Category Archives: Deportes

Hezly Rivera Claims U.S. All-Around Women’s Title at U.S. Gymnastics Championships

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Hezly Rivera has added to her medal collection.

The 17-year-old Dominican-American Olympic gold medalist gymnast, the youngest U.S. Olympian across all sports at the 2024 Paris Games, is now an all-around national champion.

Hezly RiveraRivera totaled 112 points in two nights of competition in New Orleans, prevailing by eight tenths over Leanne Wong, a two-time Olympic alternate. Joscelyn Roberson, another 2024 Paris Olympics alternate, was third.

Rivera led Wong by two tenths going into the last rotation, then delivered the best floor exercise score (14.2) by anyone on either night.

“I was aware it was pretty close, right before I went on the floor, probably a minute or two,” she told NBC Sports. “It’s a little bit nerve-racking, but I just tried to trust the process and trust God and just let my body do what it knows how to do.”

While the rest of her Paris gold-medal teammates are taking this season off, Rivera took a major step in her young career by becoming the youngest U.S. all-around champion since Ragan Smith in 2017.

She’s also the first woman to win junior and senior all-around titles since Jordyn Wieber (2008 and 2011-12), as well as the sixth American woman since 2000 to pair Olympic gold with a national all-around title (Simone Biles, Wieber, Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin and Carly Patterson).

Rivera, the 2023 U.S. junior all-around champ, opened the 2024 Olympic selection season by placing 24th at the U.S. Classic (about a week after her grandmother died).

She climbed to sixth in her senior U.S. Championships debut, then fifth at the Olympic Trials as some veteran gymnasts became sidelined by injuries.

Rivera was picked to be the lone rookie on the Olympic team alongside Biles, Suni Lee, Jade Carey and Jordan Chiles. She competed on uneven bars and balance beam in the qualifying round in Paris.

“My mindset is kind of like, I achieved my dreams, I achieved my goals, but I still have more (goals), so I kind of like to put that (the Olympics) in the back of my head for now,” she said in July. “Every time in the gym, I don’t think that I went to the Olympics. I’m just kind of training like I’ve almost never been, in a way.”

This week, Rivera had the highest scores on beam and floor, plus shared the bars title with Skye Blakely.

Wong, the most experienced woman in the field at 21, won vault. She was bidding to become the second non-teen in the last 50 years to win a U.S. all-around title after Biles.

Next up: a selection competition in early autumn, after which four women will be named to compete at October’s World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia. These worlds include individual events only.

The all-around winner at the selection event automatically makes it. A committee picks the other three, taking into account results at nationals and other 2025 meets.

Liverpool’s Darwin Núñez Closing Deal to Move to Saudi Pro League Side Al Hilal

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Darwin Núñez is inching toward a move to the Middle East.

The 26-year-old Uruguayan professional footballer is closing in on a deal to move from Liverpool to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, sources have told ESPN.

Darwin NunezA deal between the two clubs hasn’t yet been finalized, but negotiations are ongoing with all parties confident of striking a deal likely to be in the region of €53 million ($61.5m).

Núñez joined Liverpool from Benfica for an initial £64m in the summer of 2022.

He has scored 40 goals in 143 appearances across three seasons, however his influence waned last term despite Liverpool’s Premier League triumph.

Núñez scored just seven goals in all competitions, adding weight to the sense that his future lay away from Anfield.

Should Núñez depart, it would continue the overhaul of Liverpool’s forward line, with Luis Díaz also having left to join Bayern Munich this summer.

Federico Chiesa has also been linked with a move away from Anfield, while Hugo Ekitike joined the club from Eintracht Frankfurt last month.

Francis Roig to Coach Former US Open Champion Emma Raducanu

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Francis Roig has a new client…

The 57-year-old Spanish retired professional tennis player, who once coach Rafael Nadal, has joined Emma Raducanu’s coaching team on a full-time basis ahead of this month’s US Open.

Francis Roig,Raducanu, the 2021 winner at Flushing Meadows, has worked with British coach Mark Petchey on an informal basis since March and enjoyed a positive run of results.

However, Petchey’s TV commitments meant he was always unable to become Raducanu’s full-time coach, and after a trial with Roig following Wimbledon, the 22-year-old will begin work with him in Cincinnati this week after he agreed to a contract until the end of 2025.

Raducanu has struggled to settle with a coach in recent years until her part-time work with Petchey started to pay dividends earlier this season.

A WTA 1000 quarterfinal showing at the Miami Open in March was followed by a round-of-16 run at the Italian Open before she made the last eight in the first women’s tournament at Queen’s Club.

Aryna Sabalenka proved too strong for Raducanu in Round 3 at Wimbledon, but this was backed up by a semifinal at the Citi Open as the British No. 1 targets being seeded at the US Open later this month.

Roig was primarily a doubles player, winning nine ATP World Tour titles and reaching 12 more finals.

After his playing retirement, he acted as the alternate coach of Nadal from 2005 until 2022. He was the coach of Matteo Berrettini from December 2023 until October 2024.

Seattle Mariners Slugger Julio Rodriguez Makes MLB History

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Julio Rodriguez has earned his place in Major League Baseball history…

The 24-year-old Dominican professional baseball center fielder for the Seattle Mariners homered to become the first player in MLB history with 20 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases in each of his first four seasons, as the Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 on Sunday.

Julio RodriguezRodriguez hit a two-run shot in the third inning — his 100th career homer — and the slugging and speedy center fielder also added his 21st stolen base of the season after singling in the fifth inning.

Jorge Polanco added a solo shot in the second, and shortstop J.P. Crawford smacked a two-run blast in the fourth against Rangers starter Jacob deGrom (10-4), who became the fastest pitcher in major league history to reach 1,800 career strikeouts by games and innings Sunday.

The Rangers kept things close by pushing across three runs against Mariners starter Logan Evans (5-4), but tallied only one run against the Mariners bullpen before closer Andrés Muñoz locked down his 25th save of the season.

Osmar Olvera Ends Nearly Two Decades of Chinese Diving Dominance with Gold Medal Performance at World Aquatics Championships

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Osmar Olvera has broken through a Great Wall…

The 21-year-old Mexican diver ended nearly two decades of Chinese dominance to claim the gold medal in the men’s 3-meter springboard competition at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Friday.

Osmar OlveraOlvera overcame a poor third dive to surge past his two Chinese rivals with his next three dives, including a fifth dive of 102.60 points, and a flawless finish.

The Mexico City native finished with 529.55 points over six dives, edging four-time Olympic gold medalist Cao Yuan (522.70) who is also an 11-time World medalist, and three-time reigning World champion Wang Zongyuan, who scored 515.55.

Olvera became the first non-Chinese diver to win this event since Canada’s Alexandre Despatie won in 2005.

“I feel amazing,” Olvera said. “It’s a dream come true, to be a world champion … in an Olympic event.”

Osmar OlveraOlvera said he’ll now focus on maintaining his gold-medal form in order to continue battling the Chinese divers who have dominated these events, including a gold medal sweep at the 2024 Paris Games last year and taking seven out of eight golds at the two previous Olympics.

The Mexican diver’s victory is by no means a surprise. He won the 1-meter springboard competition at the 2024 World Championships in Doha and has eight career Worlds medals, including four this year in Singapore.

Olvera also won bronze in the 3-meter springboard event at the Paris Olympics last year as well as a silver in the 3-meter synchronized springboard competition.

Olvera’s gold on Friday was the sixth diving medal for Mexico at the Worlds, behind only China’s 14 and well ahead of the rest of the pack, including the USA’s one.

The path to gold for Olvera at the Worlds was not easy.

Wang was first and Cao was second in every round of the semifinals. But, according to Swimming World Magazine, Olvera leaped ahead in the finals with the best dive in each of the first two rounds.

Olvera wobbled in Round 3 and was in third place after four rounds. Then came what Swimming World Magazine called “the best dive of the final and maybe the meet writ large.”

The Mexican nailed a forward 4 1/2 somersault dive in a pike position to move a half-point ahead of Cao. He clinched the gold medal with the best dive of the final round — a forward 2 1/2 somersault dive with three twists, performed in a pike position . It earned 97.50 points.

“I felt a lot of pressure [on the sixth dive],” Olvera said afterward. “I knew I needed a great dive, so I just focused, controlled myself and did my job.”

During her daily morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum showed reporters a video of the event and applauded Olvera’s triumphant performance.

In a chat with El Universal newspaper afterward, Olvera thanked Mexican fans who followed his performance despite the time difference with Singapore, sharing an emotional message with them.

“Thank you to all those who supported me, to all of Mexico who stayed up all night to cheer me on, thank you for sending the best vibes,” he said. “And to those of you who didn’t, I ask you to support me too, because Mexico isn’t just about soccer.”

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Carlos Correa Returning to Houston Astros

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Carlos Correa is preparing for an astronomical return…

The Houston Astros have reacquired the 30-year-old Puerto Rican professional baseball in a shocking blockbuster deal with the Minnesota Twins just before the MLB trade deadline Thursday.

Carlos Correa Correa, a Rookie of the Year and a two-time MLB All-Star in his prior stint with the Astros, waived his no-trade clause in order to make the deal happen.

He has also agreed to play third base, sharing the left side of the infield with Jeremy Pena.

“I had some conversations with the front office in Minnesota, and we were not moving [the direction] I thought we were after making the playoffs [in 2023],” Correa told MLB.com on Thursday, “and they agreed with me that it was time to move me.

“I let them know there was only one team I would allow that to happen.”

The Astros went into the trade deadline prioritizing a left-handed hitter and a starter, but third baseman Isaac Paredes could miss the rest of the season with a serious hamstring injury, prompting them to get aggressive in a trade for Correa.

Moments later, their need for a left-handed hitter was also filled — in a deal to acquire outfielder Jesus Sanchez from the Miami Marlins.

The trade amounted to a salary dump, with the Twins, up for sale since last October, clearly motivated to shed financial obligations during the trade deadline. The Twins agreed to take on only $33 million of the remaining $104 million owed to Correa through 2028 and thus did not get much prospect capital in return for one of the sport’s most recognizable players. Matt Mikulski, a 26-year-old lefty who is still in A ball, went from the Astros’ system to the Twins’.

The Marlins received shortstop Chase Jaworsky, a top-10 prospect in the Astros’ system, as well as minor league outfielder Esmil Valencia and major league right-hander Ryan Guston in exchange for Sanchez.

A former No. 1 pick out of high school in Puerto Rico in 2012, Correa was one of the faces of an Astros team that won the World Series in 2017 and became the most successful American League franchise in recent years.

This year, though, Correa’s numbers are down. He is slashing .267/.319/.386 with seven home runs in 93 games.

“This is a big move for the team, for the city, for where we’re going in the future,” Houston general manager Dana Brown said. “We feel like … he’s just going to bring a lot, not only as a player but as a human being — his leadership skills and the energy that he’s going to bring to this club. So I’m fired up.”

This will be Correa’s first time playing third base in the majors, but he told MLB.com it’s something he had been looking forward to.

“I’ve been wanting to play third base for the past couple of years, but it wasn’t happening in Minnesota,” Correa said. “We were waiting for a shortstop to come in, and now that I get to play third base it would be great for me at this stage of my career.”

Sanchez, 27, has slashed .246/.312/.432 with 69 homers and 29 steals in 522 games with the Marlins from 2021 to 2025, during which he played mostly right field. He is controllable through 2027.

Chicago Cubs Acquire Willi Castro from Minnesota Twins

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Willi Castro is headed to the Windy City.

The Chicago Cubs have acquired the 28-year-old Puerto Rican super utility player from the Minnesota Twins for two prospects.

Willi Castro,Castro fills a need for the team.

He played six positions for Minnesota this season — seven if you count an inning on the mound — mostly splitting time equally at second, left and right field.

Castro is likely to see time at third base for Chicago, especially when there is a tough righty on the mound, as he’ll split time there with rookie Matt Shaw.

“I think having a guy like that kind of protects us in a lot of spots,” Jeff Hoyer said of Castro. “He was a very obvious fit in that regard.”

To make room on the active roster, Ryan Pressly, who opened the season as the Cubs’ closer, was designated for assignment.

Castro is joining his third team after starting his career with the Detroit Tigers then playing the last three seasons for the Twins. He’s a career .245 hitter with 55 home runs over his seven big league seasons. He’ll be a free agent at the end of this year.

In return, the Twins are getting Double-A pitchers Ryan Gallagher and Sam Armstrong. Gallagher, 22, has a .386 ERA split between Single and Double-A this season while Armstrong has a 2.87 mark across several minor league levels. Neither is considered a top prospect in the Cubs system.

Johnny Cardoso Officially Revealed Atlético Madrid Player

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Johnny Cardoso is taking his career to the next level…

The 23-year-old Brazilian American professional soccer player and United States men’s national team midfielder is ready to “evolve and learn” from coach Diego Simeone as he was unveiled as an Atlético Madrid player on Wednesday, backing his new team to compete with Real Madrid and Barcelona for trophies.

Johnny Cardoso,

Atlético confirmed the signing of Cardoso, 23, from Real Betis earlier this month, with the player signing a five-year contract.

The LaLiga side have been busy in this summer’s transfer market, bringing in Cardoso, playmakers Álex Baena and Thiago Almada, and defenders Dávid Hancko, Matteo Ruggeri and Marc Pubill.

“It’s a dream come true being here, experiencing this with my family,” Cardoso said during his presentation at Atlético’s Metropolitano Stadium on Wednesday. “It’s a huge club which has the same ambition as I do.

“It’s a privilege to be with all the staff and especially [Simeone]. He played in my position, and I’m ready to evolve and learn from him.”

Cardoso was born in New Jersey to Brazilian parents, and also holds an Italian passport, meaning he doesn’t occupy a non-European Union slot in Simeone’s squad.

He will wear the No. 5 shirt at Atlético recently vacated by Rodrigo De Paul, who has left for Inter Miami.

“I have a lot of confidence in the project, with what the club has said to me,” Cardoso said. “We have the same hopes, to keep growing and to win trophies.

“It’s a team that has brought in a lot of players, a lot of young players, to blend with experience. We play in a lot of competitions, and we have total conviction of being able to fight for all of them.”

Atletico are looking to improve on a 2024-25 campaign which saw them finish third in LaLiga and eliminated in the Copa del Rey semifinals and the Champions League last 16.

This summer they were knocked out of the Club World Cup at the group stage, after being thrashed 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in their opening game.

Cardoso said he believed his new team — who began preseason training last week — now have a squad capable of competing with giants Madrid and Barça.

“We’re all at the same level,” he said. “Atleti are a very big team… Simeone has been showing me things from the start, I’m learning a lot. It’s going to be a special season.”

Cardoso made his senior debut for the United States in a match against Wales in 2020. He has 22 caps, winning the Concacaf Nations League in 2023 and 2024.

Cardoso had to withdraw from Mauricio Pochettino‘s Concacaf Nations League squad in March due to a muscle injury.

Philadelphia Phillies Acquire Jhoan Duran from Minnesota Twins

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Jhoan Duran is preparing to close things out in Philadelphia…

The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired the 27-year-old Dominican professional baseball pitcher, one of baseball’s best relievers, and they paid a high price to the Minnesota Twins to get it done.

Jhoan Duran,Minnesota received catcher Eduardo Tait, regarded as a top 100 prospect, and pitcher Mick Abel, a rookie with six years of team control.

They’re ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, among the Phillies’ minor league prospects, per ESPN.

Duran is known for two wipeout pitches — a fastball with an average velocity of 100.2 mph and a curveball he throws in the mid-80s — and he’s among the most dominant closers.

David Dombrowski, the Phillies’ head of baseball operations, again aggressively worked to plug a major hole in his bullpen.

The Phillies have a deep and powerful rotation and a lineup comprised of sluggers like Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, but their bullpen has been a problem area, again.

Jordan Romano, who was signed in the offseason, has struggled, and Jose Alvarado was suspended for 80 games under baseball’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Alvarado will be back to pitch in August, but because of his suspension, he is ineligible to pitch in the playoffs and World Series, if the Phillies get that far.

The Phillies have 16 blown saves this season, tied for fourth-most in the NL. And they’ve struggled to find a permanent closer, as five different players have multiple blown saves, tied for third-most in the majors, only trailing the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels, who both have six.

Dombrowski has a long track record of being willing to trade high prices in midseason deals. Last year, he aggressively moved for Carlos Estevez.

The Phillies have an older roster. Schwarber and catcher J.T. Realmuto are eligible for free agency at season’s end, and the general perception within the industry is that the team is in a window to win right now.

Tait, 18, is hitting .251 with 11 homers for Class-A Clearwater. Abel was the Phillies’ first-round pick in 2020 and progressed to the big leagues for the first time this season.

Bayern Munich Sign Luis Díaz from Liverpool

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Luis Díaz is headed to Germany…

Bayern Munich has confirmed the signing of the 28-year-old Colombian professional soccer player and Colombia international  from Liverpool.

Luis Díaz,ESPN is reporting that the deal is worth €75 million ($88m), inclusive of add-ons.

He becomes Bayern’s third signing of the summer following the arrivals of Bayer Leverkusen‘s Jonathan Tah and Hoffenheim midfielder Tom Bischof.

“I’m very happy, it means a lot to me to be part of FC Bayern, they’re one of the biggest clubs in the world,” Díaz said in a statement.

“I want to help my new team with my way of playing football and my character. My goal is to win every possible title, and that’s what we’ll work for every day as a team.”

Díaz missed Liverpool’s friendly defeat against AC Milan on Saturday due to ongoing speculation linking him with a move away from Anfield and was granted permission to leave the preseason tour of Asia on Sunday.

Sources told ESPN that Díaz first signaled a wish to leave Liverpool in the summer of 2024 — with his existing deal due to expire in 2027 — but the club held firm while assessing both the squad and the market.

Two separate attempts to agree to a contract extension failed due to a gap between offers and demands.

There has been extensive interest in the player all summer, with Liverpool previously rejecting advances from both Barcelona and Bayern and insisting the player was not available.

Sources told ESPN the club rejected a €67.5m bid from Bayern earlier this month but, after the German champions returned with an improved offer, Liverpool reluctantly agreed to sanction his departure.

Díaz enjoyed the most productive season of his Liverpool career last term, scoring 17 goals in all competitions and helping Arne Slot’s side win the Premier League title.

The forward joined the club from FC Porto in January 2022 in a deal rising up to €49m and scored 41 goals in 148 appearances.

His departure will help balance out some of Liverpool’s spending this summer, with the Premier League champions spending around £290m on Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Hugo Ekitike.

It also brings the revenue generated from player transfers up to £190m under sporting director Richard Hughes, who took up the role last summer.

Liverpool could now formalize their interest in Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, whose availability Slot’s slide enquired about earlier this month.

He was left out of Newcastle’s preseason tour to Asia after suffering a thigh injury but sources have told ESPN Isak has also informed the club he wants to explore a move away from St. James’ Park.