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CNN —Carissa Moore remembers the first time she surfed Teahupo’o, the barreling wave located off the island of Tahiti. “I was so out of my league,” recalls Moore, who has surfed the famous break numerous times throughout her career. “It’s those waves that scare you the most that end up being the best,” Moore tells CNN Sport. Moore waits for a wave at Teahupo'o during the Tahiti Pro event on August 11 last year. “Maybe I return, maybe I just focus on Moore Aloha and free surfing and doing film projects.
Persons: CNN — Carissa Moore, surfed Teahupo’o, Moore, , , Teahupo’o, ” Moore, “ It’s, ’ ”, Red Bull, Ben Thourad, I’ve, I’m, “ I’m, “ There’s, Brent Bielmann, what’s Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, Tahiti Pro, Tahiti, Getty, International Surf Association, Surf League, surfing's, Moore Aloha Locations: Tahiti, Polynesia, Hawaii, AFP, Japan, Paris
AdvertisementHere are the top numbers and notes to know from the final round of the 106th PGA Championship. At 20-under, DeChambeau became the first player to shoot minus-20 or lower in a major championship and not win. Morikawa was looking to join Woods as the only men to win the PGA Championship twice in their first five tries in the stroke play era. Tied with Morikawa in fourth place was Thomas Detry, who enjoyed the best finish of his young major championship career. One day after recording his first over-par score since August, Scottie Scheffler finished his chaotic PGA Championship week with a more familiar 65.
Persons: it’s, Xander Schauffele, Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks, he’s, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Woods, DeChambeau, Brendan Steele, McIlroy, — DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Jack Nicklaus, That’s, Viktor Hovland, Henrik Stenson, Johnson, Collin Morikawa, Morikawa, Thomas Detry, Scottie Scheffler’s, Matt Stone, Scottie Scheffler, Scheffler, Tom Watson, Justin Thomas, Thomas, JT, Wanamaker, Jordan Spieth, Spieth, Martin Kaymer, Larry Nelson, Hal Sutton, Ben Crenshaw, Andy Lyons Organizations: Valhalla Golf, PGA, 106th PGA, Bethpage, Valhalla, U.S . Amateur, PGA Championship, Riviera, Mexico, American Express, Puerto Rico, PGA Tour, Amateur, Big, Scheffler, Southern Hills, U.S, U.S ., 124th U.S ., Getty Locations: Valhalla, Vidanta, U.S, Pinehurst, Illinois, USA, Kentucky, Koepka, Shinnecock, Bellerive
After months of talk and canceled fights, the two boxers will exchange blows to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999, and the division’s first undisputed champion in the four-belt era. DAZN will broadcast the fight around the world, with viewers in the US able to watch on ESPN’s pay-per-view service. A long time in the makingA fight between Fury and Usyk has been a long time coming. Justin Setterfield/Getty ImagesFinally, a date of December 23 was agreed, but following a controversial, tougher-than-expected fight for Fury against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, the fight was delayed until February, 2024. All on the lineA general view of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk speaking to the media on May 16, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Persons: CNN — It’s, Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Lennox Lewis, Usyk, Wladimir Klitschko, Dillian Whyte, Deontay Wilder –, Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois, Fury, Justin Setterfield, Francis Ngannou, rescheduling, Richard Pelham, Joshua, Organizations: CNN, Sky Sports, TNT Sports, WBC, , WBO, WBA, IBF, Fury, UFC, Briton, Getty, Ngannou Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Usyk
CNN —Scottie Scheffler is a man well-accustomed to making global headlines, but almost never for events beyond the confines of the golf course. In 2014, at 17, as an amateur he made a hole-in-one and the cut on his first PGA Tour start. Without a PGA Tour victory heading into 2022, by April of that year he was a four-time victor, the world No. 1’s image as the self-effacing star of the PGA Tour, a perception he is content to endorse. His 10th PGA Tour title, it made him the first golfer since Woods in 2006 to win a PGA Tour event the week after triumphing at a major.
Persons: Scottie Scheffler, Tiger Woods, Scheffler, Ryder, Scheffler coasted, , Meredith, ” Scheffler, Ted Scott, ” Scottie Scheffler, David J, Phillip, Mary, Grandma, CNN Sport’s Don Riddell, Jared C, Tilton, Scheffler’s, Riddell, , I’m, I’ve, golf’s, Jamie Squire, Arnold Palmer, Andrew Redington, Bennett, Woods, triumphing, Rory McIlroy, Scott Organizations: CNN, Dallas, PGA, Augusta National, University of Texas, TPC, PGA Tour, Cowboys, Team USA, Ryder, Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage, Northern Locations: Ridgewood , New Jersey, Augusta, Ponte Vedra Beach , Florida, Dallas, Rome, Valhalla, Louisville
It’s ultimately where you’re judged and these are the opportunities to make history,” Southgate told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies. Clive Rose/Getty ImagesAnd then one heart-breaking step closer – a penalty shootout loss to Italy in the final of Euro 2020. Laurence Griffiths/Getty ImagesWhen asked whether it was indeed the best chance, Southgate replied: “It’s the next chance, so we’ll only know afterwards whether it was the best chance. Lee Smith/Action Images/ReutersIndeed, Southgate is no stranger at having to navigate the hostile dynamic that has often existed between the England team and the British media. “When you’re on the cusp on a tournament like this then every hour you’re thinking about the team, nothing else.
Persons: Gareth Southgate, He’s, It’s, you’re, ” Southgate, Amanda Davies, , we’ll, Southgate, Luka, Clive Rose, , you’ve, Jadon Sancho, Laurence Griffiths, Trent Alexander, Arnold, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Harry Kane, We’ve, they’re, Lee Smith, effacing Southgate, “ Don’t, hadn’t, Nick Potts, , Sam Allardyce’s, “ I’ve, I’ve, I’m, There’s Organizations: CNN, England, Malta, Germany, England’s Football Association, Lions, Manchester United, Southgate, English, Middlesbrough Locations: Germany, Luka Modrić, Croatia, Italy, Russia, England, France, ” England, Southgate, British,
Hyper-luxury golf carts that you can drive on the road
  + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com   time to read: +7 min
But one Danish company is on a mission to put the art in golf cart. “When it came to the golf cart 18 years ago, they all looked the same – there weren’t any serious high-end products out there,” Lynge told CNN. You want something that’s sort of Lamborghini-shaped – very low and wide – but the golf cart is the exact opposite.”Tiger Woods rides a conventional golf cart at a tournament in 2005. Lynge took the prize ceremony event as an opportunity to pitch a dream that would be realized in 2016 – a Garia golf car inspired by Mercedes-Benz Style. “Really expensive … super exclusive, but also the coolest golf car you’ll ever see,” Lynge said.
Persons: Anders Lynge, Soren Bak Hansen, ” Lynge, Garia, Lynge, , , Woods, Jeff Gross, Mercedes, Lars Larsen, Lynges, , we’ve Organizations: CNN, Augusta National, Garia, Bentley, Lamborghini, Kussmaul, Mercedes, Benz, US, Lars Larsen Group Locations: Turnberry, Scotland, Copenhagen, German, Europe, , London
Fencing is a niche but fundamental sport in the Olympics, contested at every Summer Games since 1896. Yet despite its genteel reputation and simple objective — touch an opponent with your blade before being touched — the sport has long been rife with drama and suspicion. Two months before the Paris Olympics, international saber fencing is engulfed by questions about the integrity of refereeing, accusations of preferential treatment and concerns among top athletes and coaches that their sport’s tangled connections may be helping decide who gets to compete at the Games. The federation that governs fencing in the United States, USA Fencing, recently suspended two international referees after they acknowledged communicating with each other during an Olympic qualifying tournament in California. And just last week, more than a half-dozen elite fencers demanded harsher punishments and urgent action to protect a sport that they say is “vulnerable to unfair refereeing and match-fixing.”
Organizations: Games, Paris Olympics Locations: United States, USA, California
Judy Devlin Hashman, who won the all-England badminton singles championships 10 times, more than any other player, man or woman, died on Monday. Before badminton established a world championship or joined the Olympics, the All England Open Badminton Championships was the sport’s pinnacle. Hashman won the women’s singles title in that event for the first time in 1954 at age 18. Her 10 singles titles are the most for any player. She also won seven women’s doubles titles, six of them with her sister Susan Devlin, later known as Susan Peard.
Persons: Judy Devlin Hashman, Geoff Hashman, Hashman, Susan Devlin, Susan Peard, Judy Devlin, J, Frank Devlin, Grace, Steed, Devlin Organizations: England, Olympics, Badminton, Wimbledon Locations: Oxford, England, Winnipeg, Canada, Maryland
CNN —Jude Bellingham celebrated winning his first ever La Liga title with his mother, posting a picture on Instagram of the two hugging with the legendary Santiago Bernabéu Stadium stretching out behind them. We had a lot of continuity from the first to the last game.”When Bellingham joined Real Madrid, expectations were high for the young Englishman. Jude Bellingham celebrates with Real Madrid fans after winning the Champions League quarterfinal against Manchester City. He scored 10 goals in his first 10 games, won La Liga’s player of the month for August and quickly displayed his knack of finding late winners, rescuing Real late on against Getafe in September. It isn’t just his goalscoring that has proven so effective for Real Madrid.
Persons: CNN — Jude Bellingham, Santiago, Rodrygo, Ballon, Carlo Ancelotti, , Realmadrid, , Jude Bellingham, Molly Darlington, Karim Benzema, Kylian Mbappé, “ Jude Bellingham, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Zidane, Steve McManaman, “ There’s, I’ve, Cádiz, CNN’s Amanda Davies Organizations: CNN, Liga, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, La Liga, Bellingham, El, Barcelona, League, Manchester City, Reuters, Champions League, La, Real, Getafe, Spanish, Marca, TNT Sports, TNT, Warner Bros . Locations: Bellingham, La, Spanish, Madrid
CNN —No one dares speak louder than a whisper as nearly 1,000 people respectfully take their seats inside the dimly lit Crucible Theatre. They’ve come to witness the nerve-shredding, silently electric atmosphere of the World Snooker Championship. The World Snooker Tour (WST) – organizers of the World Snooker Championship – say the sport is watched by half-a-billion people around the world. The Crucible Theatre has been the home of the World Snooker Championships since 1977. Saudi Arabia’s pursuit of snooker should not be surprising, but moving the World Snooker Championship would be an emotional decision for many of its fans.
Persons: they’re, They’ve, Shaun Murphy, It’s, , they’ve, George Wood, Mike Watterson, Hossein Vafaei, , it’s, ” Murphy, Young, Murphy, ” Ronnie O'Sullivan, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Ronnie O’Sullivan’s, O’Sullivan, , , Steve Dawson Organizations: CNN, Crucible, CNN Sport, Sheffield, Crucible Theatre, , Wembley, Snooker, Wimbledon, , Theatre Locations: Sheffield, England, Augusta, Saudi Arabia, , Saudi, China
How Humans Failed Racehorses
  + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Joe Drape | ) www.nytimes.com   time to read: +1 min
It was a welcome conclusion for the multibillion-dollar sport imperiled by frequent racing fatalities, reckless breeding, dodgy doping practices and the old-fashioned greed of veterinarians, trainers and owners. Last year, 12 horses perished at Churchill Downs in the days surrounding the famous race. Two weeks later, a horse trained by one of the sport’s most recognized trainers died at Pimlico Race Course. Ambulances rumbled onto the track, emergency workers erected privacy screens and, behind them, vets euthanized the horses with injections. All of it put the social acceptability of one of America’s oldest sports at risk.
Persons: Dan, Forever Young Organizations: Sierra, Forever, Kentucky Derby Locations: Sierra Leone, Japan, America’s, Churchill, Saratoga, New York
CNN —Beekeeper Matt Hilton said the last few days have been “crazy” after becoming the latest star of Major League Baseball. Hilton became the hero on Tuesday after he was called out to deal with a swarm of bees that was delaying the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers game. I mean, I’m going to Chase Field and the Diamondbacks and Dodgers playing,” Hilton told CNN Sport’s Don Riddell. Beekeeper Hilton hypes up the crowd after removing the swarm of bees. Limited edition trading cardThe spotlight, though, still remains on Hilton after the beekeeper’s efforts were further rewarded with his very own Topps trading card.
Persons: Matt Hilton, Hilton, Arizona’s, ” Hilton, CNN Sport’s Don Riddell, , , Bonnie Tyler’s “, Beekeeper Hilton hypes, Christian Petersen, “ It’s, I’m, “ We’ve Organizations: CNN, Major League Baseball, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chase Field, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Blue Sky Pest, Hilton, Topps, ” Topps, Twitter, The Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres
CNN —Red Bull’s pioneering engineer and Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey is set to leave the outfit in the first quarter of 2025, the team announced in a statement on Wednesday. Prior to Red Bull, the 65-year-old enjoyed successful spells at Williams and McLaren. “For almost two decades, it has been my great honour to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing’s progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning team,” Newey said in the statement released by Red Bull. He was later cleared of any wrongdoing as announced by the Formula One team’s parent company, Red Bull GMBH. According to multiple reports in March, Red Bull suspended the female employee who had leveled the accusations against Horner.
Persons: Adrian Newey, Newey, Red Bull, McLaren, ” Newey, , Christian Horner, ” Horner, , Dietrich Mateschitz, Max Verstappen, Clive Mason, Horner, Mercedes ’ Toto Wolff Organizations: CNN, Red Bull, Constructors, Williams, , Red Bull Racing Team, Red, Dutchman, Prix, Getty, Australian, Formula, Red Bull GMBH
When Michael Jordan and his right-hand man, Curtis Polk, bought a NASCAR team in 2020 with the driver Denny Hamlin, they were prepared to endure short-term losses. The Next Generation cars that were introduced in 2022 would cost top teams about $18 million a year to run before paying a driver, and their team, 23xi, had two. But they believed they’d make that money back over time because NASCAR had a lot of room to grow. Sponsorships, the lifeblood of every race team, were still in demand, especially for a team owned by a basketball legend like Jordan. The main reason, they said, is NASCAR’s reluctance to share more of its growing revenue with 23xi and the 15 other racing teams in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Persons: Michael Jordan, Curtis Polk, Denny Hamlin, Jordan Organizations: NASCAR, Fox, NBC, Amazon, Warner Bros .
A 16-month investigation made public on Tuesday determined that child sexual abuse accusations against Ted Nash, a two-time Olympic medalist and nine-time Olympic coach for the United States who had mythic status in his sport over decades, were credible and that his main accuser had no motive to lie about the abuse. She was 13 then and he was her 40-year-old running coach. The abuse, which lasted about a year, ended in 1973, said Ms. Fox, whose 2018 film “The Tale” depicted her memories of the abuse but did not name Mr. Nash. Jan Nash, his widow, did not immediately respond to voice messages and texts seeking comment. Last year, she told The New York Times that she was shocked and saddened by the accusations and said that “it’s just not fair” for Ms. Fox to name Ted now that he can’t defend himself.
Persons: Ted Nash, Shearman, Nash, Jennifer Fox, Fox, Jan Nash, Ted, can’t Organizations: United, Sterling, Rowing, New York Times Locations: United States, Manhattan
New York CNN —Adidas’ Samba and Gazelle sneakers might look like they’re from another decade, but they’re the hottest shoes on sale right now. Buoyed by the strength of those shoes, plus higher demand for its running, basketball and soccer shoes, Adidas registered a net profit of about $182 million through the first three months of 2024 — a sharp reversal from the same time period last year when it reported a $26 million loss. In particular, sales in Europe soared 14%, and Adidas also had strong demand for its products in China and Latin America. “The markets are still volatile and not easy, but we feel we are making progress everywhere,” said Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden in a release. Last year, Adidas slumped to a rare annual loss, hit by the fallout from its costly break-up with rapper Ye, sluggish sales in North America and a huge tax bill.
Persons: Ye, , Bjørn Gulden, Organizations: New, New York CNN, Adidas, , Copa America, Rival Nike, German, soccer teams Locations: New York, German, Europe, China, Latin America, North America
CNN —German surfer Sebastian Steudtner may have broken his own record for riding the biggest wave in history earlier this year. The monster wave in the famed surfing sport of Nazaré, Portugal was provisionally measured at 28.57 meters (93.72 feet), pending ratification. If confirmed, the wave would eclipse Steudtner’s current record of 26.21 meters (86 feet) set in 2020, also in the fishing village of Nazaré. Steudtner holds the record for the biggest wave ever surfed. “We were, for the first time, surfing the biggest waves in stormy conditions which were considered unsurfable.
Persons: Sebastian Steudtner, Steudtner, , , Team Steudtner, Marcus Schmelz, Gigantes de Nazaré, Lucas “, ” Steudtner Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, ” Porsche, Team, Porsche Engineering, Surf League, Quattro, Siemens Locations: German, Nazaré, Portugal
Hong Kong CNN —Global sport’s anti-doping watchdog has slammed as “outrageous” and “completely false” allegations that it mishandled a 2021 case in which more than 20 elite Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) made the comments after US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) chief Travis Tygart accused the agency and Chinese officials of having “swept these positives under carpet” and failing to follow the rules around drugs in sport. The China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) said recent media reports about the cases were “misleading,” according to Chinese state agency Xinhua, citing a statement Saturday. In its statement Saturday, WADA said it was notified in June 2021 of CHINADA’s ruling on the swimmers who had tested positive earlier that year. “These are egregious failures even if you buy their story that this was contamination and a potent drug ‘magically appeared’ in a kitchen and led to 23 positive tests of elite Chinese swimmers,” Tygart said, referencing details included in The New York Times’ article citing a report from Chinese investigators.
Persons: , WADA, Travis Tygart, CHINADA, Kamila Valieva, “ WADA, ” Tygart Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Global, Doping Agency, New York Times, Tokyo Olympics, ARD, Tokyo Games, CNN, Chinese Olympic, Testing Agency, Xinhua, trimetazidine, , TMZ, The New York Times Locations: Hong Kong, China, USADA, Xinhua, Russian
One thing that MotoGP has in its favor is its frequently raucous unpredictability, a far cry from the sometimes-processional nature of F1. Reigning double world champion Pecco Bagnaia agreed. What that documentary series delivered in spades was human drama, making household names out of F1’s competitors and their teams. Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty ImagesThree-time MotoGP world champion Wayne Rainey now runs the MotoAmerica series, which nurtures US motorcycle track talent, as well as King of the Baggers. We need entertainment, and now Baggers are here at MotoGP, strictly to help build the crowd, build the excitement, and in the end it’s about entertainment.”Wayne Rainey is a three-time MotoGP world champion.
Persons: COTA, ” Carlos Ezpeleta, Pecco Bagnaia, , , Dan Rossomondo, doesn’t, Rossomondo, , ’ ”, Marc Marquez, ” Marquez, Valentino, Rossi, Dani, Pedrosa, Jorge, Lorenzo, Casey, Stoner, Roland Sands, Jonathan Hawkins, Harley Davidson, Sands, “ You’ve, who’s, ” Sands, Viñales, ” Rossomondo, Lionel Messi, Valentino Rossi, Mirco Lazzari, Wayne Rainey, King, Wayne, Rainey, ” Wayne Rainey, Natalie Cardenas, Christopher, Silas, Jack, “ We’ve, Natalie, ” Christopher, Maverick Viñales, Pedro Acosta’s, Bastianini, you’ve, it’s Organizations: Texas CNN, Formula, Liberty Media, MotoGP, Liberty, CNN, One, Premier League, , Sprint, CNN Sport, Ducati, Maverick, Aprilia, MotoGP’s Locations: Austin, Texas, Austin , Texas, Americas, California, America, Italian, States, Spain, COTA
Instead, the conversation largely revolved around what she was wearing: the now iconic superhero ‘catsuit.’And, boy, was there a conversation. “I didn’t know it would have such an impact,” Williams tells CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies. “Here I am, just trying to be healthy, I was a new mom and just trying to be me. I didn’t know it would cause such a stir.”Williams was banned from wearing the catsuit at future French Open tournaments after French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli said that Roland Garros would be introducing a dress code. Serena Williams wore the now iconic catsuit at the 2018 French Open.
Persons: Serena Williams, Kristýna, , ” Williams, Amanda Davies, Bernard Giudicelli, Roland Garros, ” Giudicelli, Billie Jean King, Williams, Giudicelli, Tim Clayton, Corbis, , we’ve, , Chaz Niell, “ Don’t, “ I’d, MICHAEL BRADLEY Organizations: CNN, French Tennis Federation, Marvel, Nike, Getty Locations: Wakanda, Olympia, AFP
CNN —Few athletes can claim to be as dominant in their discipline as Mondo Duplantis, the pole vault star who has broken the world record a staggering seven times. And as for world records, Duplantis promises that he’s not done yet. “But when you get it right, it’s like you’re kind of doing this little dance with the pole. “You have to be a little bit – or quite a bit – crazy to be able to dare to pole vault because it is a little bit of a freaky sport, in a way,” he explains. “It’s still the same old pole vault,” he says.
Persons: Mondo Duplantis, Duplantis, he’s, Amanda Davies, , heptathlete, Michael Steele, , you’re, Sam Kendricks, Karalis, It’s, I’ve Organizations: CNN, Paris Olympics Locations: Paris, Sweden, Lafayette , Louisiana, Glasgow, Scotland, everything’s, Louisiana
It’s “so far, so good” for Player, who played his last Masters in 2009 after a record 52 appearances at Augusta National. Player was renowned for his endurance across a five-decade career that reaped 165 tournament wins and nine major championships. “You do things in life for other people, and you try to have fun, and like Gary said, you’ve got to laugh.”Watson, Player and Nicklaus (left to right) drew huge crowds. “If you’re here, you are so blessed, and you should kiss the ground every day,” Player told Masters reporters on the range. “He’s a man who believed in freedom, and what he did for this great country, you can’t describe it.
Persons: CNN —, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, , , Player, Jamie Squire, Overtraining, It’s, Walter Iooss Jr, Quizzed, Nicklaus, , Watson, Gary, you’ve, ” Watson, Mike Blake, Donald Trump, Dwight D, Eisenhower Organizations: CNN, Gary, Augusta National, REDs, Nicklaus, Reuters, America, Locations: Augusta, India, Johannesburg, United States
Track and field will be the first sport to give direct cash payments for Olympic gold medals, the sport’s federation announced Wednesday. It took pride in being a competition where elite athletes battled for nothing more than the joy of representing their country. But the notion of amateurism at the Olympics has eroded over the last three decades, as professional athletes have been allowed to participate. Now World Athletics, the global governing body for track and field, will break new ground by making payments to competitors more straightforward: All individual gold medalists in the sport at the Paris Games this summer will receive $50,000. The federation said it would begin paying silver and bronze medalists lesser amounts in 2028.
Persons: Amateurism, Organizations: Paris Games
Taro Akebono, a Hawaii-born sumo wrestler who became the sport’s first foreign grand champion, has died. He died of heart failure in early April while receiving care at a hospital in Tokyo, according to a statement from his family that was distributed by the United States Forces in Japan. Born Chad George Ha’aheo Rowan in Hawaii, Akebono became Japan’s 64th yokozuna, or grand champion sumo wrestler, in 1993, the first foreign-born sumo wrestler to win the sport’s highest title. He went on to win a total of 11 grand championships. He is survived by his wife, a daughter and two sons, according to the U.S.
Persons: Taro Akebono, Chad George Ha’aheo Rowan, Akebono, Motoko Rich Organizations: United States Forces, U.S . Forces Locations: Hawaii, Tokyo, Japan
Taro Akebono, a Hawaii-born sumo wrestler who became the sport’s first foreign grand champion and helped to fuel a resurgence in the sport’s popularity in the 1990s, has died in Tokyo. When he became Japan’s 64th yokozuna, or grand champion sumo wrestler, in 1993, he was the first foreign-born wrestler to achieve the sport’s highest title in its 300-year modern history. He went on to win a total of 11 grand championships, and his success set the stage for an era during which foreign-born wrestlers dominated the top levels of Japan’s national sport. Akebono, who was 6-foot-8 and 466 pounds when he was first named yokozuna at 23, towered over his Japanese opponents. Painfully shy outside the dohyo, as the sumo ring is known, he was known for using his height and reach to keep opponents at a distance.
Persons: Taro Akebono Organizations: United States Locations: Hawaii, Tokyo, Japan
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