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The only Russian track and field athlete due to compete at the Rio Olympics has been banned by the sport’s governing body on the eve of competition. The long jumper Darya Klishina was the only Russian athlete to receive special dispensation from the International Association of Athletics Federations to compete after the rest of the country’s track and field team was banned in the wake of the state‑sponsored doping scandal…

NBC spent about $1.2 billion for the rights to air this summer’s Olympics. So far, they have a lot of unhappy viewers to show for it. Fans are blasting NBC for its delayed, US-centric, and out-of-touch coverage of the games in Rio. The network is being ridiculed for its disproportionate focus on sports such as swimming and gymnastics, overt focus on American success stories, and occasionally sexist comments from announcers…

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i Emily Lopez-Diaz, 11, swims for the YMCA of South Florida Barracudas in the Miami area. Her father, Josue Lopez, estimates that about 30 percent of the team is Latino. Naomi Lopez hide caption toggle caption Naomi Lopez Emily Lopez-Diaz, 11, swims for the YMCA of South Florida Barracudas in the Miami area. Her father, Josue Lopez, estimates that about 30 percent of the team is Latino. Naomi Lopez Simone…

Usain Bolt raced for the first at the 2016 Olympics and won his opening round 100m heat in 10.07 seconds. Bolt is attempting to become the first man to win three consecutive Olympic 100m gold medals.  “It wasn’t the best start, it felt kind of sluggish,” said Bolt, who was running just after noon on Saturday in Rio, to the Associated Press. “I’m not used to running this early in the morning…

In a stadium far north of the Olympic heart, a goalkeeper spewed ugly. “We played a bunch of cowards,” Hope Solo said. “The best team did not win today. I strongly believe that.” In a news conference room in the center of the Olympic soul, a mom spread grace. “We started talking to [Simone] about how swimming isn’t just going to be about her,” said Sharron Manuel, the mother of…

I went to a pillow fight the other night, and a baseball game broke out. It was between innings at a Walla Walla Sweets game. With a big-league windup, Perry Roeder delivered a sweeping curve that missed his sister-in-law Trudy’s head but knocked her off balance, and off the wooden beam. One more set-to and she was done in the best two out of three. Then it was back to…

RIO DE JANEIRO — Michael Phelps insists his third retirement will stick, and given the cute little baby snoozing peaceful during most of his races here, it’s hard not to take him on his word this time. Then again, why would he quit? If the top swimmers can’t touch him at the Olympics at 31, there’s no reason to think a healthy Phelps couldn’t show up in Tokyo four years from now and…

Some of the greatest athletes to have ever lived are participating for Team USA at the 2016 Rio Olympics. No athlete is more decorated than Michael Phelps, and few if any athletes have ever been as singularly dominant as Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky in their sports. They get a lot of media coverage, and they deserve it. Then there’s the United States women’s coxed 8, whose dominance has…

Abuljadayel was seventh of the eight entrants in heat three of the preliminary round Sprinter Kariman Abuljadayel became the first woman from Saudi Arabia to compete in the Olympic 100m. The 22-year-old, dressed in a full-body kit and hijab, was unable to qualify, finishing seventh in her preliminary heat in a time of 14.61 seconds. Afghanistan’s Kamia Yousufi also raced in a hijab and full bodysuit, finishing last in her…

Salomon Rondon has scored in each of his past three West Brom games Salomon Rondon’s header was enough to give West Brom a narrow win over Crystal Palace in a dreary Premier League opener at Selhurst Park. Both of these sides struggled for wins at the back end of last season and it showed in a game low on chances. Crystal Palace debutant Andros Townsend failed to inspire the home…

Peter Pawlett (left) battles with Prince Buaben at Pittodrie Aberdeen and Hearts failed to score a single goal between despite a lively 90 minutes. Niall McGinn twice had efforts blocked in the first half, and Shay Logan, Mark Reynolds and Peter Pawlett all went close in the second half. However Hearts has chances of their own, with Tony Watt spurning a late chance when he put the ball over the…

In a stadium far north of the Olympic heart, a goalkeeper spewed ugly. “We played a bunch of cowards,” Hope Solo said. “The best team did not win today. I strongly believe that.” In a news conference room in the center of the Olympic soul, a mom spread grace. “We started talking to [Simone] about how swimming isn’t just going to be about her,” said Sharron Manuel, the mother of…

Last Updated Aug 12, 2016 10:07 PM EDT RIO DE JANEIRO — A stunner at the Rio Olympics: Michael Phelps has been beaten. Joseph Schooling of Singapore built a big lead on the opening lap and easily held off the hard-charging Phelps to win gold in the 100-meter butterfly. Sports – Friday Michael Phelps, Simone Manuel make history in Rio Michael Phelps beats Ryan Lochte to break an ancient record…

RIO DE JANEIRO — Before the bus windows got blasted out and the water in the aquatics center turned emerald, before the Australian coaches got robbed at knifepoint and the Belgian sailor fell sick after tumbling into the sewage-strewn bay, before gang members in a favela killed a Brazilian police officer and a stray bullet landed in the media tent, one could make the case that Rio’s Olympics were going…

NEW YORK — Look: If you dare defend Alex Rodriguez in any fashion, you bother people. I get that, but I don’t fully get why, as it seems extremely obvious to me, as an adult, that ballplayers are human beings and human beings make mistakes constantly, and that none of us can accurately guess exactly which mistakes we’d make ourselves in the same situations. I know full well that this…

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(Eraldo Peres/Associated Press) For the first time in its distinguished history, the U.S. women’s soccer team has failed to advance to the semifinals of a major tournament. The four-time Olympic gold medalists were upset by Sweden on penalty kicks, 4-3, following a 1-1 draw Friday at Mane Garrincha Stadium in Brasilia. The top-ranked Americans had gotten past the quarterfinals in seven World Cups and earned no worse than silver in…