Sport Shorts: Pendrel, Lopes-Schliep Win World Titles
Hurdles: It took just 12.54 seconds for Priscilla Lopes-Schliep to win her fourth straight 100-metre hurdles race on Friday. Amid damp, cold conditions in Brussels, Lopes-Schliep blasted past the world’s best hurdlers to win the overall Diamond League title. As a birthday present (she turned 28 the day before), the Whitby, Ont. native earned a four-carat diamond to take home with her. Her 22 points this season was eight more than the next-best hurdler. Teammate Perdita Felicien (Pickering, Ont.) was 4th overall after finishing 3rd Friday.
Elsewhere in the Diamond League, star shot putter Dylan Armstrong (Kamloops, B.C.) threw 20.87 metres to finish fourth. That secured a fourth-overall position for Armstrong, equalling his result at the 2008 Olympic Games.
Mountain Biking: At the final World Cup in Wyndham, N.Y. yesterday, Canadians finished one-two across the finish line. First was Catharine Pendrel (Kamloops, BC) and second was Marie-Hélène Prémont (Château-Richer, Que.), two of the best riders in the world. Pendrel’s win secured her the World Cup overall title for 2010, her first ever. She won a medal at four of seven races this season. Both will be in peak form heading into the World Championships this week in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que. Video from Sunday:
Basketball: The Canadian men’s basketball team is competing at the World Championships in Izmir, Turkey this week. On Saturday the team came up short against Lebanon, losing 81-71. On Sunday, they lost a nail-biter to Lithuania, 70-68, after having led by as many as 17 points. Montreal’s Joel Anthony is the team’s leading scorer with 29 points thus far. Canada next plays France on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. ET, which you can catch on TSN2 or online at .
Judo: Canada’s judokas were in fine form at the latest World Cup meet in Miami over the weekend. Four won their respective weight classes with perfect records of 4-0: Nicholas Tritton (73 kg), Alexandre Émond (90 kg), Michal Popiel (66 kg) and Sergio Pessoa (60 kg). Both Frazer Will (60 kg) and Catherine Roberge (78 kg) came 2nd, with 3-1 records. Canada added five 3rd-place finishes. “This is a very encouraging performance for the team,” said Canadian coach Sergio Pessoa Sr.: “We have a very motivated and confident group.”
Beach Volleyball: The Canadian beach volleyball championships were held in Toronto this last sunny weekend and four sand spikers were crowned the best in the country. Martin Reader (Comox, B.C.) and Chaim Schalk (Red Deer, Alta.) took the gold medal on the men’s side while Toronto pair Liz Maloney and Heather Bansley won the women’s tournament. All four players play on the World Tour circuit.
