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Athletics: Double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson (picture) cruised to a wind-assisted 10.75 seconds to win the 100 metres at Jamaica’s UTECH Classic on Saturday. Thompson, who became the first Caribbean woman to win the Olympic 100m and 200m double in Rio last summer, comfortably pulled away to cross the line ahead of Jura Levy (11.19) and Olympic finalist Christania Williams (11.30). “Actually when I heard the time announced I was shocked but as I say, each time I race I always surprise myself,” she told Reuters.
Basketball, NBA: LeBron James scored 32 points as defending NBA champions the Cleveland Cavaliers survived a scare to win their opening play-off game 109-108 against the Indiana Pacers. CJ Miles missed a jump shot in the final second which would have snatched victory for the Pacers. Cleveland relied on their star names, with Kyrie Irving scoring 23 points and Kevin Love 17, but only James tallied more than Indiana’s Paul George, who contributed 29 in a losing cause. The Cavs lost their last five regular season games to finish behind the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference
Cycling: Apeldoorn in Holland will host the 2018 Track Cycling World Championships, the UCI has announced. Cycling’s world governing body announced yesterday that the Omnisport Arena will stage the 2018 championships from February 28 to March 4. The venues for the Track World Cup series are yet to be confirmed, with six possible dates listed in a provisional calendar for the 2017-18 season.
Boxing: Ricky Burns dug deep into his reserves but lost his super-lightweight unification clash against Julius Indongo on points at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow. The 34-year-old from Coatbridge had put his WBA belt on the line, with the unbeaten Namibian putting his IBF and IBO titles up for grabs, and it was the impressive visitor who left with all three. Scotland’s first three-weight world champion endured a tough night against the awkward and rangy southpaw, who extended his record to 22-0. It was a bridge too far for Burns, fighting his 48th bout, who lost out 120-108, 118-110 and 116-112.
Tennis: American Steve Johnson will face Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci in the final of the US Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston. Fourth seed Johnson downed top seed and compatriot Jack Sock 4-6 6-4 6-3 to reach his third ATP Tour final. Earlier world number 65 Bellucci ended wildcard Ernesto Escobedo’s run with a 5-7 6-4 6-2 triumph. The 29-year-old will now compete for a fifth tour tile – with all of his previous four having also come on clay.