sport

Moscow will host the 2030 World Weightlifting Championships – the first time an Olympic federation has chosen to stage a global event in Russia since the country’s invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) announced its decision on Sunday, four months after confirming Russian athletes would again be eligible to compete in its events.

In July, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) provisionally lifted a suspension on the Russian Olympic Committee.

That suspension had been imposed following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The IOC’s subsequent decision potentially opened the way for Russian athletes to compete for their country at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The IWF announced the host cities of four world championships at junior, youth and senior levels, awarding the 2029 senior event to Ahmedabad in India.

“All the bids we received were excellent and we are sure that the championships in your respective countries will be a huge success,” said IWF general secretary Jose Quinones.

No world championships in an Olympic sport, summer or winter, have been held in Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine.

The 2025 World Aquatics Championships, initially awarded to the Russian city of Kazan, were instead moved to Singapore.

Moscow has not held the World Weightlifting Championships since 1983.

The Russian Weightlifting Federation said: “[We are] the first Olympic sports federation to succeed in bringing a top-level official competition back to the country in many years.”

Federation president Aleksandr Vinokurov thanked the IWF in a post on Telegram “for their trust”, with the championships also serving as a qualifying event for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, Australia.

“Russia has all the necessary experience and capabilities to host competitions of the highest level,” he said.

“Moscow has repeatedly staged major international sporting events and has modern infrastructure.”

In announcing its decision in July to provisionally lift Russia’s suspension, the IOC said that no decision had been taken on whether Russia could display their flag, colours and anthem at the Olympic ‌Games.

The IOC said it would continue to “not organise IOC events in Russia or invite Russian government or state officials to its events”.

Some Russian athletes competed at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and this year’s Winter Olympics in Milan as neutrals.

Ukraine filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) requesting that the IOC decision to lift its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee be annulled.

The IOC’s move decision came after the International Paralympic Committee had already ended Russia’s exile from global sports events, with the country’s athletes allowed to compete under their national flag at the Winter Paralympics.

Five Ukrainian athletes are listed to compete in the 2026 IWF World Championships in Ningbo, China, which are scheduled to take place from 27 October to 8 November.

Quarterback Ryan Rakowski of Palos Verdes High was rolling right while being chased. Two defensive backs faced a quick decision. Stick with their receiver or come up to confront Rakowski if he decided to run.

Jalen Flowers was being covered, then saw Rakowski motion with his non-throwing hand to keep going. Soon Rakowski was firing the ball to a wide-open Flowers for a 43-yard touchdown as two helpless Mira Costa defenders gave pursuit.

The roar of Palos Verdes’ Jalen Flowers, a receiver and defensive back.

(Nick Koza / For The Times)

It was a perfect example showing the importance of chemistry between quarterback and receiver. Of course, talent helps lead to touchdowns, but chemistry beats talent like rock beats scissors.

“I think it’s kind of easy to have chemistry with him,” Rakowski said. “He understands the game so well, understands what coverages are.”

Jalen Flowers of Palos Verdes shows off his catching skills.

(Nick Koza / For The Times)

When quarterbacks and receivers are thinking alike, magic happens.

“At the end of the day, it boils down to trust,” said Westlake coach Rick Clausen, who played quarterback as did brothers Casey and Jimmy. “Is the receiver going to be where you need him to be? Is he going to make plays for you? It’s such a reliant position. You could be gifted as a thrower, gifted as a receiver, but one without the other is pretty useless.”

The best passing duos look like they have telepathic powers with the ability to anticipate each other’s next move. That’s why quarterbacks throwing to receivers in offseason practices are valuable as each learns about the other.

“When adversity hits and the finger-pointing begins, it’s your chemistry that saves you,” Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson said.

When St. Bernard coach Dean Herrington was throwing passes to his No. 1 target, Dale Frack, in 1981 at Hart High, the chemistry between the two was legendary.

“You know where the guy is going to be. You’re on the same page,” Herrington said.

Even though the game has evolved, with sometimes four and five receivers going out for passes instead of two, Herrington said, “Chemistry is just as important, if not more so.”

“Chemistry is higher,” Hart coach Jake Goossen said. “If you have talent but it’s not complementary , it’s not going to be fruitful. I want some talent, too, but you have to have the chemistry.”

Here are duos this season showing off talent and chemistry:

Ryan Rakowski and Jalen Flowers, Palos Verdes. Whether praying together before a game or giving high-fives after touchdowns, the Palos Verdes duo keeps producing on short slants or deep posts.

Jaden Jefferson and Quentin Hale, Corona Centennial. This duo grew up together, lived together and played together for years. Jefferson definitely knows what Hale is thinking and vice versa.

Star Thomas III and KJ Woodbury, Orange. They have combined for 16 touchdowns in nine games as juniors.

Jered Smith and Aiden Mejia, Verdugo Hills. Mejia could probably close his eyes and know exactly where Smith would be passing the ball. They have nine touchdowns together.

Grady Long and Landon Armenta, La Serna. Long trusts Armenta like he’s his brother. They’ve combined for 10 touchdowns, with Armenta surpassing 1,000 yards in receiving. They’ve been best friends since kindergarten.

Dane Weber and Chase Bonta, Chaparral. An injury left Weber on the sideline to start the season, but he’s back. Weber and Bonta have known each other since kindergarten.

Brady Edmunds and Dylin Bruce, Huntington Beach. In less than two seasons, they’ve combined for 12 touchdown passes.

Koa Malau’ulu and Kuika Moaalii, St. John Bosco. They are cousins who have been playing together since they were 10. Moaalii has nine touchdown receptions and is having a breakout sophomore season.

Corona Del Mar reciever JJ Haley (1) leaps for a touchdown catch.

(Don Leach/Daily Pilot)

John David Annett and JJ Haley, Corona del Mar. Annett sometimes throws the ball up knowing Haley will find a way to catch it. Both are juniors with complete trust in each other.

Hendrix Tucker and Charles Davis, Westlake. Filling in because of an injury, Tucker, a freshman, has discovered the importance of getting the ball to Davis, who has 11 touchdown receptions.

Jordan Spigarelli and Shane McKibbin, Newport Harbor. They’ve been throwing and catching passes from each other since fifth grade and have connected for eight touchdowns this season.

The victory helped the Kazakh take a big step towards securing the year-end number one ranking.

Elena Rybakina blazed past unseeded Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-2 6-2 in the Ningbo Open final to retain her title and lift her first trophy as the world number one ahead of the WTA Finals next month.

The victory on Sunday also helped the Kazakh take a big step towards securing the year-end number one ranking, further burnishing a spectacular season in which she won the Australian Open title before adding the US Open crown to reach the summit.

Top seed Rybakina made the breakthrough with her trademark power in the fifth game and then unleashed a searing crosscourt backhand winner to go 4-2 up, before the 27-year-old wrapped up the opening set in only 38 minutes.

World number 30 Fernandez made a bright start to the next set but Rybakina absorbed the pressure and raised her level to force an error and break for 2-1, with the three-time Grand Slam champion breezing to victory from there.

Rybakina’s latest triumph is a timely lift after setbacks in Beijing and Wuhan, as she turns her attention to the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo this week before launching her title defence at the season finale in Indian Wells from November 8.

England have won the Cerebral Palsy World Cup for the first time by beating the United States 2-1 in a thrilling final.

The hosts took the lead in Atlanta from a corner with three minutes left but Sam Dewhirst equalised to take the tie to extra time.

And the Para Lions won it when David Porcher fired home after Dewhirst’s shot was saved.

England cerebral palsy head coach Jack Rutter said the win was historic for the sport.

“It feels unbelievable,” he said.

“The amount of sacrifice these players and staff have put in to achieve this goal is incredible.

“We were coming here with hope of maybe winning a medal and I can’t believe we actually won the World Cup for the first time.

“I’m very, very proud of all the staff and all the players.”

The win comes after England’s powerchair squad were beaten by France in their World Cup final on Friday., external

Australia edged to a 36-22 victory in a pulsating match against Fiji to book their place in the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals.

Having lost their previous five meetings against Australia by an aggregate score of 246-16, a stunned Brisbane crowd watched Fiji enjoy territorial advantage in the first half and take a 16-12 lead after the break.

However, the momentum switched back to Kevin Walters’ side in a crucial 60-second spell.

Solomone Saukuru raced in to seemingly put Fiji 20-12 ahead – but when it was ruled out for obstruction, Australia immediately went up the other end and Tom Trbojevic scored to bring the teams level.

Trbojevic, who looked vulnerable in defence, crossed twice more for Australia and Jacob Preston added a further try after Semi Valemei had completed his hat-trick for Fiji.

“There are definitely some areas to improve on,” Trbojevic told Premier Sports. “We didn’t start as we wanted to and couldn’t get a flow. We just needed to play our style of footy.

“We weren’t at our best but we came away with two points. We need to improve. We’ve got to enjoy a win but we’ve got to be our harshest critics too.”

Brisbane Broncos centre Kotoni Staggs had opened the scoring for Australia on his home ground, while Sam Walker capped his debut with a try and 12 points with the boot.

But the manner in which their pack were outmuscled – and in which they allowed Taane Milne and Valemei to score – will be a concern for Walters, whose team head into the last four despite delivering two unconvincing performances in beating New Zealand and Fiji.

New Zealand will take on Fiji in a make-or-break final pool game on Saturday, 31 October (04:30 GMT), having overcome an early scare themselves in their 82-16 victory over the Cook Islands in Christchurch.

Murphy lamented his team’s indiscipline in the first half, highlighting that as a contributory factor in leaving them with a mountain to climb.

“Our scrum held up reasonably well. Everyone knows when you come to South Africa your scrum is going to be under pressure so it’s an area we need to get better at.

“We had a way we wanted to play. We probably went away from that early on in the game but we got more towards what we were trying to do towards the back end of the half and in the second half.

“You have to stick in the fight here. Plenty of teams come here and kind of roll over.

“I don’t think we did that, which I’m really proud about, the way the lads stuck to the task.”

A Stuart McCloskey pass looked to have set James McKillop galloping clear on the wing to put Ulster in with a chance of what at one stage appeared a very unlikely victory but the Ireland centre was adjudged to have had part of his foot in touch.

“Stu’s foot was probably just in touch but if he gets that away earlier we’re going into the last two minutes with a lead. But that’s the breaks,” bemoaned the Ulster coach.

Murphy highlighted the breakdown as another area his side could improve on before next week’s meeting with the Stormers in Cape Town.

“We have to learn lessons but we will benefit from these tight battles come the end of the season,” he added.

The province’s Ireland internationals will return home to join up with Andy Farrell’s international squad, which assembles on Monday, while Murphy revealed that seven squad reinforcements would be arriving in Cape Town to bolster his side’s ranks ahead of the game with Stormers.

Race delayed by two hours before being cancelled due to low visibility despite a sellout crowd at Phillip Island.

The final Australian MotoGP at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit has been called off due to heavy rain, ruining the farewell for one of the championship’s most beloved circuits.

It was a crushing blow for the sold-out crowd at Phillip Island on Sunday before the Australian Grand Prix moves to the streets of Adelaide next year.

The Moto2 and Moto3 races were cancelled first, and the MotoGP race was delayed by two hours due to the weather before organisers threw in the towel and finally called it off at 3:40pm (04:40 GMT).

“Due to limited visibility affecting the operation of the medical helicopter the MotoGP Grand Prix race has been cancelled,” MotoGP said in a statement.

“The MotoGP riders will do a lap behind the safety car and stop on the main straight to greet the fans.”

Riders say farewell to fans in final parade

The dark clouds and pelting rain brought down the visibility around the circuit, affecting the medical helicopter, which would take 45 minutes to reach the circuit from mainland Melbourne in an emergency.

Other than two years lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, the seaside track south of Melbourne had been a fixture on the world championship calendar for 30 years and produced some of Australian motorcycling’s most memorable moments.

Australian two-time world champion Casey Stoner celebrated six wins there in succession from 2007 to 2012 while compatriot Mick Doohan sealed his fifth and final world title with victory in the 1998 race.

The raincoat-clad fans who persevered through the precipitation were treated to a farewell lap from the MotoGP riders, who waved as they slowly made their way around a soaking wet track.

Home racer Jack Miller did his best to entertain his supporters with a series of tricks, including a stand-up wheelie over the finish line, before heading over to the grandstand and throwing his gloves and boots into the crowd.

Miller dejected, sigh of relief for Martin

The Pramac Racing rider, a strong performer in the wet, cut a dejected figure when he was interviewed after completing his lap.

“This is a tough pill to swallow,” said the 31-year-old, who will be leaving MotoGP at the end of the season after more than a decade to join Pata Maxus Yamaha in the World Superbike Championship.

“You know, I was praying for rain all weekend. We got the rain, but obviously, we weren’t organised enough to get the racing going, so it’s a tough one.

“You guys deserve better. Honestly, all of you have done a fantastic job turning out for Phillip Island.”

Rain had been expected for the weekend, but MotoGP did not revive its 2023 strategy for the circuit when the Grand Prix was moved ahead to Saturday and the sprint scheduled for Sunday.

That sprint race three years ago was eventually called off.

The cancellation of the race also ended the opportunity for seven-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez to extend his lead in the championship standings, particularly after his title rival Jorge Martin was declared unfit to compete in the race after fracturing his wrist.

Martin held the championship lead heading into the weekend but finds himself 10 points behind Marquez after failing to finish Saturday’s sprint following a gruesome crash.

On Sunday, Martin’s Aprilia team said he would not travel back to Spain to undergo treatment, however, boosting the 2024 champion’s hopes of racing at next week’s Malaysian Grand Prix and remaining in the title fight.

Perhaps the biggest changes at United have been off the pitch.

Olid explained that her side had navigated a “transitional period” and had taken part in big discussions following their 5-0 drubbing by Chelsea.

Players needed to find confidence and Olid admitted the “honest conversations” had to come up with a solution.

“The first two games were good learning for us to connect as a team and for me to know what the players needed from me,” said Olid. “The players also know what I needed. It was about trying to find that balance.

“I feel now we are connected. That doesn’t mean we won’t have more [of those] less good days, but I think we have that understanding of each other.”

Their form at the start of the season impacted individuals with vice-captain Ella Toone missing out on England selection for the first time under Sarina Wiegman.

She responded by scoring in their 3-1 win at Charlton on Sunday, while summer signing Andrea Medina has grown to become a crucial member of the squad.

The international break proved to be a valuable time for Olid to readjust to her new role, reflect on what needed to change and to spend time on the training pitch.

England defender and United captain Maya le Tissier was among those to return with renewed energy having impressed for her country during the break.

The backroom staff positions were also confirmed and Olid has been able to build a group she hopes can lead United to success going forward.

Fellow Spaniard Jose Herrera joined as assistant coach, alongside Gavin Beith, who worked with Olid at former club Hearts.

Speaking about the international break, Olid said: “I had time to re-organise everything, the roles for the new staff and how we are going to work together.

“This break, for me, was amazing. It was like a new start. It was about keeping the good energy from the last matches but then having a new start.”

Now, having been on a winning run, Olid hopes the proposition of a Manchester derby on Sunday will prove to be added motivation for her players.

“I always think that before big games, you want to give confidence to the players and at the same time, you try to motivate them with the opposition,” she told BBC.

“It’s a derby. I think the players are always motivated, but against City, there has to be something else, no?”

Alexander Volkanovski secured a total knockout in the closing seconds of second round at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi.

Australia’s Alexander Volkanovski has retained his featherweight title after making short work of Russia’s Movsar Evloev in the UFC 333 main event in Abu Dhabi.

Volkanovski secured a technical knockout (TKO) with a right hand, followed by a ground-and-pound move in the closing seconds of the second round of their scheduled five-round fight on Saturday.

The official time was 4:54, as the fight was called off with six seconds left to the jubilation of the Etihad Arena crowd in the United Arab Emirates capital.

It was Evloev’s first professional loss and he remained classy in defeat.

“Like I said, Alex is a great champion and it was an honour to share the cage with him,” Evloev said after the loss.

Meanwhile, Volkanovski said he wants to keep stacking wins for as long as he can.

“I’m choosing to do [fight], I don’t have to. I said if I didn’t take too much damage, we will probably keep going. So maybe we keep going,” Volkanovski said.

In the co-main event, Petr Yan won his three-fight series against Merab Dvalishvili in a Russia vs Georgia showdown as Yan swept the scorecards 48-47, 48-47, 48-47 with a mix of a gruelling pace, wrestling, dirty boxing and keeping Dvalishvili at distance to defend his UFC bantamweight title.

Yan beat Dvalishvili last December to regain the title for the second time, having previously won it in July 2020 against Jose Aldo at UFC 251.

The finishes kept coming, but this time in the flyweight division. England’s Lone’er Kavanagh secured a TKO stoppage against Uzbekistan’s Ramazan Temirov with an uppercut, followed by strikes, at 4:28 of Round 1.

At heavyweight, Russia’s Alexander Volkov won a unanimous decision over Rizvan Kuniev utilising dominant wrestling and top control to earn his third-straight win. Volkov called for a title shot at Thursday’s presser, which may have stumped UFC CEO Dana White when addressing him.

Kuniev had his two-fight winning streak snapped.

Opening the main card, Aaron Pico needed just over a minute to TKO Losene Keita of Guinea in their featherweight fight. Pico has won back-to-back fights, while Keita has split his last four.

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

Second Round

OPEN DIVISION

Pool A

#12 Sierra Canyon 24, #8 Edison 19

Pool B

#11 Dos Pueblos 19, #7 Westlake 13

Pool C

#6 Woodbridge 38, #10 Downey 19

Pool D

#5 Mater Dei 19, #9 Lakewood St. Joseph 14

Byes: #1 JSerra; #2 Newport Harbor; #3 Orange Lutheran; #4 Huntington Beach

DIVISION 1

Oxnard 36, Chaparral 13

Camarillo 26, Beckman 25

El Toro 21, Beaumont 20

Sage Hill 19, Western Christian 7

Corona del Mar 13, Etiwanda 6

Yorba Linda 26, Trabuco Hills 19

Palos Verdes 35, Tesoro 14

Redondo Union 38, Long Beach Poly 13

DIVISION 2

La Habra 20, Oaks Christian 18

Gahr 22, Upland 0

Oxnard Pacifica 12, Riverside King 6

Segerstrom 21, Murrieta Mesa 19

Anaheim Canyon 27, Ayala 26

Chaminade 20, Hart 18

Villa Park 18, Millikan 14

San Clemente 27, Sonora 12

DIVISION 3

South Torrance 33, Cerritos 18

Chino 24, Rosary 13

Chino 37, San Juan Hills 26

Quartz Hill 18, Long Beach Wilson 14

Inglewood 20, Murrieta Valley 13

Compton 38, Patriot 13

Valencia 33, Lawndale 0

Moorpark 13, Ontario Christian 12

California 14, Schurr 7

DIVISION 4

Kaiser 7, Serrano 0

West Ranch 26, Redlands Adventist 18

Garden Grove 12, Garden Grove Pacifica 6

Hemet 19, Baldwin Park 13

Santa Paula 27, Antelope Valley 13

West Covina 19, Moreno Valley 12

Gabrielino 12, Rancho Alamitos 7

Cerritos Valley Christian 13, El Rancho 6

DIVISION 5

Tustin 6, Santa Fe 0

Village Christian 43, Pasadena Poly 20

Ontario 27, Long Beach Cabrillo 20

Loma Linda Academy 33, Rialto 13

Peninsula 26, Grand Terrace 0

La Sierra 26, Culver City 0

Westridge 33, Windward 18

Nogales 7, Rancho Verde 6

DIVISION 6

Mountain View 13, Riverside North 7

Buena Park 6, Elsinore 0

Heritage 30, Alhambra 13

Winchester Liberty 13, Rim of the World 7

Bolsa Grande 20, Don Lugo 19

St. Monica 21, Santa Ana Valley 6

Glenn 33, Arroyo Valley 12

St. Bonaventure 13, Cathedral City 6

Note: Quarterfinals (Divisions 1-6) Tuesday, Oct. 27; Third Round pool play (Open Division) Wednesday, Oct. 28; Semifinals (all divisions) Saturday, Oct. 31; Finals (all divisions) Saturday, Nov. 7 at Huntington Beach High.

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

Second Round

DIVISION 3

Santa Ana Foothill d. Sunny Hills, 25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 27-25

Cerritos Valley Christian d. Beckman, 3-1

Newbury Park d. Redlands, 25-18, 26-28, 16-25, 25-18, 15-10

Thousand Oaks d. Etiwanda, 28-26, 25-22, 23-25, 25-9

Corona del Mar d. Flintridge Prep, 25-18, 25-22, 22-25, 25-23

La Salle d. St. Margaret’s, 3-2

Crescenta Valley d. La Canada, 3-1

Windward d. Lakewood St. Joseph, 3-0

DIVISION 5

Liberty d. Marlborough, 3-1

Canyon Country Canyon d. Hesperia Christian, 3-2

El Toro d. Valencia, 25-22, 25-18, 23-25, 13-25, 16-14

St. Anthony d. San Jacinto, 26-24, 25-17, 25-21

Westridge d. Viewpoint, 25-18, 25-11, 25-15

Irvine d. Paraclete, 3-2

La Serna d. Maranatha, 25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 25-17

Quartz Hill d. Capistrano Valley, 3-2

DIVISION 7

Tustin d. Pasadena, 3-0

Sacred Heart d. Laguna Blanca, 3-2

Nordhoff at Placentia Valencia

Barstow d. Webb, 25-19, 25-19, 24-26, 25-21

Beverly Hills d. Pasadena Marshall, 3-0

Northview d. Vistamar, 24-26, 21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 16-14

Fullerton d. Buckley, 3-0

Rio Hondo Prep d. Foothill Tech, 16-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-14

DIVISION 9

Rancho Mirage d. Canoga Park AGBU, 3-1

San Jacinto Leadership at St. Monica Academy

Nogales d. Santa Rosa Academy, 23-25, 26-24, 25-18, 13-25, 15-13

Azusa d. Westminster, 3-0

Jurupa Hills d. St. Jeanne de Lestonnac, 3-1

Desert Christian Academy d. Wildwood, 3-0

Buena Park d. Milken, 25-21, 11-25, 25-21, 25-22

California at Twentynine Palms, Monday at 4 p.m.

DIVISION 11

Arroyo d. Compton Early College, 3-0

Mesrobian d. Ramona, 3-0

Pacific Lutheran at La Sierra Academy, Monday at 6 p.m.

Newport Christian d. Grace, 3-1

Tarbut V’ Torah d. Workman, 18-25, 23-25, 25-16, 25-19, 15-10

Lynwood vs. Santa Clara, Monday at Firebaugh

Norton Science Academy d. Joshua Springs Christian, 25-18, 26-24, 25-21

Downey Calvary Chapel d. Silver Valley, 3-2

TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted)

Pool Play

DIVISION 1

Pool A

#5 Santa Margarita at #1 Mater Dei

#8 Harvard-Westlake at #4 Oaks Christian

Pool B

#6 Los Amigos at #2 Sierra Canyon

#7 Marymount at #3 Mira Costa

Quarterfinals

DIVISION 2

Newport Harbor at Redondo Union

Corona Centennial at San Juan Hills

Orange Lutheran at Murrieta Valley

Long Beach Poly at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame

DIVISION 4

North Torrance at Portola

Arcadia at Vista Murrieta

Hemet at Santa Barbara, 5 p.m.

Glendora at Linfield Christian

DIVISION 6

Dos Pueblos at Villa Park

Temecula Prep at Capistrano Valley Christian

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel at Castaic

Lakewood at Mayfair

DIVISION 8

Samueli Academy at San Gabriel Academy

San Jacinto Valley at Burbank

Garden Grove Pacifica at Rio Mesa

Artesia at Geffen Academy

DIVISION 10

Orange at Glendale

New Roads at Adelanto

Loara at La Quinta

Lancaster at Wildomar Cornerstone Christian

Note: Quarterfinals (Divisions 3, 5, 7, 9, 11) Wed., Oct. 28; Semifinals (Divisions 2-11) Sat., Oct. 31; Third Round pool Play (Division 1) Sat., Oct. 31; Finals (all divisions) Sat., Nov. 7 at TBA.

He came into the weekend insisting he was going to try to apply the “same mindset as I had all year – one race at a time”.

But on Saturday he acknowledged that this one was a new kind of weekend.

“It does feel a little bit different,” he said. “But the goal stays the same. I just need to keep doing my job. And, actually, I feel like I can enjoy more driving, everything.

“But, of course, we’re going to do the race tomorrow. We’re going to try and win. And then we’ll see what happens. Obviously, I’m in a very good position.”

Antonelli is typically accompanied by his father, Marco, at grands prix, but he said this weekend he had brought other people with him as well to help keep him in the right frame of mind.

“I have a great group of people around me,” he said. “I have a lot of friends here as well, so we enjoy the evenings together.

“We play cards in the evening, so we’re just doing the fun stuff. And that’s what helps, to just relax a little bit and just connect with the mind, and then once you go on track you are back full focus.”

The maths suggest the most likely scenario is that Antonelli will not win the title on Sunday – it would, as he put it on Thursday, require “something catastrophic to happen to the others”.

If this is a bit of an overstatement – Russell and Hamilton would need only to crash together on the first lap, for example – the fundamental truth is real.

MILWAUKEE — Sal Frelick tied the score with his first home run in three months, Cooper Pratt hit a go-ahead single in the seventh inning and the Milwaukee Brewers stunned the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Saturday night for a 2-0 World Series lead by overcoming a four-run deficit for the second time in the postseason.

Tampa Bay, which won the AL pennant by forcing opponents into mistakes, committed one error, made two other misplays that could have been charged as errors and had a runner thrown out at the plate.

Down 4-0 in the first inning, Milwaukee rallied for its seventh comeback win of this postseason. The Brewers also rebounded from a 4-0 deficit to beat the Dodgers 6-4 in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series, completing a four-game sweep.

After losing Friday’s opener 3-2, the Rays burst ahead against rookie Logan Henderson, but the Brewers started to claw back with two runs in the bottom half against Tampa Bay ace Drew Rasmussen.

David Hamilton cut the deficit to 4-3 with a run-scoring grounder in the fourth and Frelick capped a nine-pitch at-bat against Ian Seymour in the sixth by driving a fastball over the center-field fence.

Frelick had gone 103 plate appearances without a home run since his July 11 drive off Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcraft and had not gone deep against a lefty pitcher since opening day against Tyler Gilbert of the Chicago White Sox. Frelick sped around the bases in 18.72 seconds, half the time of some theatrical trots this postseason.

Screaming fans at the second game of Milwaukee’s first World Series since 1982 were fired up during the seventh-inning stretch, dancing to the “Beer Barrel Polka” played by Mike Schneider, an accordionist from Clinton, Wis.

Brice Turang doubled against losing pitcher Tyler Wells on the second pitch of the bottom half, advanced on Garrett Mitchell’s flyout to right and scored when Pratt, a 22-year-old who debuted in June, looped a sinker from Kevin Kelly into short right field.

Abner Uribe pitched 1⅓ hitless innings for the win.

Jonny DeLuca doubled off Aaron Ashby starting the ninth, then Victor Mesa Jr. struck out when he couldn’t check his swing. Pinch-hitter Ben Williamson’s groundout advanced the runner and Yandy Díaz struck out when he couldn’t check his swing on a full-count pitch.

Ashby has three saves in the postseason while not allowing a run.

Milwaukee won its seventh straight game, becoming the fifth team to twice overcome four-run deficits for victories in a single postseason and the first since Philadelphia in 2022.

Game 3 of the matchup between teams seeking their first title is Monday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. where the Brewers last played in 2023.

Of the 57 previous teams to take 2-0 World Series leads, 46 claimed the championship.

Tampa Bay took a 4-2 lead in the highest-scoring Series first inning since 1993’s Game 4 as teams combined for seven hits, tying the most in an opening inning.

Still, Milwaukee improved to 13-0 in games started by Henderson, dating to his 2025 debut. He followed Jacob Misiorowski in the Brewers’ rotation, the first time teammates 24 or younger started the first two games of the Series since Cincinnati’s Gary Nolan and Ross Grimsley in 1972.

Henderson started on 11 days’ rest and struggled as the Rays fouled off 13 of 35 pitches in the first. He gave up four runs — three earned — in three innings.

Given an extra day of rest, Rasmussen gave up three runs and six hits over 3⅔ innings in his shortest start since July 9.

Pratt made his fourth error of the postseason at shortstop, the Brewers’ ninth in 10 games, bouncing his throw past first baseman Jake Bauers on a leadoff grounder by Díaz. Chandler Simpson and Junior Caminero followed with RBI singles, and Liam Hicks hit a two-run homer.

Jackson Chourio and Bauers started the bottom half with singles and first baseman Jonathan Aranda allowed Contreras’ one-out foul pop to bounce out of his mitt near netting in front of the seats.

With Bauers running on a full-count pitch, Contreras bounced an RBI single to the left of second baseman Richie Palacios, who had taken a step toward the base. Mitchell’s two-out single cut the deficit to 4-2.

Hamilton hit an RBI grounder in the fourth that bounced under Aranda’s legs for an error.

Chourio threw out Hicks from left for the final out of the sixth when third base coach Brady Williams waved the slow-footed catcher to try to score from second on Mesa’s single.

Blum writes for the Associated Press.

MADISON, Wis. — Just two short weeks ago, as the Trojans’ marching band roared joyously from the bowels of Beaver Stadium and a cold Pennsylvania rain poured down on a jubilant Lincoln Riley, it seemed like USC and its embattled coach might’ve finally found a foothold, just as they were about to begin a brutal back half of the schedule. They even had a bye to be sure it stuck.

But by Saturday night, any renewed sense of hope in USC’s season had all but slipped away. Maybe for good.

Instead, the Trojans played as poorly as they have all season in a 24-7 loss to Wisconsin. Quarterback Jayden Maiava looked lost. The offensive line was overwhelmed. The rushing attack was worse than nonexistent, with minus-17 yards. And the special teams were an all-too-familiar disaster, with two critical missed kicks.

For one half, it seemed USC’s defense might be the bright spot that kept the Trojans’ hopes alive. It allowed just 78 yards — and just three yards per play — from Wisconsin.

But as the other two phases descended into disaster for USC (6-2, 3-2), its defense could only hold for so long. Wisconsin only managed to rack up 200 total yards, only 58 of which came through the air.

All the Badgers would need in the second half to outlast the Trojans was two successful scoring drives. That was too much for one of the nation’s most high-powered offenses to overcome.

USC certainly didn’t live up to that reputation. Maiava was 31 of 50 for 258 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. The Trojans’ leading rusher, freshman Shahn Alston, had 28 yards rushing, while their usual starter, King Miller, never found any room against Wisconsin (5-2, 3-1).

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava passes against Wisconsin on Oct. 24.

(Ross Harried / Associated Press)

That was after USC spent the bye week talking a big game about its renewed focus on the run game.

But nothing about the Trojans’ effort Saturday seemed at all focused.

It was USC’s defense that set the tone early, while its usually high-powered offense struggled to move the ball at all. Wisconsin tallied just eight total yards in the first quarter, as the Trojans swarmed the line of scrimmage and terrorized quarterback Colton Joseph in the pocket.

USC couldn’t do much better on that side of the ball. After an opening three and out, the Trojans were facing the prospect of another empty possession when Maiava threw it downfield on third and 10. But the pass into double coverage was tipped … directly into the arms of Wisconsin cornerback Bryce West.

West returned the interception to the red zone. But USC’s defense clamped down, and the Badgers only managed a field goal.

USC coach Lincoln Riley argues a call during the first half Saturday against Wisconsin.

(Matthew Holst / Getty Images)

Maiava gave it back on the ensuing drive. Under pressure on third down, the senior quarterback scrambled and then threw a late pass over the middle. It was picked off.

USC’s rushing attack wasn’t helping, either. The Trojans didn’t have a single yard on the ground through the first quarter and only managed 10 by halftime.

But the Trojans somehow cobbled together a touchdown drive in the second quarter, thanks to three Wisconsin penalties, all of which handed them first downs. The last of the three — a face mask on what would’ve been an incomplete pass to the end zone — gave USC new life at the one-yard line, and even still, it took the Trojans three plays to punch it in. Maiava eventually found tight end Taniela Tupou for the score.

That’s when the Trojans started to sputter on defense. After being unable to move the ball at all for most of the first half, Wisconsin drove the entire field for a score just before halftime. Then the Badgers marched down the field again and scored to open the third quarter.

Down 17-7, USC drove to Wisconsin’s 12-yard line. But under pressure on third down, Maiava threw it away and was called for intentional grounding. The Trojans tried a field goal, but it was blocked.

The missteps continued. Maiava was sacked again on USC’s next drive, once again pushing the Trojans out of field-goal range. Then, a delay of game pushed them back even farther.

Still, early in the fourth quarter, Riley sent out his kicker, Caden Chittenden, for a 58-yard field-goal attempt. A rain had started to fall over Camp Randall Stadium, eerily similar to State College two weeks earlier.

But Chittenden’s career-long attempt came up well short. And soon enough, USC would follow.

Britain’s Alisha Palmowski says that winning the F1 Academy title is “a dream come true”.

The 20-year-old finished second in Saturday’s reverse grid race at the Circuit of the Americas, which was enough to be crowned champion before Sunday’s feature race and the season finale in Las Vegas in November.

Palmowski becomes the youngest champion of the all-female development series, and is the second British driver to win the title after Abbi Pulling in 2024.

She drives for Campos Racing and is part of the Red Bull driver academy.

Glossop-born Palmowski has won five out of the 11 races held so far this season, only finishing outside of the points once during the reverse grid race at Zandvoort.

In an emotional post-race interview, she dedicated her championship win to her ill grandmother and thanked her family.

“It’s been a really special journey. I started racing when I was eight or nine years old, it was just me and my parents,” she said.

“The sacrifices that they’ve made behind the scenes, they’ve really put their lives on pause to allow me to live my dream.”

Before Saturday’s race, Austrian Emma Felbermayr was the only driver with a mathematical chance of overhauling Palmowski but fourth place was not enough to keep her hopes alive.

Denmark’s Alba Larsen took the chequered flag to secure her first F1 Academy victory, with 17-year-old Lisa Billard of France completing the podium in third.

Brett Pesce scored the go-ahead goal and Jake Allen made 12 saves as the New Jersey Devils beat the Kings 3-1 on Saturday for their third straight win.

Anthony Mantha and Artemy Gritsyuk also scored for the Devils, who also beat Colorado and the Ducks on their current homestand. New Jersey has won five of six. Allen improved to 5-2-0 this season.

Scott Laughton scored for the Kings, which saw its two-game winning streak snapped. Forsberg made 23 saves.

Pesce beat goaltender Anton Forsberg at 8:08 of the third period after the defenseman found a clear lane through traffic in the Kings’ zone. Luke Evangelista and Gritsyuk assisted on Pesce’s first goal this season.

Before the game, the Devils introduced newly acquired goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. The 33-year-old Hellebuyck won 345 games in 11 seasons with Winnipeg and is a three-time winner of the Vezina Trophy.

New Jersey included goaltender Nico Daws, who won against the Ducks on Thursday, in the trade for Hellebuyck on Friday. Remi Poirier, who has yet to play an NHL game, dressed as Allen’s backup on Saturday.

Laughton scored at 15:57 of the second, driving the puck past Allen for his second goal.

Mantha tied the game about three minutes later with his third goal.

Gritsyuk scored his team-leading sixth goal into an empty net at 18:55.

The Kings had a power-play chance when New Jersey’s Timo Meier was called for tripping at 12:59 of the third but were unable to tie the game.

The Kings were coming off road wins over Washington and the New York Islanders to start its four-game trip after losing its first six games.

Up next for the Kings: at the New York Rangers on Monday.

It was always going to be the Bruin Bullies’ day.

No. 9 UCLA was hosting a Michigan State team with one of the least productive offenses in the country led by freshman quarterback Kayd Coffman, who was taking his first college snaps after the Spartans’ top two quarterbacks were injured.

After forcing three turnovers and four sacks, UCLA trounced Michigan State 28-10 Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins improved to 7-0 for the first time since 2005 after winning just three games last season.

UCLA’s defense carried it after the offense was flat in the first half, dropping two passes, drawing drive-killing penalties and fumbling twice in Michigan State territory. Both fumbles were forced by Spartans safety Devin Vaught and returned 50-plus yards to the red zone.

While UCLA conceded a touchdown after the first giveaway, allowing Michigan State (2-6, 0-5) to score in two plays, the Bruins avenged the second fumble with an interception from linebacker Donavyn Pellot.

Pellot returned his first career interception 67 yards. Wayne Knight scored on a one-yard run five plays later for his 13th touchdown of the season. The score gave UCLA a lead it would never relinquish.

UCLA quarterback Ty Dieffenbach passes in the first quarter against Michigan State at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“Second half [was] much, much better than the first half,” UCLA coach Bob Chesney told CBS immediately after the game. “Mistakes in there and uncharacteristic things that we cannot allow to happen at this point in the year.

“So a little bit disappointed in moments, but at the same point in time we did what we had to do.”

Once the offense found its footing, it did not step off the gas.

The Bruins leaned heavily on their running game as they returned to its usual form after being limited to 3.5 yards per carry and failing to surpass 150 yards the past two weeks. All three starting running backs reached the end zone for the third time this season, as UCLA finished with 245 rushing yards at 5.1 yards per carry. Anthony Woods led the UCLA rushing attack with 112 yards and a touchdown in 14 carries.

The running game loosened up the Michigan State defense, and UCLA quarterback Ty Dieffenbach took advantage of an already depleted secondary on the first drive of the second half, unloading a 63-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver Brian Rowe Jr. for his first touchdown of the season.

Dieffenbach made the big play after sustaining an apparent leg injury on a hard hit late in the first half.

With the defense holding the Spartans to just 156 total yards of offense — 73 of which came in the fourth quarter with UCLA in control — Dieffenbach didn’t have to be perfect to secure the win. He completed 18 of 31 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, UCLA refused to allow a forward push at the line of scrimmage, flying into the backfield and holding Michigan State to 1.6 yards per carry.

UCLA running back Wayne Knight scores a touchdown in the second quarter against Michigan State on Saturday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

And when the Spartans tried to pass, the Bruins dug deeper, making it a nightmare for Coffman until Michigan State coach Pat Fitzgerald turned to fourth-string quarterback Leo Hannan. UCLA finished with four sacks, six tackles for a loss and five quarterback hurries, essentially living in the Spartans’ backfield.

The Bruins sealed their seventh consecutive victory with an interception from safety Malik Hartford, his second forced turnover of the game.

The UCLA defense was one of the team’s biggest liabilities during the past decade, stretching from the Chip Kelly era to last season’s three-win effort.

This season, UCLA hasn’t allowed an opponent to score more than 15 points since Sept. 19.

Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the United States Grand Prix on the weekend on which he can potentially clinch his first world title.

The Mercedes driver beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.179 seconds, with the Dutchman’s team-mate Isack Hadjar third ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

Antonelli whooped with delight as he took his first pole position since the Belgian Grand Prix in July and said: “It feels good to be back.”

The 20-year-old Italian will become world champion on Sunday if he wins the race in Austin with Hamilton lower than fourth and Russell lower than eighth.

Hamilton is already below that position having qualified fifth, while Russell will start sixth ahead of the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Antonelli’s pole came as something of a surprise after the Ferraris had topped all three practice sessions and Verstappen had looked strong through the second part of qualifying.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” said Antonelli’s engineer Peter Bonnington, emphasising that his charge’s first lap in final qualifying was good enough for pole.

Verstappen had been fourth quickest in Q2 despite being on used tyres but he found his car lacked the requisite grip in the final session.

Antonelli said: “We got pole so we will try to win tomorrow but Max has been very quick and Isack did an incredible job so it is not going to be easy.

“We try to get a good start and hopefully lead into Turn One and try to set the pace, even though it’s going to be very tight.”

Verstappen said: “Q3 was not good, Q1, Q2 were nice but for whatever reason in run one and two just didn’t have a nice balance. No mistakes, just not enough grip. But if it’s still a P2, I take it.”

Maisie Symonds scores a “goal of the season” contender to help Brighton beat West Ham 3-0, securing just their second league win of the season in the Women’s Super League.

MATCH REPORT: Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 West Ham United

Available to UK users only.

PHILADELPHIA — Leo Carlsson scored a goal and set up the game-winner against the team that tried to sign him away from Anaheim last summer, as the Ducks overcame a two-goal deficit to beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 on Saturday.

Philadelphia signed Carlsson to a five-year, $80-million offer sheet as a restricted free agent last July, only to have the Ducks match it and retain him. He scored the Ducks’ first goal at 8:38 of the second period on a pass from Cutter Gauthier, who continued to hear vitriolic chants from Philadelphia fans for forcing his way out of Philadelphia three years ago.

Carlsson later assisted on a power-play goal by Beckett Sennecke in the third period, firing a pass toward the net that Sennecke tipped past Flyers goalie Joseph Woll.

Carlsson leads the Ducks in scoring with 13 points (3 goals, 10 assists).

A.J. Greer, Judd Caulfield, and Tristan Luneau also scored for Anaheim, and Lukas Dostal made 28 saves to snap the Ducks’ five-game losing streak.

Matvei Michkov extended his point streak to five games when he scored the first of two goals for the Flyers on the same power-play opportunity. Michkov snapped a wrister through Porter Martone’s screen during a five-on-three advantage to score his seventh goal of the season. Martone followed 1:03 later to build an early two-goal lead for the Flyers.

Tyson Foerster also scored a goal and Michkov added a second goal in the third period, but Philadelphia never could draw back even, and had its three-game winning streak snapped.

Up next: The Duck begin a three-game homestand Tuesday against Vancouver; the Flyers host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

Josh Hoover had a four-yard touchdown run in overtime and No. 6 Indiana then kept Michigan out of the end zone in a 13-6 win on Saturday in Ann Arbor.

The defending national champion Hoosiers (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) avoided losing two in a row for the first time in three years with coach Curt Cignetti — and won at the Big House for the first time since 1967.

The Wolverines (4-3, 1-3) started quarterback Tommy Carr and sat Bryce Underwood, but the freshman didn’t fare as well as he did last week coming off the bench in a win over Penn State.

Carr lost a fumble on an ill-advised pitch in the first quarter and had a pass intercepted in the second half. He took sacks in the second and third quarters that led to missed field goals, including a 32-yard kick after advancing to the Indiana one-yard line.

Michigan reached the Hoosiers three in the final minute of regulation when Carr was sacked for a fourth time, leading to a 26-yard field goal as time expired.

at Cincinnati 37, No. 8 Texas Tech 24: Cole Tabb had a career-high 173 rushing yards and a touchdown while JC French IV threw for a career-high four touchdown passes in the Bearcats’ stunning upset.

It was the Bearcats first win over a top-10 team at home since Nov. 18, 2006, when they defeated No. 7 Rutgers 30-11. Cincinnati won at ninth-ranked Notre Dame in 2021.

The Red Raiders (6-1, 3-1) failed go 7-0 for the first time since 2013 and were plagued by mistakes all afternoon.

at No. 1 Miami 52, Pittsburgh 23: Malachi Toney had a school-record 16 catches and Dariah Mensah threw for 387 yards and four touchdowns in the Hurricanes’ first game as the nation’s top-ranked team in nearly 24 years.

Toney finished with 194 receiving yards and three touchdown catches, while Javian Mallory rushed for two scores and Mark Fletcher Jr. moved into the No. 2 spot on Miami’s all-time list with the 33rd rushing TD of his career.

Miami native Blue Hicks had five catches for 149 yards and a touchdown for Pitt (5-3, 2-3), which dropped its third consecutive game.

No. 10 Louisiana State 38, at Auburn 17: Sam Leavitt accounted for four touchdowns, including two throws to speedster Jackson Harris, and the visitors ended an eight-game, road-losing streak in Southeastern Conference play.

Leavitt completed 32 of 45 passes for a career-high 387 yards, ran for 54 more and played turnover-free football for the second consecutive week.

LSU (6-2, 4-2 SEC) scored on five of six possessions in the first half to take a commanding 31-10 lead into halftime. Harris caught nine passes for 178 yards, scoring on a 10-yard strike and turning a 12-yard crossing route into a 70-yard sprint.

Auburn (4-3, 2-3) seemed to have a letdown a week after stunning then-No. 1 Georgia on the road.

at No. 23 Southern Methodist 59, California 20: Kevin Jennings threw three touchdowns to break the Mustangs’ career record while Kendrick Raphael ran for 104 yards while accounting for three scores, two on fourth-down plays, in the rout.

SMU (6-1, 4-1 ACC) trailed at halftime before scoring touchdowns on their first six drives after the break, when it gained 306 of its 492 total yards. Jennings, already SMU’s career leader for passing yards (9,766) and completions (781), surpassed the 72 scoring passes by Tanner Mordecai from 2021-22.

Freshman running back Christian Rhodes had touchdown runs of five and three yards in SMU’s scoring surge in the second half, while Cal (3-5, 2-3) opened with three consecutive three-and-outs.

at No. 24 Northwestern 42, Rutgers 14: Aidan Chiles threw three touchdowns for the third time this season and rushed for two others to lead the Wildcats to a fourth straight victory.

Caleb Komolafe rushed for 150 yards and a TD, including a 56-yard dash. Griffin Wilde, who finished with 133 receiving yards, Alex Honig and Drew Wagner caught passes for scores as Northwestern (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) raced to a 28-3 lead late in the first half.

Antwan Raymond rushed for 150 yards on 18 carries and the lone Rutgers (2-5, 1-3 Big Ten) touchdown, a 46-yard run late in the third. The score was set up by the first interception thrown this season by Chiles, who finished with 219 passing yards and 83 rushing.