Champions of the Weekend in Sports!

NBA FINALS 

WARRIORS VS. CAVS GAME 4

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The Starting Five of the Golden State Warriors celebrate their NBA Championship win last Friday (Photo: ESPN)

The Golden State Warriors swept the Cavs Friday night in a blowout! 108-85!

This is the 3rd NBA Championship win for Stephen Curry and the 3rd ring for Steve Kerr as a Coach to add to his 5 rings as a player.

Kevin Durant won Finals MVP, snatching it from teammate, Steph Curry after his epic, unforgettable Game 3 performance.

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Photo: ESPN
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KD accepting his Finals MVP Trophy last Friday night (Photo: Bleacher Report)

LeBron James had a great run carrying his team that had no chance in the Playoffs all the way to the Finals. But he has now been swept twice in the NBA Finals, where the first time was by the San Antonio Spurs in 2007.

Stay tuned for LeBron’s next move. It will be a long summer.

FRENCH OPEN WOMEN’S FINAL

SIMONA HALEP VS. SLOANE STEPHENS

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Photo: BBC Sport

World no. 1, Simona Halep finally won her 1st Grand Slam! Congrats to her and well fought after losing the 1st set to Sloane Stephens and being broken the 1st game in the 2nd. She beat Sloane Stephens, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Simona Halep credited mental strength to winning her first Grand Slam.

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Simona Halep raises her long-awaited French Open Grand Slam Trophy last Saturday (Photo: Sports mole)

 

BELMONT STAKES

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Justify being ridden to victory by Mike Smith at the 2018 Belmont Stakes (Photo: New York Times)

Justify, an American thoroughbred racehorse, became the 13th winner of the American Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes last Saturday. The 2018 Kentucky Derby and the 2018 Preakness Stakes preceded his big win at Belmont.

The last horse to do so was American Pharoah in 2015 who ended a 37-year Triple Crown drought. Both were guided by the same trainer, Bob Baffert.

JN RACER’S GRAND PRIX

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Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in action at the JN Racer’s Grand Prix at The National Stadium Saturday, June 9, 2018.

The Queen is back! Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce not only improved on her time since her return, but won the 100m Women’s race as well in 11.10s!

This all went down at the National Stadium on Saturday night.

Also look out for our future Queen, young Briana Williams (16yrs), who had a faster start than our Pocket Rocket and sustained her speed throughout the race, finishing 3rd in 11.26. Congrats to Team Jamaica and thanks to other athletes who came to the island to compete.

Jenna Prandini of the USA and no stranger to Jamaica came a close 2nd to Shelly in 11.14.

FRENCH OPEN MEN’S FINAL

RAFAEL NADAL VS. DOMINIC THIEM

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Rafael Nadal reacts after winning Championship point and his 11th French Open title yesterday

Rafael Nadal won his 11th French Open yesterday! He beat Dominic Thiem who put up quite a fight, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Each set was about an hour-long, but the experience, strength, power and dominance of Nadal was just too much for Thiem. Winning never gets easier, but he has pulled it off again. Congrats Rafa!

Now let’s get ready for the World Cup!

By: Gabrielle Burgess

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What a week in Sports! Drama everywhere!

FOOTBALL
Euro2016
Euro2016 started last Friday. Already, Russia has faced investigation after Russian fans rushed (no pun intended) England supporters at the end of the game, which was drawn 1-1. Russia had equalized in overtime.

Both Russia and England have been warned against possible elimination if violence continues.

COPA America
Brazil beat Haiti 7-1 last Wednesday.

On Thursday, Venezuela beat Uruguay 1-0! Suarez was extremely upset he couldn’t play and threw a tantrum on the sidelines. The same night, Mexico beat Jamaica 2-0. Poor defending cost Jamaica the first goal, a simple header by Chicharito at 18′. It was an exciting match, but Jamaica just failed to convert the many opportunities and chances on goal, especially Donaldson who was also denied a penalty. Peralto who substituted Chicharito sealed the deal for Mexico, scoring at 81′.

Mexico advanced with Venezuela to the Quarterfinal for Group C. USA and Colombia advanced from Group A. The outcome of Group B with Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Haiti is to be determined, as well as the Group with Argentina, Chile, Panama and Bolivia.

BOXING
Mohammad Ali died a week ago at age 74. His public memorial service was on Friday in Louisville, KY. Ali inspired the famous movie, Rocky. The Legend’s memory will live on.

TENNIS
5-time Major winner, Maria Sharapova has been suspended for 2 years by the ITF for breaking anti-doping rules. She will appeal.

ATHLETICS
Speaking of doping, Jamaica’s sprinter, Nesta Carter’s ‘B’ sample confirmed the presence of the substance, methylhexanamine, a banned stimulant after tests were carried out by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This could cost the 4×100m team from the 2008 Beijing Olympics their Gold medal. He will soon have his case heard by the IOC panel.

Sanya Richards-Ross of the USA looking to run her last Olympics seemed to have twisted her foot in a 100m race used for speed training in Atlanta. She fell to the ground screaming mid-race and had to be carried off the field. She hasn’t been running good times in the 400m and she came 7th in her last competitive race but this may harm her hopes of heading to RIO even more.

Jamaica National Racers Grand Prix
The JN Racers Meet that took place on Saturday at the National Stadium was packed with talented athletes, most of whom should be heading to RIO. It was a great day for sprinters with a +1.0 wind.

The highlights were as follows:

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Shaunae Miller used her strength from the 400m to power through the stretch to win the Women’s 200m just short of sub 22s in 22.05s. USA’s Jenna Prandini had an excellent start and beat Miller on the curb but faded in the stretch finishing in 22 39s.

Trinidad’s Machel Cedonio won the Men’s 400m in 44.37s ahead of Grenada’s Bralon Taplin and Jamaica’s Javon Francis a.k.a. ‘Donkey Man’.

South Africa’s World Men’s 400m Champion, Wayde van Niekerk won the 300m just short of sub 31s in 31.03 ahead of USA’s LaShawn Merritt. He felt the energy of the crowd and enjoyed running here.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Miguel Francis who trains with Bolt and Blake destroyed is PB time in the Men’s 200m finishing in 19.88s, the 2nd fastest time in the world this year. Jamaica’s Julian Forte was 2nd in 20.18s and Warren Weir just returning from an injury was 3rd in 20.32s. Rasheed Dwyer is yet to break 20.5s this season.

Nadia Eke of Ghana won the Women’s Triple jump in 13.51m.

For the Women’s 100m hurdles, USA’s Sharika Nelvis won in 12.61s, her SB ahead of Jamaica’s World Champion, Danielle Williams who finished in 12.77s.

For the Men’s 110m hurdles, David Oliver of the USA won in 13.09s. Jamaica’s Deuce Carter came 2nd. He hit a hurdle mid-race so it could have been closer. Jarrett Eaton of the USA was 3rd.

Then to the races everyone was waiting for, the Women’s and Men’s 100m.

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Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce who has been having trouble from injury got her usual fast start and shook off Barbara Pierre of the USA who stayed with her throughout the entire race and even inched ahead of her at one point finishing with her SB of 11.09 and Pierre finished in 11.11s. Kelly-Ann Baptiste of Trinidad & Tobago was 3rd in 11.15s and Carmelita Jeter did not place.

Sidenote. Never count out VCB for the Senior trials. She ran 10.83s in Florida today!

Now to the Men! Bolt, Blake, Asafa, Nickel Ashmeade, Kemar Bailey-Cole and Frater ALL from Jamaica, Ramon Gittons from Barbados and South Africa’s Akane Simbine. Why not have a Jamaica race at the Olympics?

All I know is, Usain Bolt is looking good, really good. He ran 9.88s after he stumbled at the start of race after a good reaction time to the gun, was behind the entire field and then pulled away easily.
Nickel Ashmeade finished 2nd and Blake with his SB 3rd, both with 9.94s, Asafa 4th with 9.98 and Bailey-Cole 5th.

Watch “Usain Bolt wins 100m Men Racers Grand Prix 2016 in 9.88s” on YouTube here:

 

BASKETBALL – NBA Finals
After the Warriors took Game 1 of the series and Game 2 was a Blowout with a 110-76 win over the Cavs in California with LeBron James sitting out the entire 4th quarter, the Cavs especially LeBron James were attacked by the media, various memes and videos. Here is a reminder of just a few:

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They had no choice but to totally dominate Game 3 on home court to save face on Wednesday night winning by 30 points, 120-90. James had 32 points and Thompson came up big defensively and also had 13 rebounds. The Cavs would then look to level the series in Game 4 at home before heading back to California for Game 5 but things did not go their way. Curry came alive with 38 points and we still haven’t seen the Splash Brothers in these NBA Finals.

Cavs coach, Tyronn Lue was fined 25k for criticizing the Referees after Game 4, saying ‘LeBron never gets calls’. LeBron fans would say he doesn’t make excuses for losing but once again, he was in agreement with this accusation made by Lue but didn’t go in on it because he said he would save his 25k. What he did do though, was provoke Draymond Green by stepping over him after Green fell to the floor on a play, knowing what was at stake for Draymond if he got 2 more technicals or any Flagrants called against him. Words were thrown and both made their case.

Watch “GameTime: LeBron’s Altercation With Draymond Green | June 11, 2016 | 2016 NBA Finals” on YouTube here:

Today, the League announced that LeBron James was assessed a technical and Draymond Green has been suspended for Game 5 of the Finals after getting a Flagrant Foul 1 from the incident with LeBron on Friday. Suga thinks this was unnecessary and the NBA are grabbing at straws to extend the series.

Warriors’ Klay Thompson expresses that he guesses LeBron James’ ‘feelings just got hurt’ by Draymond Green and players talk trash and call each other names in the league all the time but ‘It’s a Man’s League’.

Game 5 is tomorrow at 8pm!