Sports

AMB West to host local sports camps this month

Published on Tue, 08/03/2021 - 3:46pm
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The Atlanta United Camps and Clinics team is holding a soccer camp at the Livingston North Side Park from 9 a.m. until noon on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

The two-day soccer camp is the first of two camps this month organized and run by professional sports entities owned by Arthur Blank. Blank’s nonprofit AMB West Philanthropies is bringing the professionals in, Alison Sawyer, senior director of foundation communications for the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, wrote in an email.

Springsteen makes Olympic debut, falls short in qualifier

Published on Tue, 08/03/2021 - 3:45pm
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KAMIYOGA, Japan (AP) — Jessica Springsteen had no luck going solo in Tokyo.

Perhaps she’ll do better with a band.

The daughter of famed rocker Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band wife, Patti Scialfa, failed to qualify for the Olympic individual jumping finals at Tokyo’s Equestrian Park on Tuesday night.

Simone Biles to return for balance beam finals

Published on Mon, 08/02/2021 - 3:22pm
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TOKYO (AP) — Simone Biles is back.

The 2016 Olympic gymnastics champion will return to competition in the balance beam final on Tuesday, a little over a week after stepping away from the meet to focus on her mental health.

“We are so excited to confirm that you will see two U.S. athletes in the balance beam final tomorrow — Suni Lee AND Simone Biles!! Can’t wait to watch you both!” USA Gymnastics said in a statement.

US junior varsity lineup upsets Mexico 1-0

Published on Mon, 08/02/2021 - 3:22pm
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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Miles Robinson scored on a header in the 117th minute, and a United States junior varsity lineup upset a mostly front-line Mexico team 1-0 on Sunday night to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Kellyn Acosta, one of two players in the U.S. starting lineup who gets playing time when the first-choice roster is together, took a free kick, and Robinson outjumped Edson Álvarez and headed the ball in on one hop to the right of goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera.

Annual alum matches

Published on Mon, 08/02/2021 - 3:20pm
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How ‘the twisties’ stopped Simone Biles cold

Published on Fri, 07/30/2021 - 1:53pm
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By Will Graves
AP Sports Writer

TOKYO (AP) — Maybe Simone Biles made soaring through the air look too easy. It’s not — a fact she and other gymnasts who constantly negotiate with the laws of physics have long understood.

Every leap, no matter how routine, requires an innate sense of time and space. You have to know how many fractions of a second you have to make your body do what it needs to do. Just as crucially, you need to know you’ve got enough room to do it before the ground renders a verdict one way or another.

Out, then in: US gets a reprieve after mixed relay DQ

Published on Fri, 07/30/2021 - 1:53pm
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TOKYO (AP) — The U.S. men have a long history of dicey baton exchanges in the Olympic relays. So do the U.S. women.

Their latest was a first-of-its-kind chance to flub one together, which they might have, but they caught a break that gives them a chance to still win a medal. 

The country’s difficult history in relay races reappeared in the Olympic debut of the 4x400-meter mixed relay when the team was disqualified for a bad exchange, only to be reinstated after filing a middle-of-the-night protest that got resolved early Saturday in Japan.

American gymnast Sunisa Lee takes Olympic gold

Published on Thu, 07/29/2021 - 3:34pm
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TOKYO (AP) — Sunisa Lee wanted to quit during quarantine. 

It all had become too much. The lingering pain from a broken foot. The deaths of two family members from COVID-19. Her father’s slow recovery from an accident that left him paralyzed. 

The urge eventually passed. It always does. Still, less than two months ago the 18-year-old gymnast hobbled around the podium at the U.S. championships, getting by more on grit than anything else.

Tokyo seemed far away. The top of the Olympic podium, even further.

Living up to the hype: Dressel wins 1st individual gold

Published on Thu, 07/29/2021 - 3:33pm
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TOKYO (AP) — Caeleb Dressel climbed atop the lane rope, a look of wonder in his eyes. He gazed all around the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, eager to soak up every last moment of something he’s never done before.

Win an individual gold medal at the Olympics.

The most dominant swimmer of the post-Michael Phelps era filled in the last hole on his resume, winning a gold all by himself with two furious laps of the pool Thursday.

Dressel, whose three previous golds were all on relays, lived up to the hype at an Olympics where several U.S. stars have faltered.

Olympic champ Biles withdraws from all-around competition

Published on Wed, 07/28/2021 - 3:38pm
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TOKYO (AP) — Simone Biles will not defend her Olympic title.

The American gymnastics superstar withdrew from Thursday’s all-around competition to focus on her mental well-being.

USA Gymnastics said in a statement on Wednesday that the 24-year-old is opting to not compete. The decision comes a day after Biles removed herself from the team final following one rotation because she felt she wasn’t mentally ready.