Fremont’s Chen places fourth in world championships
Karen Chen has done it again — this time against almost impossible odds.
The Fremont figure skater who came up big in the 2017 World Championships to help the United States earn three Olympic berths duplicated the effort Friday in Stockholm, Sweden. Chen’s personal best free skate was good enough to finish fourth in her first World Championships since 2017. It happened because Japan’s Rika Kihira, second after the short program, fell apart.
While the Americans squeaked by, this much is clear a year for the Winter Olympics in Beijing: the Russian women rule. The Russians swept the podium — the first time a country has done that since the United States in 1991 led by Kristi Yamaguchi of Fremont.
Anna Shcherbakova, 16, won the competition followed by teammates Elizaveta Tuktamysehva and Alexandra Trusova, who rallied after placing 12th in the short program.
The Americans needed a total placing that added up to no worse than 13 to earn a chance to get a third Olympic spot. Because of a rule change in 2018, the Americans now need to secure the third spot at 2021 Nebelhorn Trophy, Sept. 22-25 in Germany.
U.S. champion Bradie Tennell, 23, usually is America’s most steady skater. But she said she had boot problems all week and under-rotated three of her planned seven triple jumps to finish ninth.
The result leads to drama next season as skaters prove their worthiness for the three Olympic spots. The United States’ most technically gifted skater is Richmond’s Alysa Liu, who will be eligible to compete on the international level next season. With three berths available the Bay Area could have two skaters qualify for the Beijing Games.
Chen finished with 208.63 points, almost nine points short of third place.
Wrestling
— Elliott Almond
STANFORD SWEEPS PAC-12 HONORS >> Stanford wrestling swept this year’s awards with redshirt sophomore Shane Griffith (165) earning Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year, redshirt freshman Jaden Abas (149) winning Pac12
Freshman/Newcomer of the Year and head coach Jason Borrelli taking home Pac-12 Coach of the Year accolades.
The honors are coming off a special week for the Cardinal wrestling program.
Griffith became the second wrestler in program history to win a national championship, winning the 165-pound title over Pittsburgh’s Jake Wentzel last weekend. He also became the first Cardinal to win Most Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA Championship.
For all its success this season, this could be the last season for the sport. In July, Stanford administrators announced the university was dropping wrestling and 10 other sports at the end of the school year in order to save money.
Griffith and the Cardinal wrestlers wore “Keep Stanford Wrestling” hoodies throughout the championships, and the athletes competed in simple black singlets with no school logos as a form of protest against the university’s decision.
Golf WILD DAY OF PLAYOFFS, ACES AT MATCH PLAY>>
Needing to win the final hole to advance, Bob MacIntrye drilled a driver to 3 feet of the cup on he 371yard 18th hole. Moments later, Sergio Garcia ended one of the record eight sudden-death playoffs with a hole-inone.
Already the most fickle event in golf, the Dell Technologies Match Play on Friday was an endless frenzy. Kevin Na lectured Dustin Johnson about not waiting for a putt to be conceded — 6 inches — and then birdied the last two holes to oust the No. 1 player in the world.
When it finally ended, Jon Rahm at No. 3 was the only player from the top 20 seeds who made it to the knockout stage of the weekend at Austin Country Club.
Former Texas golfer Dylan Frittelli won his group, making him the first No. 64 seed to advance to the weekend since the Match Play changed to round-robin group play in 2015.
WIE WEST MISSES CUT, PARK HOLDS 1-SHOT LEAD >> Michelle Wie West missed the cut in her first tournament in nearly two years while Inbee Park headed into the weekend still holding a one-stroke lead in the Kia Classic in Carlsbad.
Wie West shot a 2-over 74, an improvement of seven strokes from her opening-round 81 to finish at 11-over 155.
Park carded a 3-under 69 for a tworound total of 9-under 155 and a onestroke lead over Sophia Popov, who shot 68 for the second straight day.. SUH AMONG TRIO OF LEADERS AT PUNTACANA CHAMPIONSHIP >> Justin Suh, Fabrizio Zanotti and Rafael Campos rode steady second rounds to a tie atop the leaderboard at 7 under at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in the Dominican Republic.
Joel Dahmen and Tyler Duncan were tied for fourth place at 6 under.
Baseball PANIK TO BE ADDED TO BLUE JAYS’ BIG LEAGUE ROSTER >>
Second baseman Joe Panik was told by the Toronto Blue Jays that he will be added to the major league roster.
Panik agreed last month to a minor league contract that required the team to notify him by Friday that he would be added to the big league roster within 48 hours or would be released. Toronto announced it decision Friday. Panik entered Friday hitting .296 during spring training with (8 for 27) with five RBIs.
Panik is a seven-year major league veteran who has a .269 average, 39 homers and 240 RBIs.
TWINS COACH MIKE BELL, BROTHER OFREDSMANAGER,DIES>> Minnesota Twins bench coach Mike Bell, the younger brother of Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell, died of kidney cancer. He was 46.
Mike Bell had surgery Jan. 28 to remove a growth that was discovered earlier that month.