Forty-year-old freediver David Vencl plunged to a depth of 52.1 meters in a single breath sans a wetsuit Photos by David Vencl Organisation/Handout via Reuters and Denis Balibouse/Reuters David Vencl emerged from the depths of Switzerland’s Lake Sils on Tuesday after a record dive beneath the ice to a depth of more than 50 meters without a wetsuit. The 40-year-old Czech diver’s record vertical plunge to 52.1 meters in a single breath follows his entry into the Guinness World Records book for swimming the length of a frozen Czech lake in 2021. Vencl dived through a hole in the ice then retrieve ..read more

Jakob Ingebrigtsen replicated the exact same feat he did two years ago when the championships were still held in Poland Photos by Ozan Kose (lead) and Yasin Akgul/AFP Jakob Ingebrigtsen cruised to the 3,000m gold at the European Indoor Championships on Sunday to complete a 1,500m/3,000m distance double for the second time at these championships. Ingebrigtsen, the Olympic 1500m champion, was never in danger in Istanbul and won in a Norwegian national record of 7:40.32 having taken the 1500m title on Friday. Adel Mechaal of Spain took silver in 7:41.75 and Elzan Bibic of Serbia claimed bronze i ..read more

Could this be the confidence-boosting moment Medvedev needs to regain his form? Photo by Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters (Reuters) – Daniil Medvedev hoped his run to the title at Rotterdam and a return to the top 10 in the world rankings can be the perfect launchpad for the rest of the season after a disappointing Australian Open last month. Medvedev had slipped to number 12 following his third round defeat by Sebastian Korda at Melbourne Park, but the 27-year-old Russian rediscovered his rhythm at Rotterdam last week and beat Jannik Sinner 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday for his first title of 2023. “I ..read more

The 2023 Hall of Fame induction class featured 11 first-timers Photo by Jorge Guerrero/AFP Retired NBA stars Dwyane Wade, Tony Parker, Pau Gasol, and Dirk Nowitzki were among 12 finalists named on Friday for 2023 induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. The international superstar foursome and Gregg Popovich, a five-time NBA champion coach with the San Antonio Spurs, were all first-time nominees to join the game’s all-time greats. Other finalists named by the women’s and North American committees at the NBA All-Star festivities in Salt Lake City, Utah, included six-time Women’s NBA All-Sta ..read more

LeBron James gets a shot to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record 38,387 career points, or what he calls “one of the greatest records in sports” By Rory Carroll | Photo by Trevor Ruszkowski-USA Today Sports Los Angeles (Reuters) – Lakers forward LeBron James returns to Los Angeles on the verge of becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer after wrapping up a five-game road trip in New Orleans on Saturday night. ‘King James’ now needs just 36 points to pass fellow Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record 38,387 career points after contributing 27 points in the Lakers’ 131-126 loss to the Pelicans ..read more

Aryna Sabalenka led the women’s tennis tour for the most double faults in the last three years but that looks to change this season Photo by Loren Elliott/Reuters Melbourne (Reuters) – Aryna Sabalenka credited her biomechanics trainer in helping her improve her powerful but erratic serve after she moved into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the first time on Monday. The Belarusian started the season on a high note after winning the Adelaide title and she has yet to drop a set in 2023, sealing a quarterfinal spot in Melbourne after overpowering Belinda Bencic to underline her title ..read more

Holger Rune admits to not being to take the fight to the top guys By Shrivathsa Sridhar | Photos by Hannah Mckay/Reuters Melbourne (Reuters) – Holger Rune heads into the Australian Open as the last man to beat favorite Novak Djokovic and the Danish teenager is ready to take the fight to the established order at the year’s first Grand Slam, which starts on Monday. The 19-year-old won three titles in 2022 including his first ATP Masters 1000 crown in Paris in November, where he beat 21-time Major champion Djokovic in the final after getting past four other Top 10 players along the way. “It was a ..read more

Starting 2023, the southern French city and the historic Hawaiian destination will take turns hosting the two-day Ironman World Championship races Photo by Clement Mahoudeau/Ironman France Get a move on with your race calendars, triathletes: The World Championship events are going to get a little more interesting as Ironman has finally confirmed the dates and locations of the 2023 editions. The men’s world championship will take place in Nice, France on Sept.10, bolstering the location’s “rich triathlon history, as the European birthplace and premiere host of long-distance triathlon.” The wome ..read more

The COVID-19 vaccine requirement extended until Apr. 10 means that Novak Djokovic could again risk missing two ATP 1000 events Photo by Loren Elliott/Reuters (Reuters) – Novak Djokovic is set to miss the Indian Wells and Miami Open ATP 1000 events this year if he remains unvaccinated against COVID-19, after United States authorities said non-nationals will need to have taken their shots to enter the country. A statement from the Transportation Security Administration on Wednesday said the requirement for foreign air travelers to be fully vaccinated against the disease would be in place until A ..read more

Pele, the undoubted King of Soccer, is the only player to win the World Cup three times Photos by Carla Carniel (lead), Ricardo Moraes, and Felipe Iruata/Reuters (Reuters) – Football fans were united in mourning on Thursday after the death of Pele at the age of 82, with tributes pouring in for the Brazil great who defined his sport and inspired generations. Brazil’s government declared three days of mourning and the arch at soccer’s cathedral, Wembley Stadium, was lit in the colors of Brazil, while icons of sport and heads of state bowed to the man who rose up from childhood poverty to become ..read more