Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 26 May 12:30 pm

Good day, let’s look at the latest sports news and scores:

# We start with athletics: South Africa’s Akani Simbine remains unbeaten in the 100-metres this year, as he powered to his third Diamond League victory of the year in Rabat, Morocco. He recorded a time of 9.95-seconds, ahead of Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala and American Fred Kerley. Simbine’s compatriot Zakithi Nene delivered a strong performance in the men’s 400-metres, finishing second. Another South African, Prudence Sekgodiso, had to settle for second in the women’s 800-metres. Simbine says he feels great and confident:

# Rugby: The Bordeaux-Begles winger Damian Penaud has been crowned European Player of the Year after beating Northampton Saints in Cardiff.  He scored two of his side’s four tries in the team’s 28-20 victory. Penaud is the third Frenchman to win the award, following in the footsteps of Antoine Dupont and Gregory Alldritt. Penaud played a key role in his side’s first Champions Cup title and scored 14 tries in eight games. Six of these were against the Sharks in the pool stages of the tournament, the most tries scored in a match.

# Motorsport: McLaren’s Lando Norris held off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to win the Monaco Grand Prix for the first time. The Briton navigated the new mandatory two-tyre changes for the race to win for the first time since the season-opener in Australia. His teammate Oscar Piastri finished third, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen fourth, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton a distant fifth. Norris, who has cut Piastri’s lead at the top of the drivers’ championship to three points, says consistency is key for him:

# Tennis: World number one Aryna Sabalenka got her French Open campaign to a winning start. The Belarusian defeated Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova to move to the second round. Italy’s Jasmine Paolini battled past China’s Yuan Yue, while former world number two, Czech player Petra Kvitova, was knocked out. In the men’s draw, American Ben Shelton needed five sets to overcome Italian Lorenzo Sonego. There were also victories for American Frances Tiafoe and Italian Lorenzo Musetti.

And fourteen-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal was honoured with an emotional farewell ceremony on Court Philippe‑Chatrier in Paris. Since his title-winning debut in 2005, the Spaniard dominated the clay court tournament, claiming his record 14th title in 2022. Long-time rivals Roger Federer of Switzerland, Novak Djokovic of Serbia, and Andy Murray of Scotland joined Nadal on the court to pay tribute. Nadal, who won 112 matches at Roland Garros and lost only four, says this was the perfect sendoff:

Stay tuned for more news………….