Sprinter claims 100m and 200m titles at a wet England and Inter-Counties Championships

Kimbely Baptiste was a double raining champion splashing through the puddles to record back-to-back sprint doubles at the UK Inter-Counties and England Athletics Senior Championships in Manchester, Trevor Baxter reports.

“I am not used to running in this weather,” smiled the Dubai-based, Crawley AC sprinter after her fourth successive 200m title.

“I only come back for the summer holidays so I am used to all the heat,” added the previous day’s winner of the 100m crown.

“On Thursday when it was really hot, I was like ‘bring it on for the weekend.’ But all we have had is rain, rain, rain.

“I know I didn’t look too excited when I crossed the line but I clapped afterwards,” grinned 2018 double winner Baptiste, clocking 23.84 to go with Saturday’s 100m in 11.90.

Despite the inclement Manchester weather, the two-day meeting, also featuring the Disability Championships, produced some notable performances and performers.

Going one better than Baptiste was Scott Lincoln, now a five-time English shot put winner – this time with a throw of 19.56m.

Brighton’s George Mills won the mile in 4:19.62, while Alicia Barrett claimed victory in the 100m hurdles in 13.44 and Jake Porter won the 110m hurdles in 14.01.

Trafford AC’s Naomi Ogbeta, third on the British all-time rankings, won the triple jump with 13.67m and Craig Murch threw a lifetime best to retain the hammer title with 72.33m, while Mancunians also had to watch a Liverpool win – Yasmin Liverpool in the 400m (53.30).

Sadam Koumi retained the 400m title in 46.21 ahead of Nick Baker with a 46.46 PB, while Joe Reid front ran his way to 800m gold in 1:49.26.

Jess Mayho improved her hammer PB to 65.18m to win ahead of Rachel Hunter with 64.34m and Sophie McKinna retained her shot put title with a throw of 17.74m, while Abigail Irozuru won the long jump, leaping 6.36m.

There were tears of disappointment too, notably for Jacqueline Fairchild over 800m. After four silver medals at 800m and 1500m, the Preston Harrier crossed the line in front only to be disqualified for running on a lane line.

To double the agony, club-mate Kirsty Fraser was upgraded to gold.

In the disability events, Eleanor Simpson established a road running 200m world record of 39.62. In the ambulant sprints, Ali Smith took the 100m and 200m titles.

See the August 1 edition of AW magazine for full coverage.

LEXINGTON, Ohio – Another race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for Kyle Kirkwood resulted in another victory on Sunday.

The 20-year-old from Jupiter, Fla., doubled up on his performance for the Italian-owned RP Motorsport USA team by sweeping the weekend and scoring his fifth victory from the last six races in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires.

Kirkwood now lies only 13 points behind Rasmus Lindh with five races remaining in the quest for a scholarship to facilitate the graduation next year to Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, the top step on the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires ladder system.

Juncos Racing teammates Sting Ray Robb and Lindh completed the podium, with Robb coming out on top to equal his career best finish.

“I’m not going to have much emotion until we come to the final checkers of the year; as soon as this one was done, my mind went to what’s next,” said a cool Kirkwood in victory lane. “I have done well here, but a lot of that is knowledge, since I’ve tested and raced here so much. It’s one of my favorite tracks – it’s very technical compared to some of the other racetracks and with the changing asphalt and changing conditions, the grip changes dramatically. Whenever I’ve come here, I’ve had a good car, and today was no different.

“Today wasn’t as easy as yesterday, because I roasted my front tires early in the race and had to nurse the Cooper tires through the middle part of the race. The caution actually helped me to cool my tires and get back into a groove,” Kirkwood added. “We’re here to win races, that’s why we’re here. We have five races to go and anything can happen.”

A mid-pack incident as the cars were bunched together prior to the green flag caused Canadian Antoine Comeau, making his Road to Indy debut this weekend with the new Turn 3 Motorsport team owned by Peter Dempsey, to suffer a broken front wing.

As a result, the start was waved off and title contender Danial Frost, who had qualified second, was judged guilty by the race stewards of failing to maintain a constant speed prior to the green flag. Frost took the restart for the 25-lap race from the back of the field.

Meanwhile, Kirkwood took off into the lead at the restart and controlled the proceedings, although Canadian Parker Thompson remained within a second and a half until another full-course caution was initiated after 19 laps due to a spin in turn nine by Moises de la Vara.

The final restart with three laps remaining saw Kirkwood once again confirm his superiority, pulling away to win by a comfortable 3.4783 seconds and securing yet another PFC Award for RP Motorsport USA as the winning team.

The battle behind saw Robb make a great jump when the green flag waved – enough to draw alongside Thompson on the run toward turn one.

Thompson attempted to brave it out on the high line but his resulting loss of momentum allowed Lindh also to sneak past into third. The trio took the checkered flag in that order, separated by just over a second.

Lindh also earned the Tilton Hard Charger Award, after moving his way from a disappointing sixth on the grid to third at the finish.

Guatemalan Ian Rodriguez secured another top-five finish for RP Motorsport USA, while the drive of the race was posted by Frost, who fought back from his penalty and was rewarded with a hard-earned sixth position ahead of teammate Nikita Lastochkin.

LEXINGTON, Ohio – There’s no stopping Oliver Askew right now in Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires competition.

The 22-year-old from Jupiter, Fla., celebrated the news he will soon test an Indy car for the first time by dominating the field this weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Askew not only won both 30-lap races from the pole position for Andretti Autosport, he was never headed on the race track and capped an impressive performance by posting the fastest lap of the race – without the benefit of the AER turbo engine’s push-to-pass feature – on his final trip around the 2.258-mile circuit.

“I think that was one of the best drives I’ve ever had. It was a matter of me putting everything together, and I did,” said Askew. “Some tracks I just click with, and this is one of them. I got a good jump at the start and was able to extend before the yellow. I wasn’t that concerned about the yellow, it was just like yesterday. I try to do something different each restart so the other drivers don’t catch on and I catch them off guard. That seems to work. Also we had new Cooper tires so we had more grip than some of the other cars in the beginning and that helped with traction coming back to green.

“Once I got away from push-to-pass range, it was smooth sailing. The team let me know Toby was getting close, so I put the hammer down late,” he added. “I was happy with my performance at the end of the race and my consistency, and happy to come away with maximum points. The guys at Andretti Autosport and I will just keep on pushing.”

With Askew long gone, the focus of Sunday afternoon’s race – once again held in perfect summer weather in front of a bumper crowd in advance of the Honda Indy 200 – instead was on the battle for second.

Englishman Toby Sowery couldn’t match Askew’s pace, especially in the second half of the race, but he just managed to fend off the attentions of Askew’s primary title rival, Rinus VeeKay, after a race-long battle.

Askew laid down a marker to the field on Saturday, winning the opening race of the weekend and ensuring himself of the pole for race two by posting a new record qualifying lap of 1:10.8079 (114.801 mph).

He duly led the field into turn one at the start, although behind him there was drama as fourth and fifth-place qualifiers Robert Megennis and Dalton Kellett barely touched wheels at the apex of the corner.

The impact was enough to pitch Kellett into a spin and cause both Megennis and a following Aaron Telitz to run wide through the grass and gravel.

After a brief full-course caution, Askew took off into the lead and then took advantage of a tight scrap behind him between VeeKay, who started second, and Sowery to complete the first lap of green-flag racing a commanding 2.6 seconds clear of his competition.

The next time around, as Sowery made use of his push-to-pass feature to power past VeeKay on the main straight, Askew’s lead was extended to more than three seconds.

He settled into a comfortable pace for a while, but as soon as he realized Sowery had closed almost to within range of the push-to-pass activation gap, Askew put his head down once again and began to edge away.

Askew’s string of impressively fast and consistent laps – plus his last flourish to reclaim the fastest lap from VeeKay on the final tour – ensured he crossed the finish line a comfortable 5.2430 seconds in front.

VeeKay was unable to displace Sowery, despite an intense effort, but still finished well ahead of Ryan Norman. David Malukas recorded his second top-five finish of the weekend and also collected the Tilton Hard Charger Award.

Next up was Telitz, who recovered from a second incident with Megennis immediately after the early restart, to catch and pass Brazilian teammate Lucas Kohl in the closing stages.

Askew’s commanding weekend was the first time any single driver had swept both poles, race wins, fastest laps and led every lap since the introduction of the Dallara-AER IL-15 in 2015.

Jack Harvey was the last man to accomplish the feat, also at Mid-Ohio, in 2014.

POCONO, Pa. – Tyler Ankrum showed the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series field that his recent victory at Kentucky Speedway wasn’t a fluke with a strong runner-up finish in Saturday’s Gander RV 150.

Ankrum, who missed the first three races of the year due to age restrictions but has come on strong in recent weeks, trailed eventual winner Ross Chastain for the entirety of the final stage and was in position to pounce had Chastain encountered any issues in the closing laps of the 150-mile event.

While Chastain stayed perfect and delivered Niece Motorsports its third win of the season, Ankrum kept him honest by finishing just one second adrift in the No. 17 Railblaza Toyota Tundra for DGR-Crosley.

“This is an awesome day,” noted Ankrum. “I think having a run like we did today really shows that we can still race with the best of them and that it’s not all about fuel strategy for our team. I’m really proud for this team; they gave me a great truck and I just fought myself a little bit at the beginning of the race. I was just overdriving the truck, stepping on my own toes … and it got us a little behind.

“Bono called a great strategy, though, by having us pit before the end of the second stage, and that put us on the front row so that Ross and I could run away from the field after that final restart,” Ankrum added. “I thought I had a good enough truck to chase him down, but just with the air and everything works, I couldn’t get close enough to him to catch the draft and I burned my tires up trying.

“Overall, this was a great effort for us and gives us something to build on going down the stretch.”

Chastain’s win delivered some good news to Ankrum, however, as it officially locked the San Bernadino, Calif., teenager into the Truck Series playoffs on the strength of his Kentucky victory.

With only two races remaining before the playoff reset, the maximum number of different winners possible is seven, meaning Ankrum is guaranteed to chase his first Truck Series championship starting next month at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

That’s a designation that’s both a relief and a motivator for Ankrum, who just slipped through an opening-lap crash on Saturday that took out his teammate Anthony Alfredo, as well as Stewart Friesen.

“Now that we know we’re in, we can focus on what we need to do to go all the way to Homestead,” Ankrum said. “That’s a weight off our shoulders and a huge deal for this team. It’s an honor to know we’re going to be in that field of eight and have a chance to fight and maybe win a championship.

“We know we have some work to do yet, but we’re excited to have the opportunity and now I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do with it as a group.”

Manchester United are back home after a gruelling preseason tour to Australia and the Far East, but what did we learn from it?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team ended their summer tour with a 2-1 victory over Tottenham in Shanghai on Thursday after wins over Perth Glory, Leeds United and Inter Milan. The United boss has just two weeks and two games -- against Kristiansund in Oslo and AC Milan in Cardiff -- to finalise his plans for the opening game of the Premier League season against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Aug. 11.

Solskjaer has dropped a few hints about how his new United team might look next season, so here's a look at some of the key talking points from the summer.

- Solskjaer Q&A: Playing style, transfers, catching top clubs
- Dawson: Inside Man United's preseason tour
- EXCLUSIVE: Lindelof - In my head I'm a No. 10
- Stream ICC live on ESPN networks in the U.S.

One or two more signings needed

Solskjaer has not been shy about saying he still wants more players but there are unlikely to be wholesale changes.

The phase the manager has used to answer almost every transfer question during the tour has been: "We're working on one or two things we think could improve us."

The situation is complicated by Romelu Lukaku, and Inter Milan's reluctance to meet United's £80m asking price. If the striker goes, Solskjaer will be short of goals up front and he's hinted the club may have to act quickly to bring in a replacement. Juventus' Paulo Dybala, Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi, Lyon's Moussa Dembele and Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have been linked.

Martial used down the middle

Anthony Martial started his United career under Louis van Gaal as a central striker but has spent most of the past three seasons on the left wing. The assumption heading into this summer was that Marcus Rashford would be Solskjaer's first-choice centre forward but during the tour it was often Martial used down the middle.

It makes sense to put the Frenchman in more goal-scoring positions because he's the most natural finisher at Old Trafford, while Rashford has more of the defensive discipline to play out wide.

James was thrown straight in

Daniel James, the £15 million summer signing from Swansea, has never played a Premier League game before but there has been nothing on tour to suggest Solskjaer wants to ease the winger in gently next season.

James played a lot of minutes this summer -- on both the left and the right -- and he hasn't looked out of his depth.

At 21, there's plenty of time to improve areas like his finishing, but his pace is frightening. One 40-yard sprint during the 4-0 win over Leeds would not have looked out of place in a 100-metre Olympic final. It shouldn't be a surprise to see him start the first game of the season against Chelsea.

Lingard is key

Jesse Lingard had a difficult summer after a holiday video posted on Instagram caused some unwanted attention. Reports from United's camp suggest he's been keen to keep his head down during the tour -- he hasn't spoken to any media outlet -- but he's been one of the stars in training.

Solskjaer has worked the players hard and it's been Lingard who has topped all the stats. The Norwegian wants his team to press and put pressure on the ball and Lingard is key to that.

This season, it's likely he will play at the top of United's midfield and will have a lot of responsibility both going forward and when United don't have the ball.

Greenwood will be a regular in the squad

Of the youngsters Solskjaer brought on tour, Mason Greenwood is the one who has made the biggest impression.

Still only 17, he scored his first two senior goals, including a fantastic strike against Inter Milan, and Solskjaer has said Greenwood could start against Chelsea.

That's probably a step too far, but he's likely to be in the squad and if he keeps scoring goals it will be very difficult to keep him out of the team.

Sussex 184 for 8 (Carey 78) beat Somerset 171 for 5 (Babar 83, Banton 51) by 13 runs

Alex Carey marked his Sussex Sharks debut with a brilliant 78 to set up a 13-run Vitality Blast victory over Somerset at Taunton.

Australian Carey cracked seven fours and four sixes in a 46-ball innings that entertained a crowd of 7,400. Laurie Evans and David Wiese gave good support in a score of 184 for 8 after losing the toss, while Lewis Gregory claimed 3 for 30.

In reply, Somerset could make only 171 for 5, despite an opening stand of 96 in less than 12 overs by Babar Azam, who struck 83 off 50 balls, and Tom Banton, who reached 51 off 45. Tymal Mills was the most economical Sussex bowler with 1 for 27 from 4 overs.

The Sharks had managed only 34 for 2 in their six-over power play, losing the wickets of Phil Salt, caught at extra cover off the second ball of the innings, sent down by Max Waller, and Luke Wright, bowled off stump by Jerome Taylor, who had dropped him off Gregory two overs earlier.

But the arrival of Carey soon changed the tempo of the innings. The left-hander hit the first six of the match over mid-wicket off Roelof van der Merwe in the eighth over. Soon Carey was timing the ball sweetly and he took a particular liking to the left-arm spin of van der Merwe, lofting him for two straight sixes in the 11th over.

Evans provided positive support, claiming a maximum off Craig Overton's bowling before being caught at deep cover off Somerset's young left-arm seamer Tom Lammonby, having faced 27 balls and added 73 with Carey.

The Aussie went to an impressive fifty from 30 deliveries, with four fours and two sixes, in the 14th over. And, with Wiese also striking the ball cleanly, 49 runs came off just four overs before Carey was brilliantly caught by Lammonby at long-off.

It had been an eventful week for Carey, who played in the World Cup but missed out on selection in Australia's final Ashes squad then had to fly to Geneva to renew his visa so that he could play for Sussex.

"It was a crazy build-up to the game for me," Carey said. "Australia's Ashes camp in Hampshire did not end until Thursday night and on Friday I travelled to Sussex, but could only watch the game because I didn't have my visa stamped. To get that done, I had to fly to Geneva at 8 o'clock Saturday morning. I flew back last night and travelled to Taunton today.

"Although things did not work out for Australia in the World Cup, I really enjoyed the experience and have been loving my time in England. Today has built on that."

Gregory was the successful bowler at the start of the 19th over, which also saw him dismiss Weisse with the next ball after the batsmen had crossed, caught at deep mid-wicket, and clean bowl Delray Rawlins with the fourth delivery.

Sussex lost two late batsmen to run outs by Somerset wicketkeeper Tom Banton but still added 15 to their total off the last over.

Somerset were given an encouraging start by Banton and Babar, the pair taking the score to 49 after six overs.

Both players quickly gauged the pace of the pitch. Banton swept Danny Briggs for a flat six over deep square in the seventh over and soon Babar cleared the ropes too with a big hit over long-on off the same bowler.

At the halfway stage, Somerset were well placed at 85 without loss. But Mills stemmed the flow of runs by conceding only three from the 11th over.

Banton hit six fours and a six on the way to his fifty, but the next delivery saw him caught at short fine-leg top-edging an attempted pull off Ollie Robinson.

Babar then brought up his second Blast half-century in as many home games, having faced 32-balls and hit five fours and a six.

Peter Trego smashed Rashid Khan for a maximum over mid-wicket, but with five overs left Somerset still required 67 and when Babar fell to Khan in the 18th over, the home side's last chance had gone.

Defensive tackle Mike Daniels said Sunday that 13 teams contacted him after he was released by the Green Bay Packers, but Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia had him at hello.

"Coach Patricia, flat out," Daniels told reporters, according to the team's website, when asked why he chose to sign with the Lions.

"He's just a genius. He really is. He understands the game of football. He knows what it takes. So to be able to play for a coach like that, it means everything. I'm really trying to be restrained right now because I'm so excited. If I could do a backflip right now, I'd do one, but I can't. I'm really excited."

Daniels went as far as to say he's happy the Packers cut him loose so he can now play for Patricia.

"I thank God that I got cut and I have an opportunity to play for a genius," he said.

Daniels signed a one-year deal with the Lions on Friday. A source told ESPN's Adam Schefter the contract is worth $9.1 million with $7.8 million fully guaranteed.

Daniels, a Pro Bowler in 2017, has 29 career sacks, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.