U.S. women’s national soccer team ties with Sweden
The United States’ 16-match winning streak was snapped in a 1-1 draw with Sweden on Saturday in Carli Lloyd’s 300th national team appearance.
Lina Hurtig put Sweden ahead off a set piece in the 38th minute before Megan Rapinoe’s penalty kick pulled the United States even in the 87th in Stockholm.
The draw extended the U.S. team’s unbeaten streak to 38 games. Rapinoe’s goal was her sixth this year to lead the team.
Rapinoe said the scare from the Swedes will help the U.S. as it prepares for the Olympics this summer.
“Even throughout the whole game, I was kind of thinking, ‘This is exactly what we need.’ We didn’t play well. We were very sloppy. Tactically we needed to be a lot better, and just individually,” she said. “But those are the games where you kind of have to dig in.”
The Americans have not lost a match since January 2019, when they fell to France.
Vanderbilt’s Pippen Jr. declares for NBA draft
Vanderbilt guard Scotty Pippen Jr. declared for the NBA draft without signing with an agent to keep his options open.
The son of six-time NBA champ Scottie Pippen, he ranked second in the SEC both in scoring at 20.8 points and with 4.8 assists a game. He ranked 16th nationally in scoring per game.
• Former South Alabama guard Michael Flowers, the top available scorer in college basketball’s transfer portal, committed to play at Washington State next season. Flowers, 22, ranked fourth in Division I in overall scoring this season with 588 points in 28 games, averaging 21 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals, while shooting 39% from 3.
Ledecky swims fastest 400 free this year
Katie Ledecky won the 400-meter freestyle at the TYR Pro Swim Series in
Mission Viejo with the world’s fastest time this year. She touched in 3 minutes, 59.25 seconds in the outdoor pool. The defending Olympic champion is the only swimmer to go under 4 minutes this year.
Leah Smith finished second in 4:06.37.
NASCAR Cup race at Martinsville postponed
Rain forced the postponement of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway after just 42 laps, setting up a doubleheader today.
The day will start with the completion of an Xfinity Series race that was suspended after 91 laps Friday night. That race has 159 laps to complete, and the Cup completion will begin in conditions that weather forecasts suggest will be sunny and in the mid-70s.
Denny Hamlin passed pole-sitter Joey Logano just four laps into the race and led the rest of the way until light drizzle intensified and the drivers were told to come down pit road for a red flag delay.
Fritz ousted in Sardinia
Lorenzo Sonego is one step away from becoming the first Italian for 15 years to capture an ATP tour clay-court title on home soil after beating second-seeded Taylor Fritz of the United States to reach the final of the Sardegna Open in Cagliari, Sardinia.
Third-seeded Sonego held off a spirited comeback from Fritz to prevail 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 and set up a final against Laslo Djere of Serbia.
It was easier for Djere in the other semifinal as he dominated fourth-seeded Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia to win 6-2, 6-0 in a match that lasted just 52 minutes.
• Veronikia Kudermetova of Russia and Danka Kovinic of Montenegro will play for their first WTA title today in the Volvo Car Open championship in Charleston, S.C.
Kudermetova, the 15th seed, rolled past Spain’s Paula Badosa 6-3, 6-3.
Blackmore 1st female to win Grand National
Super Stock won the $1 million Arkansas Derby by 2½ lengths in an upset to earn a berth in next month’s Kentucky Derby.
Ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., Super Stock covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.92 in front of 17,000 fans at Oaklawn Park. The 3-yearold colt is trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who won his fifth Arkansas Derby, and co-owned by Asmussen’s father, Keith.
• Fantasy turned into reality when Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to win Britain’s grueling Grand National horse race, breaking down one of the biggest gender barriers in sports.
Blackmore, a 31-year-old Irishwoman, rode Minella Times to a landmark victory at odds of 11-1 in the 173rd edition of the famous steeplechase at Aintree in Liverpool.
Blackmore is the 20th female jockey to compete in a race that has been a British sporting institution since 1839. Women have been allowed to enter the National as jockeys only since 1975, making it a male-dominated event — until now.
Ferreira, Moore win WSL championships
Defending World Surf League champion Italo Ferreira won an all-Brazilian men’s final over Gabriel Medina at the Newcastle Cup, in Australia.
The 2019 world champion edged Medina in a tight decider at Merewether Beach to move to the top of the world rankings after two events.
Four-time world champion Carissa Moore of the United States beat Australian rookie Isabella Nichols to win the women’s Newcastle event.
• Filip Lindberg had 25 saves, Aaron Bohlinger scored his first career goal, and Massachusetts defeated St. Cloud State 5-0 in Pittsburgh to win the program’s first NCAA championship.