Wales are confident Taulupe Faletau will recover from injury in time for the World Cup, even though the 100-times capped back-rower may not play before the tournament.
Faletau stayed at home to nurse a calf complaint as Warren Gatland’s squad headed for a pre-World Cup training camp in Turkey.
The Cardiff number eight reached a century of caps against France in March and remains a vital component of the Wales side at the age of 32.
But the British and Irish Lion may not be risked ahead of September’s World Cup in France in two warm-up games with England and one against South Africa next month.
“He’s coming back, and in his rehab programme he’s going really well,” said Wales forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys, speaking from the squad’s current base in Antalya.
“So it’s just a question of do you drag him out here to do some stuff, or can he do it back home and spend a lot more time with his family?
“The decision was made that he can do the same rehab process back home. It’s looking positive for him.”
Asked if playing no part in the August games would deny Faletau – who missed the 2019 World Cup in Japan through injury – a place in the squad, Humphreys said: “If he doesn’t feature it’s not going to necessarily rule him out.
“I’m not sure if he will play (in the warm-up games). Hopefully he will, but I don’t think it’s something we’ll massively push if he’s not 100 per cent.
“The rehab is going well so we’re very hopeful he will be available for World Cup selection.”
The uncapped Taine Plumtree has emerged as a World Cup back-row option after confirming his move from New Zealand to Wales.
Plumtree, the 23-year-old son of former All Blacks assistant coach John, was born in Swansea when his father was working in Wales and the New Zealand Under-20 international will play for the Scarlets next season.
“He’s a genuine contender and hopefully we’ll see him in these next three games,” Humphreys said.
“We haven’t brought him in just to gain experience. We’ve brought him in because we feel he can add something to us.
“He’s a six, he’s a big man, and he’s very athletic as you’d expect from someone coming from New Zealand. He’s got a very good rugby sense.
“We are not blessed with people of that stature in that position. We looked at him, we liked what we saw, and he was keen to come over.
“He came off the plane jet-lagged from New Zealand, came to Switzerland, and the training was brutal over there. His first couple of sessions was an eye-opener but we’ve been impressed with what we’ve seen. ”
Temperatures have exceeded over 40 degrees Celsius since Wales arrived in southern Turkey.
They will spend a few more days there before returning home to prepare for their first World Cup warm-up game against England in Cardiff on August 5.
Humphreys said: “It was really hot when we first got here and a lot of humidity.
“Then we saw the temperature was dropping but the humidity went up. I’m not sure which one I prefer.
“It’s incredibly tough training in over 40 degrees but it’s exactly why we came here.
“The World Cup starts in six weeks and it’s an opportunity for players here to put their hands up and for us to find a way forward.”
Wales must trim their current 48-man squad down to 33 for the World Cup, with their opening game against Fiji in Bordeaux on September 10.
Bahamas swept Martinique 3-0 (27-25, 25-20, 25-14) in quarterfinals on Thursday to reach the semifinals of the 2023 CAZOVA Championship in Paramaribo, Suriname.
It’s the fourth defeat of Martinique in this tournament. On Wednesday they were beaten by Barbados 3-1 (25-27, 25-18, 25-12, 25-15).
Outside hitter Kyle Wilson led with 21 points, three aces and two blocks. Prince Wilson had 13 points. Meanwhile, Martinique’s outside hitter Lohan Lefaivre had eight points.
Lloyd Davis, coach of Bahamas expressed his delight at the outcome.
“I am happy how the game went. We expected that Martinique would play hard. The win shows that we want this and trying to reach the final,” he said.
Bahamas captain Bryon Ferguson said his team was confident of victory. “We did not expect anything less or more,” he said. “I am happy we could hold off Martinique and play our own game. One set at a time.”
Max Verstappen will not start Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix from pole position with the world champion set to serve a five-place grid penalty.
Verstappen, 110 points clear at the top of the standings, is due to take on his fifth gearbox, one more than he is permitted.
It means the 25-year-old will begin the grand prix on Sunday no higher than sixth in something of a boost to his forlorn rivals.
However, the Dutchman started the race from 14th last year owing to engine penalties and still took the win in his dominant Red Bull machine.
Verstappen has won the last seven races, nine of the 11 rounds staged so far this season, and is on course to wrap up a hat-trick of titles.
At last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen’s Red Bull team set a new F1 record of 12 consecutive wins.
Qualifying for Sunday’s race is due to take place at 5pm local time (4pm BST) on Friday. A sprint race will be staged at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday, but Verstappen’s penalty will apply only to the main event.
Jamaica’s women remained undefeated during their preliminary round matches and have clinched a semifinal berth at the 2023 CAZOVA Championship being held in Suriname.
After defeating defending champions Trinidad and Tobago in their previous match, Jamaica blanked the Bahamas 3-0 [25-16, 25-21, 25-22] at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall in Paramaribo. Outside hitter Mychael Vernon led with 14 points, joined by opposite and team captain Sashalee Thomas with 14 points.
On Wednesday, Jamaica outgunned the defending champions in a five-set thriller 3-2 (25-14, 25-23, 22-25, 15-25, 16-14).
The Jamaicans dominated the two opening sets but Trinidad and Tobago roared back to win the next two sets and force a decisive fifth set.
In a contest where both teams were equally matched, Jamaica capitalized on the unforced errors by Trinidad and Tobago to clinch victory. Outside hitter Mychael Vernon led with 24 points. Team captain Sashalee Thomas had 18 points.
Jamaica remains the only undefeated team in the Women’s championship.
Meanwhile, Jamaica's men progressed to the quarterfinals after defeating Bahamas, 3:2 [25-16, 25-19, 21-25, 27-25, 15-11] to end the preliminary round with two wins and a loss and will now face defending CAZOVA Men’s Champion and host Suriname in the quarterfinal.
Derby and King George winner Adayar has been retired from racing.
The Godolphin-owned son of Frankel provided trainer Charlie Appleby with a second Derby success at Epsom in 2021 when ridden by Adam Kirby before going on to beat his elders in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot the following month under William Buick.
He was subsequently beaten in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Champion Stakes though, and only made it to the track twice last season, albeit going close in the Champion Stakes when beaten just half a length by Bay Bridge.
Connections brought him back as a five-year-old in the hope of adding to his top-level tally – but while he made a successful comeback in the rescheduled Gordon Richards Stakes at Newmarket in May, he was beaten into third in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and was turned over at cramped odds by Israr in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket on his latest outing.
Appleby told www.godolphin.com: “Adayar provided the team with two outstanding days on the racecourse at Epsom and Ascot and has been a firm favourite in the yard for the past three seasons. He has been an absolute pleasure to train.
“He will be sorely missed at Moulton Paddocks but we look forward to watching him in his new career at stud and are quite sure he will be a huge success.”
In all Adayar won five of his 13 races and amassed almost £2million in win and place prize-money.
Great Britain’s track cyclists will debut the radical new bike they hope to ride to Olympic glory in Paris at next week’s UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow.
From the Beijing Olympics onwards, British Cycling has invested heavily in technological development, with the early years of success powered by the famed research and development department once known as the Secret Squirrel Club, then Room X.
The latest machine, which continues the collaboration between Lotus, Hope and Renishaw, builds on the ideas behind the HB.T bike, which helped Britain once again top the medal tables in the velodrome at the Tokyo Games.
With unique handlebars and forks, the bike is seen as another big step forward in terms of aerodynamic efficiency.
World governing body the UCI requires nations to register and race their Olympic kit before the Games, and in total GB will be using 64 different bits of kit and equipment destined for Paris 2024 at the world championships, which begin in Glasgow on August 3.
British Cycling performance director Stephen Park said: “To continue to win medals year-on-year at the highest level, we need everything to come together at exactly the right time: the best riders, the best equipment, the best technology.
“We have been working with Lotus, Hope and Renishaw for the past two Olympic cycles as we believe that together we have the world-leading expertise needed to deliver what we believe to be the fastest track bike in the world.”
Shohei Ohtani came through with the best performance of his career on the day the Los Angeles Angels committed to not trading the two-way star in the last year of his contract.
Ohtani threw his first career shutout in the opening game of a doubleheader Thursday, then followed by hitting two home runs in the nightcap.
Ohtani allowed one hit and struck out eight in the Angels’ 6-0 win over the Detroit Tigers, then extended his MLB lead by hitting his 37th and 38th home runs of the season as Los Angeles won the second game 11-4.
Only muscle cramps could stop Ohtani from doing further damage, and he was pulled from the night game after his second homer.
Ohtani’s latest jaw-dropping performance comes after the Angels doubled down on their attempts to keep baseball’s most exciting player long-term.
On Wednesday, the Angels traded touted prospects Ky Bush and Edgar Quero to the Chicago White Sox for pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez to help make a push towards the playoffs.
Before Thursday’s doubleheader, general manager Perry Minasian said that the Angels will not deal Ohtani at the trade deadline, despite the risk of losing him for nothing this winter in free agency.
The Angels have won nine of their last 11 games as they seek their first playoff berth since 2014. Ohtani, who joined MLB and the Angels in 2018, has never played in the postseason.
Cubs beat Cardinals after dustup, extend run to 6
Justin Steele tied the major league lead with his 11th win, Cody Bellinger stayed hot with three more hits and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-3 as tempers flared between the division rivals.
The victory extended the Cubs’ winning streak to a season-high six games and got them back to .500 for the first time since May 12.
In the first inning, the Cubs’ Ian Happ hit Cardinals catcher and former teammate Willson Contreras with the follow-through of his swing. St. Louis pitcher Miles Mikolas then hit Happ with a pitch and was ejected, along with Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol.
Steele (11-3) pitched six innings, allowing one run and five hits while striking out four.
Bellinger had three singles to improve his batting average in July to .425 and Yan Gomes drove in three runs.
Andrew Knizner hit two home runs for the Cardinals, who have lost four straight against the Cubs.
Josh Naylor leads Guardians past White Sox
Josh Naylor drove in three runs to back Tanner Bibee’s fifth straight win as the Cleveland Guardians defeated the reeling Chicago White Sox, 6-3.
Naylor had a two-run double and scored in a three-run third against Dylan Cease that gave Cleveland a 4-0 lead. He had a strange RBI double in the seventh when reliever Aaron Bummer deflected his soft comebacker into center field, and Andres Gimenez scored on the play.
Bibee allowed three runs and six hits over 6 2/3 innings to improve to 5-0 with a 2.18 ERA in his last seven starts.
Jake Burger hit two homers, but the White Sox dropped their sixth in a row.
They may be three Caribbean Islands with different cultures and different styles of play. But what Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados all have in common, is their unflinching desire to leave an indelible mark at the Vitality Netball World Cup.
All three teams will bow into action in Cape Town, South Africa on Friday with Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls up against Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago’s Calypso Girls squaring off against reigning champions New Zealand, while Barbados Gems, are up against England’s Roses.
The number 10-ranked Calypso Girls will be the first in action at 3:00am Jamaica time, with number two-ranked Silver Ferns expected to prove a handful for the Joel “Twiggy” Young-Strong-coached team.
And while Trinidad and Tobago boast the legacy of being the only other team to win the World Cup title, along with New Zealand and Australia in the tournament’s long history, captain Shaquanda Green-Noel is realistic about their expectations.
“I think we are very honest and realistic with what may be the end result of the game, so even though we are extremely competitive, we are just going in thinking about the small wins in terms of reducing the margin.
“The mood in the camp is a bit of excitement and nervousness, the senior players are more the ones excited to get on the court because the Netball World Cup is one of the biggest platforms to showcase our talent. The young players are a tad bit nervous, but also excited to make their Netball World Cup debut,” Green-Noel told Sportsmax.tv.
“The girls are also very prepared for what is to come, New Zealand are defending champions and we would have done research on what they have to offer and how they play, and I think it (this game) is a great way for us to test out the skills we worked on coming into the World Cup. The last time we played New Zealand, I don’t think we had a very good game, so this is a chance to improve,” she added.
Uganda and Singapore are the other two teams the Calypso Girls will face in Pool D.
Jamaica, the highest ranked Caribbean team at number four, are out to end their 16-year medal drought at the Netball World Cup, dating back to 2007, when the last won one of their three bronze medals.
They will enter their opening Pool C contest against 15th-ranked Sri Lanka as overwhelming favourites, especially on the back of their historic silver medal-winning performance at the Commonwealth Games last year.
Still, Sunshine Girls Head coach Connie Francis is not taking their opponents lightly, as she is well aware that it will require proper execution from her team to get the job done.
Match time is 11:00 am Jamaica time.
“The ladies are mentally and physically prepared and they want to do something special at this tournament which is to win a medal. But we don’t know much about the Sri Lankans and so we don’t intend to take them lightly,” said Francis.
Though the off-court security issue in which captain Jhaniele Fowler was robbed, is cause for concern, Francis pointed out that the team remains focused on the task at hand.
“Yes, it is bad and very disappointing that has happened on a stage like this, but the ladies remain focused on what they came here to do, which is to execute well and win a medal and that starts with tomorrow’s game,” she noted.
The Sunshine Girls will also have Wales and the host nation to contend with in Pool C.
Meanwhile, number 13-ranked Barbados Gems, have drawn a tough Pool B in which they have England, Malawi and Scotland to deal with.
They open against the number three-ranked Roses at 1:00pm Jamaica time.
While getting by the Roses will take some doing, the Gems are by no means expected to play dead, especially with the addition of sisters Kadeen and Sasha Corbin, who both switched allegiance from England to represent Barbados.
Number one ranked Australia, Zimbabwe, Fiji and Tonga will contest Pool A.
Phase 1 Academy and Camperdown Giants were the only two teams to go unbeaten as the 2023 Jamaica Basketball Showcase got underway at the Alfred Sangster Auditorium at the University of Technology (UTECH) in Kingston on Thursday.
Defending champions, Phase 1 Academy, entered their first game with just five players but that didn’t seem to matter as they secured a comfortable 41-27 victory over Purple Power.
Derjean Royal led the way for Phase 1 with 20 points and five rebounds while Mordecai Clarke had 10 points and six rebounds for Purple Power.
Phase 1 Academy coach, Onecia Smellie, praised her team’s effort despite their lack of numbers.
“As you can see, we don’t really have numbers so the strategy was just to conserve on defense and push on offense. We have to play smarter because we don’t have numbers,” Smellie said before going into what they needed to address to be better in the coming games.
“We definitely have to brush up on defense. We gave away a lot of backdoor cuts. As we can see, my guys have been playing for a while but sometimes when the excitement of the game comes in, adrenaline kicks in and they just go. We definitely gave away some easy layups and we weren’t boxing out sometimes. If we work on those areas I think we should be fine,” she added.
Coach Orville Bennett from Purple Power was critical of his team’s ability to play together but says more experience will do them well.
“More games will solve that. It’s a mix of my younger players and my more senior Under-19s so they need to learn to play as a team and not individuals.”
“I guess it’s because of the bright lights of the tournament, everybody wants to show what they have so with more games under their belt, that will go away.”
“Our opponents will be bigger, stronger and more seasoned then my young team so we’ll go back to the drawing board and come better.”
The day’s second game was an absolute treat as the Hoop Factory Blues pull out a dramatic 44-41 win over Blue Mahoe Basketball.
Blue Mahoe played a solid first half to go into the halftime interval with a 14-12 lead before Hoop Factory turned the game on its head to lead 26-20 after the third quarter.
Blue Mahoe retook a 38-37 lead with 1:27 left in the game before, with the teams tied at 41 with 10 seconds left, Dakari Nicolson hit a game-winning three-point shot with two seconds left to secure the win for Hoop Factory.
Kymani Phillips had a solid all-round game for the Blues with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists and was supported well by Nathan Ricketts with 12 points, five steals and three assists. Hubert Rodney had 13 points and seven rebounds for Blue Mahoe.
Hoop Factory coach, Lennox Lindo, was happy with the win despite his team almost blowing a 10-point lead with very little time left in the contest.
“I was nervous a bit but also a bit disappointed too. We had a 10-point lead with about three minutes to go then we changed up our defense and it almost cost us the game but we got a really good shot in the last couple of seconds.”
Blue Mahoe coach, Lynford Brown, was proud of his team despite the defeat and pointed to an inability to hold on to the ball as his team’s downfall.
“To be honest, I’m really proud of my boys. They’re a fairly inexperienced and young team. There were some key moments for us where we committed some unforced turnovers which led to us losing. Nonetheless, I’m very proud.
The third game of the day saw the Camperdown Giants score an impressive 54-35 win over last year’s finalists, the Caribbean Basketball Academy (CBA).
The Giants produced an excellent defensive display to lead 30-15 at the start of the fourth quarter, including a third quarter where they held CBA to just four points.
Micah Swaine had 15 points, three steals and two assists and Mark McGowan had nine points and eight rebounds for the giants while Jaiden Brown had 12 points for CBA.
CBA coach Ludlow Barker, thought the Giants deserved to win.
“First I’d have to congratulate the Giants on getting their first win of the competition. It’s the first time they’re in it,” he said.
“I thought we played a very indiscipline game and fell behind and then we struggled throughout. I thought we were too relaxed before the game and they came out and wanted it more so they deserved to win,” he added.
Giants coach, Nylon Hurd, was happy with the win.
“Any coach would be happy with a win. Both defensively and offensively, it worked out well for us,” he said.
“Based on the start, we got ahead of them and stuck to it. We only got a bit indiscipline in the third quarter and that’s when they made a little run but then we got back disciplined and that was the game,” he added.
After a break, play returned with Phase 1 Academy facing Hoop Factory Blues, with each team searching for their second win of the day.
Phase 1, with six players this time, were able to come out 51-40 winners.
Derjean Royal had his second great game of day one with 26 points and eight rebounds for Phase 1 while Nathan Ricketts had 14 points for the Blues.
The day’s fifth game saw Blue Mahoe hand Caribbean Basketball Academy their second loss of the day by a score of 45-44.
Akeem Pusey and Hubert Rodney both had 14 points for Blue Mahoe while pulling down seven and eleven rebounds, respectively. Joel Ricketts had 13 points and five rebounds for CBA.
The day’s final game proved to be another nail-biter as Camperdown Giants beat Purple Power 34-29 for their second win of the day.
The Giants led 8-5 after a cagey first quarter before Power turned things around slightly to lead 18-16 at the half. It was a one-point game in favor of the Giants entering the final quarter where they held their nerve to pull out the win after the two teams exchanged the lead multiple times.
Micah Swaine scored 13 points while Mark McGowan had six points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Giants. Jacqwaine Freeman had 11 points for Purple Power.
The Miami Dolphins will have to play a portion of the season without star cornerback Jalen Ramsey after he was carted off the field at the end of Thursday’s practice.
According to reports, Ramsey will undergo surgery on his left knee and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks. The good news is that Ramsey’s ACL is intact and the injury isn’t season-ending.
He collided with receiver Tyreek Hill during an 11-on-11 drill and went down grabbing his left knee. Ramsey was helped up but didn’t appear to put any weight on his leg and was carted back to the locker room as Miami’s second full-team practice of training camp closed.
“I’ll be back on that field stronger than ever… in due time!” Ramsey tweeted Thursday evening. “This SO minor for God’s child? I trust fully & know He got me! I’m forever grateful to worship his name!”
The Dolphins acquired Ramsey from the Los Angeles Rams in March for a third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long.
Ramsey had a career-high 88 tackles and four interceptions in 17 games last season for the Rams. He is a six-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro and Super Bowl LVI champion.
With the Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Confederation (CCCAN) championships beckoning, Jamaica's swimmers and officials are buzzing about the possibilities, as they gear up for tough competition in El Salvador.
The 17-member team to be headed by coach Kafia Rapley is currently very active in preparation and will have another week or two to put the final pieces in place ahead of their August 12 departure.
During that build up period, the Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) will also be seeking to bridge the gap in $6.1 million budget to ease pressure off the parents in getting the team to the championships scheduled for August 14-18.
Though they have made some inroads, with other potential sponsors making commitments to come on board, ASAJ president Martin Lyn says they welcome those who would want to offer further assistance at this point.
“CCCAN is a parent supported event with a very big budget, we have gotten some of that money so far and we have other sponsors coming on board. But we certainly welcome if anybody else wants to come on board because that would only be good for us and the swimmers because the reality is that this is a very big championship for us,” Lyn told reporters during a press briefing at the National Aquatic Centre on Thursday.
While the administration oversees that aspect of things, Head coach Rapley is more focused on having the athletes mentally and physically prepared to showcase their prowess against the likes of Panama, Mexico, Puerto Rico, as well as Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas, Barbados, and of course, the host nation, among others.
A few of the country’s standout swimmers in last year’s team captain Zaneta Alvaranga, Sabrina Lyn, who recently competed at the World Aquatic Championships and Kito Campbell, who recently broke a national record, are noticeably absentees from the team.
“Preparation has been going well, we currently meet twice per week to do team building, bonding and also training. Not having some of the more senior swimmers is beyond our control and their presence will certainly be missed, but the swimmers that will travel are expected to be competitive,” Rapley told journalists.
Following a number of superb performances at the Carifta Swimming Championships earlier this year, Jamaica's contingent will no doubt embark on a quest to make further inroads on the regional rankings.
Though admitting that matching and, by extension, surpassing last year’s 25-medal haul, will take some doing with this small contingent, she believes a number of personal best times could certainly be rewritten when the Jamaicans take to the pool at this year's five-day championship.
Jamaica also placed fifth on the point standings last year, with 418.5 points, behind Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Bahamas, in that order.
“With a smaller team it's going to be very difficult to match or surpass last year's tally, but what I am looking forward to is our relay teams because those combinations will be very competitive. I don't see why we shouldn't come out with podium finishes there. Individually, the swimmers are doing well but again, to match last year's haul will be a stretch,” Rapley shared.
That said, Rianna Scott, the lone female in the 13-14 age group, overseas-based Carolyn Levy-Powell and 15-17 swimmers Leanna Wainwright and Devaughn Robe, who both qualified for the World Aquatic Junior Championships, are expected to lead the medal charge.
“Some of these swimmers are the future of Jamaica's Aquatics, they are coming from the Carifta Games and most if not all of them competed at the Goodwill Games last year, so they have literally been through every phase of competition representing the country,” Rapley said.
“You have swimmers like Jessica Denniston, who won gold at the Carifta Games, Kai Radcliffe, who has several regional medals and Waldon McIntosh, who has won several medals at this very championship. We also have a few first-timers for CCCAN and we are going to see how they do and what they are made of. So, I'm satisfied with what I have, I'm liaising with the overseas athletes and their coaches to ensure that they are in good health and good spirits,” she ended.
Team: Kia Alert, Jessica Denniston, Nolan Barrett, Cameron Brown, Adlaine Nixon, Rianna Scott, Kai Radcliffe, Waldon McIntosh, Nathan Wright, Zack-Andre Johnson, Carolyn Levy-Powell, Leanna Wainwright, Benjamin Davis, Charles McIntosh, Devaughn Robe, Lia Forrester, Kaheem Lozer
Bronny James has been discharged from the hospital three days after he went into cardiac arrest.
Dr. Merije Chukumerije, a consulting cardiologist for LeBron James' oldest son, said in a statement issued by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Thursday that the 18-year-old was "successfully treated for a sudden cardiac arrest.
"He arrived at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center fully conscious, neurologically intact and stable. Mr. James was cared for promptly by highly-trained staff and has been discharged home, where he is resting. Although his workup will be ongoing, we are hopeful for his continued progress and are encouraged by his response, resilience, and his family and community support.”
The news of his discharge came hours after LeBron took to social media for the first time since Bronny went into cardiac arrest on Monday, saying his family is "safe and healthy."
"I want to thank the countless people sending my family love and prayers," LeBron James wrote. "We feel you and I'm so grateful. Everyone doing great. We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love. Will have more to say when we're ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us!"
Bronny, whose name is LeBron James Jr., was hospitalised after going into cardiac arrest during a basketball practice at the University of Southern California on Monday.
A family spokesperson said on Tuesday that he was in stable condition and out of the intensive care unit.
His brief stay in the ICU is considered a positive sign in his road to recovery.
Few other details have been reported about Bronny's health after he collapsed on the basketball court.
Considered one of the top high school recruits in the United States, the younger James made the decision in May to stay close to his dad and family in Los Angeles and play college basketball at USC over Ohio State and Oregon.
The 38-year-old LeBron has said previously that he would like to play in the NBA along with Bronny, and announced two weeks ago that he will return for his 21st pro season and sixth with the Lakers.
The NBA's all-time leading scorer and four-time league MVP is coming off another stellar season in 2022-23, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 55 games.
Saffie Osborne’s love affair with the Racing League looks set to continue as she began this season’s competition with a fantastic opening night treble.
The 21-year-old was one of the stars of last year’s six-week event, scooping top honours thanks to an inspired three-timer at Newcastle on the final night of action and she picked up where she left off as the 2023 edition kicked off at Yarmouth.
Osborne’s efforts ensured that defending champions Wales and The West – managed by her father Jamie Osborne – ended the night in top spot holding a narrow 11-point advantage over Frankie Dettori’s team, The East.
Osborne’s evening started with a bang as although slightly reluctant to enter the stalls, Rod Millman’s Chinese Knot (11-2) showed plenty of guts to hold off Michael Dods’ Midnight Lir at the business end of the opening nursery.
“We’ve started the way we finished last year,” Jamie Osborne told Sky Sports Racing.
“I’ve got a great team of trainers and unlike some, mine are right behind this and behind their leader.”
Wales and The West quickly extended their advantage at the top of the table when winning race two with Ed Walker’s Dark Trooper (12-1), before The East’s player-manager Dettori was narrowly denied a winner with his first ride of the night aboard Shahbaz as the one-mile handicap went to Dean Ivory’s Achillea (9-2).
However, The East did not have to wait long to get on the scoreboard on home soil as George Margarson’s Farhh To Shy (100-30 joint-favourite) proved superior in the hands of Callum Shepherd in race four and the East were also on the scoresheet when Dettori closed the show in style with a fantastic front-running ride aboard Cumulonimbus (11-2), leading home a one-two for his region in the concluding £100,000 handicap.
Dettori said: “It’s great to win the big race of the day, it’s good for the team and good for (trainer) Charlie Fellowes. We were first and second so that’s good.
“It’s the third year of this so I hope it takes off.”
Despite Dettori’s heroics, the night belonged to Osborne who registered her second winner of the night aboard Michael Bell’s Stone Circle (17-2) in the five-furlong sprint, before bringing up the three-timer aboard Milton Harris’ Alnilam.
She needed every yard of the one-mile-six-furlong trip to hunt down fellow Wales and The West runner Haliphon, but Osborne had a willing partner in the 9-4 favourite who stuck his head down bravely for a half-length win.
She said: “He’s a lovely horse and hopefully he will have a nice future.
“He’s still quite big and ran around a little late on, but he has a willing attitude and did everything right eventually.”
LeBron James took to social media for the first time since his oldest son, Bronny, went into cardiac arrest on Monday, saying his family is "safe and healthy."
"I want to thank the countless people sending my family love and prayers," LeBron James wrote Thursday. "We feel you and I'm so grateful. Everyone doing great. We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love. Will have more to say when we're ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us!"
The 18-year-old Bronny was hospitalised after going into cardiac arrest during a basketball practice at the University of Southern California on Monday.
A family spokesperson said on Tuesday that he was in stable condition and out of the intensive care unit.
His brief stay in the ICU is considered a positive sign in his road to recovery.
Few other details have been reported about Bronny's health after he collapsed on the basketball court.
Bronny, whose name is LeBron James Jr., was reportedly unconscious when the ambulance arrived at USC's Galen Center, and rushed to the hospital where he was treated by the medical staff.
Considered one of the top high school recruits in the United States, the younger James made the decision in May to stay close to his dad and family in Los Angeles and play college basketball at USC over Ohio State and Oregon.
The 38-year-old LeBron has said previously that he would like to play in the NBA along with Bronny, and announced two weeks ago that he will return for his 21st pro season and sixth with the Lakers.
The NBA's all-time leading scorer and four-time league MVP is coming off another stellar season in 2022-23, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 55 games.
Crystal Plummer may be the youngest player in Jamaica's squad at the Vitality Netball World Cup, but she is no slouch when it comes to rubbing shoulders with the proverbial big girls.
At 20 years old, Plummer possesses incredible physical prowess and the intensity that she paraded in her few senior Sunshine Girls games to date, is testament to the demands she puts on herself to always perform at her best.
It is that stubborn determination, coupled with an unwavering desire to succeed, that place her among a number of dangerous young prospects in South Africa, and she is definitely out to prove that much.
"This means everything to me, not only am I doing what I love and representing my country, but I'm about to do so on the biggest stage possible which is the best part," Plummer told SportsMax.tv.
"Being a part of the World Cup team with world class players like our captain Jhaniele Fowler, as well as Shamera Sterling, who is my role model, is just beyond amazing and a dream come through. So, I am very motivated and just looking forward to doing my utmost best to execute according to the team's game plans," she added.
The wing defence, who has been one of the standouts for Head coach Connie Francis since making her debut at the Americas qualifiers on home soil last year, was also a part of the team that toured England for a series against the Roses earlier this year and among the historic Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games winning team.
Those outings in which she grasped significant lessons has aided in improving her craft.
However, it has not always been smooth sailing for Plummer, who revealed that she struggles mentally after a tough game or training session, especially if she is convinced that she underperformed.
"My senior team journey has been full of fun and also disappointments, but I take the positives from those situations and just always aim to do better than I did before. Another positive is the fact that I have a tremendous support group in my family, friends, teammates and even fans, especially when I have my mental breakdowns when I think I did not perform as I wanted to," Plummer explained.
"But, again, it has taught me a lot in terms of where I am at currently in my career, I am very passionate and dedicated to netball and so I always aim to give my best for the team and country. Right now, I am more motivated to work hard to improve my skills and to become a better player," she shared.
Though diminutive and shy by nature, whenever Plummer touches the court, her true range and personality comes to light. With her creative movement, agility and ability, the GC Foster College student is eager to again rise to the occasion.
"Mentally I have set goals for myself, if there are any individual awards to be won, I want to make sure I am on that list of contenders and to do that I have to remain focused, believe in myself and try to be as consistent as possible each time I get on court. From a physical perspective, I am training hard and pushing myself to ensure I'm ready to go the distance if asked to," the former Holmwood Technical high stalwart said.
With the Jamaica having won only three bronze medals in 1991, 2003 and 2007, expectations are high that they will not only break that drought but more importantly, improve the quality of medal at this year’s edition in Cape Town.
They are scheduled to open their campaign against Sri Lanka on Friday, before opposing Wales on Saturday and South Africa, on Sunday.
By all indications, the number four-ranked Sunshine Girls should win all three encounters and Plummer agrees.
"Well at the moment, I am not nervous and that probably will change by game time, but from a team perspective, the team is ready and committed to the cause, we know what is at stake and we will be leaving it all on court to make the country proud.
"The ladies are experienced players, and they share pointers that they use to improve on their game to sharpen their skills and that had impacted not only my game positively, but the other young players as well. So, I am very excited and looking forward to doing great things with this team," Plummer noted.
Looking beyond the tournament, the soft-spoken and cheerful player is optimistic about landing a professional contract in one of the top overseas leagues.
"I am looking forward to or hoping to get a contact in Australia, New Zealand or England that’s the main goal for me right now. So every experience from here on will be invaluable and like I said, I just want to keep learning and improving," Plummer ended.
Ylang Ylang strengthened her position as favourite for next year’s fillies’ Classics with a front-running victory in the Jockey Club Of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown.
The Frankel filly shot to the head of ante-post lists for both the 1000 Guineas and the Oaks after dominating her rivals on her Curragh debut late last month and she was a 1-4 shot to double her tally in this seven-furlong Group Three.
Sent straight to the lead by Ryan Moore, Ylang Ylang appeared to have matters in hand throughout and was always doing enough to resist the late challenge of Vespertilio by a length and a half.
Paddy Power reacted to the performance by cutting the Aidan O’Brien-trained winner to 7-1 from 8-1 for the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, while she is 11-2 for the Oaks at Epsom.
O’Brien said: “We’re delighted and Ryan was very happy with her, he said she ran straight through the line. He said he felt that the ground was a little bit deep for her, she’s a very low mover, but he was very happy with her.
“He said she’s ready to take her time and teach her now. We think if everything is well we’ll go to the Debutante before maybe going to the Moyglare and sit in and take our time with her.
“She’s very genuine, tries very hard and wears her heart on her sleeve. Natural is a good way to describe her.”
Moore repeated the forceful tactics aboard Henry Adams (evens favourite) to complete a quickfire Group Three double for the Ballydoyle team in the following Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes.
O’Brien said: “Ryan gave him a great ride, he’s a tough hardy horse. He’s a No Nay Never and has plenty of speed as well, he’s laidback. A big mature horse.
“I think he’ll go on to the Futurity, he’ll probably end up there with Henry Longfellow. He’s lovely because he’s happy to go forward.”
The all-conquering O’Brien-Moore partnership had earlier landed the opening Irish EBF Median Sires Series Fillies Maiden with 2-1 joint-favourite Brilliant.
“Ryan was delighted with her and said to ride her more patiently the next day,” said the trainer.
“We’ll go for something like the Debutante and ride her patiently rather than making use of her, he said he thought she would be better ridden that way.”
However, there was no joy for O’Brien’s Salt Lake City in the Romanised Minstrel Stakes as Ger Lyons’ Zarinsk (11-5 favourite) recorded her third victory of the season.
A winner of the Brownstown Stakes in good style most recently, she confirmed her earlier form over Dermot Weld’s Tarawa who again gave chase in vain and had to settle for third this time, with Honey Girl splitting the pair.
The winner was not declared for the race originally at the Curragh on Sunday, which was abandoned. Lyons also saddled the fourth Power Under Me and said: “The two of them ran a blinder but she’s been a queen all season,
“We sent her to France (for the Prix de Sandringham), and of the team I was probably the one most negative about the trip, and it turned her inside out. You can see her today in the ring, she looks like a mare now, she’s after maturing lovely and you’d nearly say she’s still improving.
“I live my life by ‘what’s meant for you won’t pass you’ and they switched it. Zarinsk’s head poked up again and I’d said ‘well it’s made for her around here’.
Lyons is now eyeing a further return to the Dublin track for the Juddmonte-owned filly and a tilt at the Matron Stakes on Irish Champions Weekend in September, while he is also keep to get Zarinsk’s passport stamped, with a trip to the USA later in the year also up for discussion
“It leaves us a lovely option now with the Matron, Champions Weekend is huge,” added Lyons.
“Power Under Me can go for the Boomerang, ground being right and this rain doesn’t look like it’s going to stop, and Zarinsk can go for the Matron. We have a free shot at it now which is fantastic.
He went on: “I did say to Barry (Mahon, racing manager) when we’re just finding ourselves that tad short on this side we can win our Grade One over there (America).
“It’s up there for discussion and Barry will talk to the owners and they’ll come up with a plan. I would say she’s made for that but the only thing is that I like her with juice in the ground and I couldn’t see her handling fast American ground.”
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from July 27.
FootballJordan Henderson left Liverpool for Al-Ettifaq.
David Silva retired.
Jude Bellingham enjoyed himself.
Arsenal beat Barcelona in California.
Reece James was a proud man.
Ian Wright bumped into Nigel De Jong.
Lucy Bronze has come a long way.
Steven Gerrard dined out with his team.
Hibernian got creative.
Leicester took in some culture.
Not a rum deal.
Exeter were on their golf game.
CricketBen Stokes was not happy with Mark Wood.
“What a shot! That nearly got me!” Zak Crawley had to take evasive action.
BoxingEddie Hearn had a chat with Piers Morgan.
Shohei Ohtani will wear a Los Angeles Angels uniform through the remainder of the 2023 MLB season.
Angels general manager Perry Minasian told reporters before a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday that Ohtani won't be traded as the team tries to make a playoff run.
"We're going to roll the dice and see what happens," Minasian said.
The Angels entered Thursday four games out of a wild-card spot after winning six of their last seven games to improve their record to 52-49.
Set to be a free agent at season's end, Ohtani has been the subject of rampant trade rumours as the Angels risk losing the two-way superstar to the open market without any compensation.
"I love Shohei Ohtani," Minasian said. "He comes in, prepares, works, goes out and performs on a nightly basis. Obviously, does both (hitting and pitching). He's a great teammate. He takes this really seriously. He eats it. He sleeps it.
"He's somebody that we would love to have going forward."
Minasian made his comments a day after the Angels acquired right-hander Lucas Giolito from the Chicago White Sox to bolster their starting rotation behind Ohtani.
Giolito was 6-6 with a 3.79 ERA and 131 strikeouts over 121 innings in 21 starts for the White Sox.
Ohtani, the 2021 AL MVP and the runner-up in MVP voting to the New York Yankees' Aaron Judge last season, is the odds-on favourite to take home the MVP Award this year.
As a hitter, he leads the majors in home runs (36) and OPS (1.066), and as a pitcher, he leads MLB in opponent batting average (.195) while his 148 strikeouts are tied with Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins for fourth.
With Ohtani in the fold, the addition of Giolito and the possibility of Mike Trout returning in another few weeks from a broken bone in his hand that has sidelined the 11-time All-Star since early July, Los Angeles has its sights set on reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
The Angels' streak of eight consecutive seasons without a playoff berth is tied with the Tigers for the longest active stretch in MLB.
The Bengals intend to keep Trey Hendrickson in the fold for another three seasons after watching the star defensive end regularly disrupt opposing offences during his first two years in Cincinnati.
The Bengals signed Hendrickson to a one-year contract extension on Thursday.
Terms of the deal were not revealed.
Signed to a four-year, $60million contract with the Bengals prior to the 2021 season, the 28-year-old Hendrickson is now tied to the Bengals through 2025.
In his first two seasons in Cincinnati, Hendrickson proved to be one of the NFL's top edge rushers, earning Pro Bowl selections each year.
After finishing fifth in the NFL with a career-high 14 sacks in 2021, Hendrickson registered team highs of eight sacks and 24 quarterback hits in 15 games last season.
During Cincinnati's playoff run following the 2021 regular season, Hendrickson notched 3 1/2 sacks - including one in the Bengals' Super Bowl loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
A third-round selection by the New Orleans Saints in the 2017 NFL draft, Hendrickson has 42 sacks, 36 tackles for loss and 94 QB hits in 76 career games.
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