying British and Scottish flags and donning blue beanies emblazoned with his surname to watch him in action.

On a bus up to the snowboard park, an impromptu chant of “No Davy, No Party” sounded out, renditions of which carried on throughout the day.

Among those singing course-side were Zyw’s wife Yvie and four-year-old son Aleksander, who was “shouting his head off in celebration and admiration” as his daddy whizzed past during the opening run.

That race, however, did not end as he had hoped – in hospital with two broken ribs after a heavy crash, having already injured his knee in official training.

Such is the pain from his broken ribs, he cannot laugh nor sneeze but nothing was going to stop him being back in the start gate for Friday’s banked slalom.

In that, he finished 19th – but that is irrelevant. This Paralympic experience was never about the medals or results.

“Two years ago I wouldn’t have been classifiable as a Para-athlete and in two years’ time I’m not going to be a competitive snowboarder,” he said.

“So I’m in this sort of tragic period of my diagnosis where I’m ill enough to be classified as a Para-athlete, but well enough to still be able to rip down on my snowboard.

“I’m grateful for the fact that the Games have come at this moment, because in a few years’ time it wouldn’t have been possible.”

Kelly: Let’s try and get to know you a little bit more away from the pitch. Firstly, I always like asking: what were you like as a youngster?

Nathan: If you asked my mam or dad, they’d say I was a headcase! I was just a bit itchy, I always had to move. I could never sit still and relax. I always had to do something. So they had to burn me out. I always wanted to be in the grass or playing football, just running around to drain my energy. I think I was hard work for my parents, I’d say it like that!

Kelly: It sounds like maybe it was quite a chaotic household. How many siblings have you got?

Nathan: I’ve got an older brother, a younger sister and a younger brother. I think it was just a constant battle of me trying to beat my older brother. It was just so hard because the age difference. We all had training at different times and they’d be running out of the house and you’d forget your boots or they’d be taking two cars in different directions. It was a bit of a carnage, but you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Kelly: Are you still close now?

Nathan: Ah yeah, of course. I talk to them more or less every day on the phone. Every chance I get to go home I will. My mam goes to every game – home and away. She watches them all.

Kelly: So she flies over? Are they still in Ireland?

Nathan: Yeah, they live in Ireland, so she flies over and she goes everywhere to be fair.

Kelly: Home and away?

Nathan: Yeah.

Kelly: That is some commitment!

Nathan: I know, I tell her, ‘listen, you don’t have to’ and she’s like, ‘no, I want to’.

Kelly: Not everyone’s got a son that’s a Premier League footballer though… I kind of get the appeal!

Nathan: Yeah, I don’t think that she watches the matches. I think that she just looks at me the whole game and sees what I’m doing. She’ll come after, ‘Why were you scratching your leg so much in the match?’ … ‘I don’t know. How do you know that?’

Kelly: Aw, bless her, that’s really sweet. How would your best friend describe you?

Nathan: I’d like to think that they’d describe me as the same lad I was growing up. The first thing that would pop in their head… they wouldn’t say I’m a footballer. I think they’d just say, ‘ah Nathan, he’s just a good lad like… he’s a bit of craic and he comes out when he can’ … but I don’t think that they’d look at me as a footballer, which I really enjoy. And it just means when I’m with them, I can just be myself and just enjoy being one of the lads.

Kelly: So if the manager gives you a day off, what would you do?

Nathan: It depends. If it’s a weekday and it’s good weather, I’ll play golf with a few of the lads here and we’ll get out in the sun.

Kelly: Are you any good?

Nathan: I’m all right. Listen, I can play. I’m not the greatest, but I’m not the worst.

Kelly: Who do you play with here?

Nathan: The group right now is me, Keane Lewis-Potter, Kris Ajer, Hakon Valdimarsson. It’s a good crew because we have a lot of players and we do a little Ryder Cup-style.

Kelly: Oh nice!

Nathan: So it’s staff v players.

Kelly: Wow!

Nathan: Yeah, because there’s a lot of players. We did that last year. We did 18 holes in the morning, we went for some lunch, and then we did 18 holes in the afternoon and it was really good fun. Players won, so thank God!

Kelly: Oh, that was my next question. Have you got any secret hobbies?

Nathan: I like cooking, so that’s something. When I cook, I think I just forget about everything. I’m just in my own little zone and my head kind of goes quiet, which is nice.

Kelly: Are you a good cook?

Nathan: It depends who you ask…

Kelly: If I was asking your girlfriend…

Nathan: Yeah, she’s actually saying: ‘Ah, you’re getting better at cooking!’

Kelly: That’s a bit patronising!

Nathan: Yeah, and I was like… ‘Does that mean I was bad?’

Kelly: Fair enough. What do people get wrong about you the most?

Nathan: Maybe I get a bit of stereotypical: ‘Ah, he’s just a footballer.’ Maybe they get that and then think, ‘oh, he’s actually pretty nice to talk to… he’s all right… he’s kind of relaxed… he’s chill’.

I always want to be just a good person as well. That’s important for me, just to be a nice person, a good person, a caring person. As much as I want to be the best footballer I can ever be, I also want to be the best person I can be and I think that’s something that I always strive towards as well.

Kelly: What’s the toughest moment of your career been? Has there been a tough moment?

Nathan: I had one game for Brentford against Wolves and I had two mistakes in the game. I gave away two goals, we lost 3-1 or something like that and I got battered off the Wolves fans because I’d just left Wolves and the fans had so much to go against me, so much stick. I was like, ‘oh my God, this couldn’t have got any worse’.

To be fair, that night Thomas Frank rang me and he was like, ‘listen Nathan, that’s probably the worst game you’ll ever have in your career’, and he’s like, ‘so it’s only up from here’.

At Matomas High, Sacramento

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

Boys

DIVISION II

San Ramon Valley 4, Mira Monte 1

DIVISION IV

Irvine University 3, Del Mar 2

Girls

DIVISION II

San Ramon Valley 1, Westlake 0

DIVISION IV

Marin Catholic 4, Coachella Valley 1

DIVISION V

Lowell 2, Coastal Academy 0

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

Boys

DIVISION I

Everett Alvarez vs. Santa Ana Mater Dei, 8 p.m.

DIVISION III

Watsonville vs. Los Alamitos, 3 p.m.

DIVISION V

Branson vs. Los Angeles Garfield, 10 a.m.

Girls

DIVISION I

Oakland Bishop O’Dowd vs. Santa Ana Mater Dei, 5:30 p.m.

DIVISION III

Salinas vs. Quartz Hill, 12:30 p.m.

CIF STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Golden 1 Center, Sacramento

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

Boys

DIVISION I

Damien 58, Folsom 55

DIVISION III

Antioch Cornerstone Christian 74, Birmingham 64

DIVISION V

San Marin 89, Sylmar 64

Girls

DIVISION I

Corona Centennial 73, Clovis 66

DIVISION III

Placentia El Dorado 42, San Jose Valley Christian 40

DIVISION V

Woodland Christian 63, Laguna Hills 30

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

Boys

OPEN DIVISION

Sierra Canyon (29-1) vs. Richmond Salesian (29-3), 8 p.m.

DIVISION II

Bakersfield Christian (24-11) vs. San Joaquin Memorial (27-7), 4 p.m.

DIVISION IV

San Juan Hills (21-14) vs. Atherton Sacred Heart Prep (20-11), 12 p.m.

Girls

OPEN DIVISION

Ontario Christian (33-2) vs. Archbishop Mitty (28-2), 6 p.m.

DIVISION II

Santa Maria St. Joseph (17-15) vs. Sierra Pacific (24-11), 2 p.m.

DIVISION IV

Palisades (16-13) vs. Yuba City Faith Christian (33-1), 10 a.m.

HOUSTON — Aaron Judge doubled and Pete Crow-Armstrong and Brice Turang each had two hits as the United States beat Canada 5-3 on Friday night to reach the World Baseball Classic semifinals.

The U.S. squad rebounded after an 8-6 loss to Italy in pool play left them needing help to advance to this round.

The Americans move on to face the Dominican Republic in a semifinal on Sunday in Miami. It will be the team’s third straight appearance in the semifinals and the fourth overall.

It’s another big win for the U.S. over its neighbors to the north, coming after the U.S. hockey team beat Canada 2-1 in overtime to win the gold medal at the Milan Olympics last month.

Bo Naylor hit a two-run homer in Canada’s three-run sixth that cut the deficit to two runs. But the U.S. bullpen closed it out, capped by Mason Miller striking out the side in the ninth for the save.

Canada, which was in the quarterfinals for the first time, fell to 1-5 against the U.S. in the WBC.

Canada trailed by five runs when Owen Caissie walked with one out in the sixth and moved to second on a groundout by Abraham Toro. Tyler Black’s RBI single off Brad Keller cut the lead to 5-1.

Naylor’s shot to the second deck in right field came on Gabe Speier’s fifth pitch and got Canada within 5-3. It was the 10th home run the U.S. has yielded in five games in the tournament.

Canada had a shot to close the gap in the seventh when it had runners on second and third with no outs. But David Bednar retired the next three batters, with two strikeouts, to escape the jam.

U.S. starter Logan Webb gave up four hits and walked one with five strikeouts in 4⅔ innings.

Bobby Witt Jr. was on with one out in the first when Judge doubled before Witt scored on a groundout by Kyle Schwarber to give the U.S. an early lead. The double by Judge was the only extra-base hit of the night for the U.S.

Canada had a runner on first with two outs in the second when Witt made a leaping catch on a ball hit by Edouard Julien to end the inning.

The bases were loaded with two outs in the third when Alex Bregman singled on a groundball to Toro. His throw to first sailed over Josh Naylor’s head and into the dugout and two runs scored to make it 3-0.

Roman Anthony singled with one out in the sixth before a walk by Cal Raleigh. Turang singled on a grounder to center field to score Anthony and push the lead to 4-0. Crow-Armstrong sent the next pitch into center field for an RBI single before Witt grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Wood has been plagued by injuries during his career – including multiple knee and elbow operations – which have robbed England for periods of one of their finest strike bowlers.

He spent seven months rehabilitating his knee in order to be fit for the Ashes and lamented not being able to play some games for his county before heading to Australia for the series.

“I tried to get back at certain points but my knee wasn’t quite ready,” he said.

“It’s easy in hindsight, even if I was at 80% then at least the game would have given us an indicator of where I was.”

He was thought to have been close to a return in the home summer, but ultimately did not take the field until England’s only Ashes warm-up game against the Lions at Lilac Hill in November.

He bowled eight overs but was only cleared to play in the first Test following a hamstring scan.

For now, although focused on his recovery, Wood said he has been thinking about life after cricket: “I’ve started thinking about other things, doing podcasts, doing my coaching badges.

“I’ve now started to try and think for the first time about what I should do if this doesn’t go well.”

Wood – regarded as one of the fastest bowlers to play for England – has taken 119 wickets in 38 Tests since making his debut in 2015.

He was part of the 2015 Ashes-winning side, lifted the 2019 50-over World Cup and won the T20 World Cup in 2022.

Wakefield Trinity produce a dominant second-half display as they recover from 14-12 down at half-time to beat Leeds Rhinos 24-14 and reach the Challenge Cup quarter-finals for the second season in a row.

READ MORE: Wakefield beat Leeds & Wigan cruise past Bradford

Available to UK users only.

Marcus Rashford could return to Manchester United in the summer, Tottenham draw up potential replacements for Igor Tudor and Arsenal prepare Leon Goretzka deal.

England forward Marcus Rashford, 28, could return to Manchester United after his loan spell at Barcelona, who are interested in Chelsea and Portugal winger Pedro Neto, 26, as an alternative. (Mundo Deportivo – in Spanish), external

Rashford wants to stay at Barca, but talks have hit a stumbling block and sporting director Deco has proposed a second season-long loan to allow the Spanish side more time to pay off an option-to-buy fee to Manchester United. (Talksport), external

Tottenham are drawing up potential options to replace Igor Tudor as head coach if they decide another managerial change is needed. (Athletic – subscription required), external

While Tottenham boss Tudor is set to remain in charge in the short term, he has already alienated a number of players. (Talksport), external

Manchester United have a five-man shortlist of managers who could replace caretaker Michael Carrick in the summer – Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, Aston Villa‘s Unai Emery, Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth, former Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi and Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann. (Sun), external

Napoli will trigger the 44m euro (£38m) clause to buy Denmark forward Rasmus Hojlund, 23, and make his loan deal from Manchester United permanent. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Arsenal are preparing a formal offer to sign Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder Leon Goretzka, 31, as a free agent in the summer. (Teamtalk), external

However, AC Milan are also interested in Goretzka, who Bayern Munich have already confirmed will leave the club at the end of the season. (Goal), external

Liverpool will have competition from Barcelona if they pursue a move for Inter Milan and Italy centre-back Alessandro Bastoni, 26. (Sport – in Spanish), external

Manchester United are frontrunners to sign Bournemouth and United States midfielder Tyler Adams in the summer, with Chelsea and Liverpool also interested in the 27-year-old. (Teamtalk), external

Arsenal could earn about £1.7m if Juventus move for ex-Gunners and Poland defender Jakub Kiwior, 26, who joined Porto on loan in September with an obligation to buy for about £23m. (Sun), external

SACRAMENTO — Delaney Shiring, a 5-foot-10 senior at El Dorado High, kept delivering clutch baskets when her team needed them most during a nerve-racking second half that enabled the Golden Hawks to win their first state girls’ basketball championship with a 42-40 win over San José Valley Christian in the Division III final on Friday at Golden 1 Center.

“It’s amazing,” said Shiring, who finished with 15 points and six rebounds. “It’s meant to be. Everything is so historic. We bought into those big moments.”

El Dorado (24-14) appeared to have a comfortable nine-point lead midway through the third quarter when Kenedi Nomura, who scored 18 points, helped ignite a Valley Christian rally. A basket by Shiring near the end of the quarter ended a 5-0 Warriors run.

Shiring’s biggest basket came with 47 seconds left for a 41-38 lead. The lead dropped to 41-40 with 38 seconds left on a basket by Anaya Bannarbie. Then Riley Morikawa made one of two free throws with 13.1 seconds left for a two-point advantage. Valley Christian never got off a potential tying shot.

Kennedy Wood of El Dorado focus on making free throw in Division III state final.

(Greg Stein)

“They had some really good defenders,” Shiring said. “I really focus in big moments when the shot matters.”

El Dorado made the Southern Section playoffs as an at-large team before surging in the postseason under coach Matt Raya, winning a Division 4 section title and Division III regional title.

Wakefield Trinity fought back to edge a fiercely-contested West Yorkshire derby with Leeds Rhinos, while Super League leaders Wigan Warriors made short work of Bradford Bulls in round four of the Challenge Cup.

Following a lengthy delay caused by a power failure at the DIY Kitchens Stadium, Wakefield took the lead through Harvey Smith.

Leeds hit back through two tries from in-form Maika Sivo and one from Ash Handley but Oliver Pratt’s score on the stroke of half-time reduced Wakefield’s deficit to two points at the break.

Matty Storton sent the hosts in front and Ky Rodwell went over to make sure of a 24-14 win and confirm Wakefield’s place in the quarter-finals for the second successive season.

Leeds have now failed to reach the last eight since winning the competition in 2020.

Wigan overpowered Bradford at the Brick Community Stadium, scoring first-half tries through Luke Thompson, Zach Eckersley and Liam Marshall.

Adam Keighran added a fourth for Warriors before Ethan Ryan scored Bradford’s only try and debutant Dajon Sambou completed the scoring to round off a 30-6 win for the home side.

Wakefield Trinity’s fourth-round match against Leeds Rhinos in the Challenge Cup is brought to an abrupt halt after a power cut causes the stadium to be plunged into darkness just six minutes into the match.

WATCH LIVE: Challenge Cup: Wakefield v Leeds

Available to UK users only.

The Laguna Hills High girls’ basketball fan who was waving the sign, “Hawk Yea!” at the Golden 1 Center on Friday morning didn’t get much of a workout in the first half of the Division V state championship game against Woodland Christian.

The Hawks (21-12) made 15 turnovers and fell behind by 22 points at halftime. They were unable to overcome their slow start in a 63-30 loss. Woodland Christian scored the first 13 points of the second quarter and led at halftime 33-11.

The Sorbello sisters, Siena and Sofia, combined for 17 of the Cardinals’ 33 first-half points. Siena finished with 21 points and Sofia had seven.

Woodland Christian came in with a 32-3 record and was able to get the ball inside. Bailee Broward also made some outside shots, giving the Cardinals unstoppable inside-outside options. She finished with 17 points.

Baltimore Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar warms up before a game against the Rams on Oct. 12.

(Nick Wass / Associated Press)

The Chargers didn’t hesitate to bolster their run-blocking options for new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, agreeing to terms with former Baltimore Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar.

Kolar and the Chargers agreed to a three-year, $24.3-million deal that includes $17 million in guarantees, NFL Media reported.

Widely considered the best run-blocking tight end available ahead of free agency, Kolar should help an uneven Chargers running attack that forced coach Jim Harbaugh to often rely too much on quarterback Justin Herbert — even when his running backs were healthy.

Kolar can also help complement tight end Oronde Gadsden II in the passing game when necessary, but he should mostly serve as a replacement for Will Dissly, who was released by the team last week. It’s also no coincidence that Kolar played for Harbaugh’s brother, John, in Baltimore and was drafted in 2022 when Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz was the director of player personnel for the Ravens.

Kolar, 27, had 10 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns last season. In four seasons with the Ravens, he had 30 catches for 409 yards and four touchdowns.

Like most Chargers offseasons, it’s clear Hortiz is prioritizing ways to add to the Chargers’ offense while also bolstering its protection options. On Sunday, the team agreed to terms with Alec Ingold, reuniting the former Miami Dolphins fullback with McDaniel.

With the CIF state basketball championships set for Friday and Saturday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, how about a look back at some of the greatest individual performances in state history.

There was nothing quite like Tracy Murray scoring 64 points for Glendora in the 1989 Division II final at the Oakland Coliseum. Damien coach Mike LeDuc was then Glendora’s coach. Glendora lost to Menlo 89-83. Here’s a look back.

Last season, Brayden Burries scored 44 points to deliver an Open Division championship to Eastvale Roosevelt at Golden 1 Center. Here’s the report.

In 2008, Klay Thompson of Santa Margarita scored 37 points and made a record seven three-pointers at the notoriously tough Arco Arena in Sacramento to help the Eagles win the Division III title over Sacramento 72-55. Here’s the report.

Let’s not forget Josh Shipp delivering five threes to help Fairfax win the Division I title in 2004 over De La Salle 51-35, again at the tough-to-shoot Arco Arena. Here’s the report.

And how about the 2006 final when Palo Alto stunned Mater Dei 51-47 in Division II in which Jeremy Lin made a 25-foot bank shot from the top of the key. Here’s the report.

For girls, Cheryl Miller still holds the most points scored at 41 when Riverside Poly won Division I in 1982 at the Oakland Coliseum over Los Gatos 77-44. Both teams entered 33-0.

Lisa Leslie of Morningside scored 35 points in the 1990 Division 1 final in a 67-56 win over Berkeley at the Oakland Coliseum. Here’s the report.

In 2018, Charisma Osborne of Windward made six threes and finished with 26 points to help her team win the Open Division title over Pinewood 58-47. Here’s the report.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Through skiing, he has achieved that.

He first experienced the sport on a trip with friends, but it was only two years ago that he realised this was his way to make his mark on the world.

“I touched the snow, and I never turned back,” he said. Etienne wanted to become the Caribbean nation’s first Winter Paralympian.

“At first skiing meant freedom to me, and then I realised it was inspiration. That is what the Paralympics are about.

“It is a message of hope to disabled people and the rest of the world.”

With US restrictions on Haitian immigration rights making it difficult for him to travel to train, last year – supported by his employer Bank of America – Etienne relocated from New York to London to be closer to the mountains of Europe for weekend training.

“Sometimes I’m leaving the office at 2am because I have work I need to finish before I get on a 6am flight to get to Switzerland,” he told the Wall Street Journal, external.

On Friday, after just 80 days on snow in his life, he achieved his dream of racing at the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics.

Aided by a 12-month grant from the International Paralympic Committee’s Sport for Mobility programme, he has joined athletes from El Salvador, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Portugal in making their nations’ debut at the Games.

His result, a disqualification on his second run of the standing giant slalom, is secondary to his story.

“Haiti has a skier. That’s the most beautiful sentence I have heard in a long time,” he said.

“On the first run I proved that Haiti can ski competitively. Before the race, I had won.

“I get to say that there is hope, I get to tell the Haitian youth that if I can do this today with one leg, they can do anything.

“I’ve gone from the earthquake rubble to the top of the Dolomites with the very best skiers in the world.

“Anything is possible. I get to show young Haitians that all is not lost.”

“Beast Mode” started as a phrase people used to describe the running style of former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch.

“I think it was just my relentlessness and my no-back-down type of demeanor when it came to running the ball, like, ‘Boy, that boy a beast,’” Lynch said. “And it’s like, yeah, when I get the ball, that’s what type of mode I’m in — I’m in beast mode.”

Lynch played 12 seasons for the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders, amassing 10,413 in 2,453 carries with 85 touchdowns. Somewhere along the way, he said, the phrase “Beast Mode” evolved into “this persona bigger than myself.”

“The way that I get approached by kids and fans, like the way that they approach me is almost as if I am like a character so to speak, and I don’t think that I was doing it justice because I’m like, ‘Well s—, I’m just only a man,” the Super Bowl XLVIII champion said.

“But I believe in their mind what they had made up as Beast Mode is this larger-than-life, kind of surreal individual.”

An early look at a page from the upcoming “Beast Mode 510” graphic novel, starring Marshawn Lynch as the title character. Text will be added closer to the Oct. 6 publishing date.

(Art by Denys Cowan / Courtesy of AWA)

Lynch is embracing that perception of himself … and Beast Mode is about to become a literal comic book hero.

On Friday, Arists Writers and Artisans announced the graphic novel “Beast Mode 510,” which is scheduled to be released Oct. 6. Written by NAACP Image Award-nominated author Sheldon Allen and illustrated by Eisner Hall of Fame artist Denys Cowan, the book was “inspired and guided by” Lynch and is a “deeply personal love letter” to his hometown Oakland, according to a news release from AWA.

“At its center is Beast Mode: the 510’s legendary fixer and freelance sleuth whose rough exterior hides a code of loyalty and willingness to deal with problems others won’t touch,” the release reads. “If you’ve got a problem the authorities won’t handle, Beast Mode will. No invoices. No contracts. Just results.”

AWA chief creative officer Axel Alonso said when he was approached by Lynch and his team about possibly working on a project together, the idea of turning Beast Mode into an almost superhuman crime fighter quickly came to mind.

“To use a football analogy, when Marshawn and his people came to me and said, ‘Can you do anything with this, Beast Mode?’ it was like they gave me the ball on the one-yard line and I had to just walk it in — and Pete Carroll wasn’t the coach, so I could just go right in,” Alonso said, referring to an infamous play at the end of Seattle’s loss to New England in Super Bowl XLIX.

“It was as easy as that. I was like, come on, ‘Beast Mode’? So automatically I talked with Marshawn and said, ‘What’s important to you?’”

Lynch’s input has been key every step of the way, Alonso said, with the five-time Pro Bowl selection getting final say on every aspect. Lynch said he appreciates having his voice heard and being able to put his stamp on the project.

“From the start, we just sat down and had a conversation about where it was that we wanted to go, what is the kind of feel, the look that we want, the kind of tone that we want to tell the story,” Lynch said.

Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch #24 of the Seattle Seahawks runs for a 67-yard touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during an NFC wild-card playoff game Jan. 8, 2011, at Qwest Field.

(Jonathan Ferrey / Getty Images)

An early look at pages from the upcoming “Beast Mode 510” graphic novel starring Super Bowl champion Marshawn Lynch as an underground crime fighter.

(Art by Denys Cowan / Courtesy of AWA)

“I can’t draw or nothing like that, but any type of update or anything Axel will get over to me and, you know what I mean, yea or nay. And then when it comes to like how certain characters would look, certain names, individuals — I would say I’m involved, but I’m not stepping on their toes.”

For Lynch, one of the top priorities was to bring attention to all the unique aspects of his beloved city.

“We kinda have Oakland being a character of its own,” he said. “The personality of what Oakland stands for is something that I would really like to highlight ‘cause I feel that my city gets overlooked. And then the amount of individuals that we have coming out of area, it’s also an opportunity to show a nod to a lot of the Bay Area cultures and icons that we have.”

Even though the book is fiction, Lynch insisted on authenticity in the depictions of the city and the people who live there, including the way they look, act and speak.

“I think the biggest thing will probably be just the way that I speak in general,” Lynch said. “Mother— from where I’m from, we talk with a certain type of a tone, a type of swag.”

An early look at a page from the upcoming “Beast Mode 510” graphic novel. Marshawn Lynch says his character was inspired by the larger-than-life persona fans sometimes associate with him.

(Art by Denys Cowan / Courtesy of AWA.)

And, judging from Lynch’s signature way of talking, a lot of profanity.

None of Lynch’s ideas has been toned down.

“This is an R-rated book,” Alonso said.

“I want this s— to be turned up to the max,” Lynch added, “so if a mother— do pick this up to read, it’s gonna be like, ‘Oh, this some real s—.’ As well as entertaining, as well as insightful and impactful.”

Lynch is used to keeping people entertained, including as the co-host of the “Get Got Pod” with former Seahawks teammate Mike Robinson and as an actor with numerous roles in TV and film (including a breakout performancein 2023’s “Bottoms”).

He said he’s proud of how the project is turning out.

“When you see work and be like, ‘Damn that s— was nice’ and you start thinking about the thought process and how they got to those points, how they got to those things that drew you in, those things that give you that warm feeling,” Lynch said, “I’m feeling like I’m living that as this s— is going.

“Which is crazy as f— because I played in Super Bowls, I walked the red carpet of f—in’ premieres, and this one feels like, out of a lot of s—, this one is capturing that feeling for me. I’m a [Black man] — you know we don’t feel too much. But when we do, we be like, ‘Oh yeah, you know this s— is special.’”