F1 continues racing despite nearby fire following attack
JIDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA » Despite a raging fire at a nearby oil depot following an attack, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix maintained business as usual on Friday night. The Formula One race on Sunday was also expected to go ahead.
After Yemen’s Houthis rebels acknowledged they launched attacks on the kingdom, Saudi Arabia state TV said there was a “hostile operation” that targeted the Jiddah oil depot, which erupted in flames during the first practice about seven miles from the F1 circuit.
Despite this, the second practice was delayed by just 15 minutes following a meeting between drivers, team principals, F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali, and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of motorsport governing body FIA.
Another meeting was expected later Friday between Domenicali and team principals.
Drivers did not talk about the attack after practice, with comments in media releases limited to the day’s racing.
Race promoter Saudi Motorsport Company said nothing will change with regards to the third practice and qualifying scheduled on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
Rahm, Morikawa lead Match Play group of 16
AUSTIN, TEXAS » Jon Rahm lost his match and still made it to the weekend. Scottie Scheffler needed only 14 holes to win his match against Matt Fitzpatrick, and then six more to beat him in a playoff.
The third full day of endless action in the Dell Technologies Match Play finally ende when Collin Morikawa drove the green on a par 4, this one not nearly dramatic as his shot that won the PGA Championship but still effective in getting him through group play.
Sixteen players remain for the knockout stage that begins Saturday morning, all of them knowing that three days of tense matches mean nothing going forward.
“Now it’s real,” Abraham Ancer said after squeezing by Webb Simpson.
Gauff and Rogers win in Miami
MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. » Seeded women continue to have major struggles at the Miami Open. Coco Gauff is one of the few exceptions.
The 14th-seeded American, whose home is about a 45-minute drive north from where she’s playing this event, got past Wang Qiang of China 7-5, 6-4 — avenging a first-round loss to her in the Australian Open earlier this year.
No. 16 Jessica Pegula felt right at home too, even though the tournament is held on the grounds where the NFL’s Miami Dolphins practice and play — and her parents, Terry and Kim Pegula, just happen to own the Buffalo Bills. Pegula had little trouble beating 2018 Miami Open winner
A cloud of smoke rises from a burning oil depot in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia on Friday.
Sloane Stephens 6-1, 6-4.
More than half of the women who were seeded going into the tournament won’t be around for the first weekend, with four more — No. 10 Jelena Ostapenko, No. 20 Elise Mertens, No. 24 Sorana Cirstea, and No. 29 Liudmila Samsonova — getting eliminated in second-round matches Friday.
Oklahoma State’s Gundy gets raise to $7.5M
STILLWATER, OKLA. » Oklahoma State has boosted football coach Mike Gundy’s salary to $7.5 million for the 2022 calendar year.
The school’s Board of Regents approved a $1 million increase in annual compensation and a $1 million annual retention bonus over each of the next five years. Other terms of his existing contract, including the $125,000 annual escalator and the annual one-year extension, will remain in place.
Gundy has a 149-69 record in 17 seasons at Oklahoma State.
Utah bans transgender athletes in girls sports
SALT LAKE CITY » Utah lawmakers voted to override GOP Gov. Spencer Cox’s veto of legislation banning transgender youth athletes from playing on girls teams — a move that comes amid a nationwide culture war over transgender issues.
Before the veto, the ban received support from a majority of Utah lawmakers, but fell short of the two-thirds needed to override it. Its sponsors successfully flipped 10 Republicans in the House and five in the Senate who had previously voted against the proposal.
Cox was the second GOP governor this week to overrule lawmakers on a sports-participation ban, and his veto letter drew national attention with a poignant argument that such laws target vulnerable kids who already have high rates of suicide attempts.
Papadakis, Cizeron shatter rhythm dance record
Olympic ice dance champions Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron shattered their own rhythm dance world record on Friday to take the lead over two American teams at the world championships in Montpellier, France.
With the backing of their home crowd, Papadakis and Cizeron scored 92.73 points to their program set to music by John Legend to beat their score from the Beijing Games by nearly two points.