Biles dominates, captures sixth U.S. championship
Simone Biles messed around and got a triple-double. And just about everything else too on her way to a sixth U.S. women’s gymnastics title.
The Olympic champion began her preparation for the 2020 Games by drilling her boundary pushing triple-twisting, double-flip (aka the “triple-double”, something the sport had never seen) at the end of her first tumbling run on floor exercise Sunday night in Kansas City, Missouri, the exclamation point of another dazzling performance that showcased just how wide the gulf between Biles and the rest of the world has become.
Biles had a two-day all-around total of 118.500, nearly five points clear of Sunisa Lee in second and almost eight points ahead of Grace McCallum in third.
The 22-year-old took the top scores on floor, vault and balance beam and placed third on bars, bouncing back from a sloppy set Friday that left the greatest gymnast on the planet and admitted perfectionist seething.
There were no muttered curse words this time. Only a borderline sarcastic jump for joy after she finished off a typically brilliant night by drilling her dismount on uneven bars to extend an unbeaten streak that began at the 2013 national championships. Biles gave coach Laurent Landi a relieved high-five before sticking out her tongue and waving her arms as she ran to hug the rest of competitors in her rotation.
Two days removed from an off day — at least by her impossibly high standards — Biles responded with four sublime rotations that showcased the mix of technical precision, audacious ambition and charismatic showmanship that have become her trademark. That included the triple-double — a skill never done before by a woman in competition — in her floor routine.
McCallum, who won team gold with Biles at the 2018 world championships, surged from ninth to third by putting up the second-highest all-around total on Sunday. Morgan Hurd, the 2017 world champion, rebounded from a rocky floor exercise on Friday that dropped her to eighth overall to zoom up to fourth.
Riley McCusker, a world championship team member last fall, withdrew halfway through on Sunday due to an illness.
Golf
REED WINS NORTHERN TRUST >> Patrick Reed picked a good time to end 16 months without a victory.
Reed fell behind early, was still two shots behind on the back nine at Liberty National and then rolled in three straight putts — one for par, two for birdies — that allowed him to overtake Jon Rahm and hold off Abraham Ancer to win The Northern Trust in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Reed closed with a 2-under 69 after a breezy afternoon in which a halfdozen players were in the mix on the back nine.
“It’s been a little too long,” said Reed, whose last victory was the 2018 Masters. “It’s definitely a good time to get a ‘W.’ ”
Reed had such mediocre results by his standards that he began the FedEx Cup playoffs at No. 50 and was only assured of two events. Points count four times as much in the playoffs, so the victory vaulted him to No. 2 in the FedEx Cup. His place at the Tour Championship is secure. His odds of the $15 million prize increased greatly.
It still wasn’t enough for him to get in the top eight automatic qualifiers for the Presidents Cup, which will be decided after this week.
He finished at 16-under 268 and won for the seventh time in his career on the PGA Tour.
Ancer’s second was his best PGA Tour finish and was enough to send him from No. 67 to No. 8. Ancer is a lock to make it to the Tour Championship in two weeks, meaning he earns his first spot in the Masters. He wrapped up a spot on the International team for the Presidents Cup, making him the first Mexican in the event.
Rahm closed with a 69 and tied for third with Harold Varner III.
HUR CAPTURES SCOTTISH OPEN >> Mi Jung Hur won her third LPGA Tour title with a brilliant final round at the Ladies Scottish Open in North Berwick, Scotland.
Hur carded a closing 5-under 66 in wet conditions at The Renaissance Club to finish 20-under 264, four shots ahead of Jeongeun Lee6 (70) and Moriya Jutanugarn (71).
Overnight leader Jutanugarn had been trying to follow her sister with a Ladies Scottish Open victory after Ariya Jutanugarn won last year at Gullane.
STANFORD’S VALENZUELA EDGED IN WOMEN’S AMATEUR >> Gabriela Ruffels became the first Australian winner in U.S. Women’s Amateur history Sunday, beating Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland 1 up in the 36-hole final at Old Waverly Golf Club.
The 19-year-old Ruffels, preparing for her junior season at USC, pulled even with a birdie on the par-5 33rd, took the lead with a birdie on the par-3 35th and matched Valenzuela with a birdie on the par-4 36th.
The 21-year-old Valenzuela will be a senior at Stanford University. She also lost in the 2017 final. Ruffels beat another Stanford player, Andrea Lee, in the semifinals.
The finalists earned spots in the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open at Champions Golf Club in Houston.
Tennis
ANDREESCU ENDS CANADA’S ROGERS CUP DROUGHT >> Bianca Andreescu became the first Canadian to win the Rogers Cup in 50 years when Serena Williams retired because of an injury Sunday in Toronto.
Andreescu was up 3-1 in the first set when Williams called for a medical timeout.
Less than a minute later, the chair umpire announced that the 37-yearold Williams was retiring from the match, handing Andreescu her second WTA Premier title of the season. The tournament’s final lasted only 16 minutes.
After the chair umpire announced the retirement, Williams started to cry on her bench. Andreescu went over to comfort her, hugging her and telling Williams how much she admires the 23-time Grand Slam winner.
“I’m not a crier, but, thank you guys,” said Williams as she choked back tears after accepting the secondplace check. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do it today. I tried but I just couldn’t do it.”
The 19-year-old Andreescu, from nearby Mississauga, will see her world ranking rise from 27th to 14th. NADAL DOMINATES IN MONTREAL >> Rafael Nadal won his fifth Rogers Cup title, beating Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-0 in just 70 minutes in Montreal.
The 33-year-old Nadal won the event for the third time in Montreal. The first came in 2005 at age 19 over Andre Agassi, and the second in 2013. Nadal won in Toronto in 2008 and 2018.
The second-ranked Spanish star won his 83rd singles title and third of the year, following clay victories in Rome and at the French Open. He extended his tour record for Masters 1000 titles to 35, two more than topranked Novak Djokovic.
Soccer
MARTÍNEZ EXTENDS SCORING STREAK >> Josef Martínez scored twice to extend his MLS-record goals streak to 10 games and Atlanta United beat New York City FC 2-1 on Sunday. Defending champion Atlanta (13-9-3) has won four of its last five games. In other MLS action, D.C. United defeated the L.A. Galaxy 2-1. The Galaxy (12-11-1) have lost four of five.
Basketball
BAGLEY III PASSES ON TEAM USA >> Sacramento forward Marvin Bagley III has told USA Basketball that he is withdrawing from consideration for the roster that will be sent to China this month for the FIBA World Cup.
Bagley was not immediately replaced, and unless that changes the U.S. will have 16 players still in the mix for 12 final roster spots.
Bagley was on the select team — younger NBA players brought in to compete against national-team candidates — last week in Las Vegas, and earned a promotion to the national team Friday night following USA Basketball’s intrasquad scrimmage.