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Life imitated art when Brazilian soccer pro Wendell Lira announced his retirement from the sport yesterday (July 28). Instead, the 27-year-old will launch a career playing Fifa soccer videogames. “It is almost impossible to stop playing football to live as a gamer, but God gave me this opportunity,” the striker told Globoesporte.com. Lira isn’t a run-of-the-mill player, either. He won Fifa’s Puskas Award for the best goal of 2015, beating…

Post to Facebook Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 1 of 9 2 of 9 3 of 9 4 of 9 5 of 9 6 of 9 7 of 9 8 of 9 9 of 9 Last SlideNext Slide Buy Photo Clear Lake’s Ethan McHenry pitches against Hinton during a Class 2A state tournament semifinal against Hinton on Thursday at Principal Park in Des Moines.(Photo: Rachel…

The magnificent sight of Liz Young powering through the opening round of the Women’s British Open, her seven-month pregnancy bump wrapped in a bright pink top and her husband, Jonathan, in tow as caddie has been welcomed by experts on pregnancy and elite sports. “The bottom line is if there are no medical complications or contra-indications – go for it,” said Michael Dooley, a fellow of the Royal College of…

OLYMPICS RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – A half-million foreign tourists, dozens of heads of state and the attention of the world’s media. If there were ever a headache for anti-terror forces, it’s the Olympics. In the aftermath of deadly attacks by the Islamic State group in France and elsewhere, Brazil, which has almost no experience combatting terrorism, is beefing up security for the games that start in Rio de Janeiro…

Sure, you can work for the U.S. Department of Justice like Kerri Strug, or you can be a pediatrician like Amy Chow — both members of the “Magnificent Seven,” the team of female gymnasts who helped the U.S. win gold at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. But in seems that in the eyes of Sports Illustrated, getting married and having babies are your biggest post-Games accomplishments, judging by a feature…

Five sports, including surfing and skateboarding, moved a step closer to being included in the Tokyo 2020 Games after being described as “a dynamic and exciting” package by the IOC. Skateboarding, surfing, karate, sports climbing and baseball/softball were all recommended for inclusion by the IOC. An Olympic program commission report released on Friday said the five are a blend of the traditional and emerging, youth-focused events, and all have international…

Washington Spirit attacker Estefania Banini, who plays for Argentina’s Sky Blue and Whites, has scored four goals in the past six NWSL matches. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post) Estefania Banini’s parents took her from club to club in Mendoza, Argentina, searching for a place for their 5-year-old daughter to play soccer. No, came the answer. No, again and again. At least 10 times. It was 1995, and in Argentina, as in…

CHICAGO (AP) Chris Sale returned from his jersey-trashing suspension and threw six effective innings, but John Lackey outpitched him and Aroldis Chapman got the final four outs to save the Cubs’ 3-1 victory over the White Sox in Chicago’s rivalry series Thursday night. Sale (14-4) was greeted with smiles and hugs from his teammates following a five-day ban for tearing up 1976-style uniforms he didn’t want to wear before his…

  Now that the Cubs have turned a potential playoff weakness into one of the more imposing late-inning relief corps in the league, it’s up to all the guys not named Aroldis Chapman to rediscover the kind of baseball that made them look like the best team in baseball earlier this season. The Cubs still have the best record in the game. But whether you start the clock on May…

A 7-year-old cancer patient from Arlington who was embraced by the TCU baseball team died on Thursday. Micah Ahern suffered from neuroblastoma, a cancer that affects young children. Micah was born in 2009 and was diagnosed with the cancer in 2010. “Micah is no longer suffering. He is healed and whole. I praise God for that. Now we all are left here to mourn the loss of The Great Superhero….

Reinstated Gordon apologizes on Twitter Miami Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon issued an apology on Twitter addressed primarily to his young fans as he returned from an 80-game suspension for a positive drug test. “I know I let you down, and I’m sorry,” Gordon said in a video. “Complacency led me to this, and I’m hurt. I urge you guys to be more responsible than I am…

The SEC has played a big role in making college baseball a major sport by pouring money into facilities and paying top dollar for strong coaches. The league’s commitment to the game is translating to more talent coming to college and putting professional baseball on hold, according to South Carolina athletics director Ray Tanner. In the past 10 years, 33 SEC players have been selected in the first round of…

Photo via Victor Decolongon/Getty Earlier this month, the UFC was sold for $4 billion to, of all places, WME-IMG, the talent agency best known for its co-CEO Ari Emanuel, the inspiration for Entourage’s Ari Gold. SportsBusinessJournal had a good piece recently detailing some of the behind-the-scenes negotiating over the deal in which, among other things, it reported that while three media companies were seriously interested, they ultimately felt that the…

A formal committee table surrounded by chairs is seen towards the back of the stage. Lounge chairs and a coffee table dominate the downstage area. It is in this area that most of the action takes place. Large, framed head shots of former club champions adorn the walls. A door on the left leads to the general and recreational areas of the club building, while to the right a door…

Mangar Makur Chuot – the South Sudanese refugee who rose from a refugee camp to qualify for the Olympic Games – has been controversially de-selected by the South Sudan team, without explanation a week before the Games begin. Chuot has declined to comment, but his coach Lindsay Bunn said South Sudan’s selection process for the Games had been tainted, and that ineligible athletes with inferior records had been preferred. Related:…

Washington Spirit attacker Estefania Banini, who plays for Argentina’s Sky Blue and Whites, has scored four goals in the past six NWSL matches. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post) Estefania Banini’s parents took her from club to club in Mendoza, Argentina, searching for a place for their 5-year-old daughter to play soccer. No, came the answer. No, again and again. At least 10 times. It was 1995, and in Argentina, as in…

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email print comment Our experts weigh in on four of the biggest questions in NASCAR. This week, we hit Joe Gibbs Racing, solutions for Indy and the mystery surrounding the 88 car: Turn 1: How could Joe Gibbs Racing get this far ahead in what is supposed to be the most competitive era of NASCAR? Ricky Craven, ESPN NASCAR analyst: They have the strongest rotation in NASCAR….

Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin is still pretty upset about so many Russian athletes being banned from the Olympics due to doping. While Russia did avoid a straight-up ban, track and field and several individual athletes are still not allowed to compete in Rio. So what’s an angry prime minister who thinks his country has been discriminated against by drug tests to do? Hold his own games, of course. On…