Collegiate Sprinter Dashes To World Best
Christopher Morales Williams dipped below the world record in the indoor 400-meter dash at the Southeastern Conference indoor track and field championships in Fayetteville, AR. The University of Georgia second-year won the final in 44.49 seconds, lowering his personal best by almost a full second. In track and field, separate indoor records exist to account for the challenges of running indoors; since standard indoor tracks are half the size of outdoor ones, their turns are sharper and more frequent. Although Williams surpassed Kerron Clement’s 2005 mark of 44.57 seconds, Williams’ time will not count as a world record. World Athletics, the international governing body for track and field, only ratifies performances as world records if they meet strict regulations. In Williams’ case, the starting blocks used were not equipped to detect false starts. As such, Clement’s time will remain the official world record and Williams must settle for an informal world best. The outdoor 400-meter world record is held by Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa, who ran 43.03 at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
NBA Suspends Five Players Following On-Court Scuffle
The NBA suspended five players following a fight between the Miami Heat and the New Orleans Pelicans last Friday night. The incident began when the Heat’s Kevin Love fouled the Pelicans’ Zion Williamson during a layup. Following the penalty, New Orleans’ Naji Marshall shoved Miami’s Jimmy Butler, who retaliated in kind. An altercation erupted, drawing in coaches and officials to stop the fight. Marshall and Butler were ejected from the game, along with their respective teammates Jose Alvarado and Thomas Bryant. All four, together with Miami’s Nikola Jovic, were suspended from play on Sunday. Jovic, Marshall, and Butler will miss one game due to engaging in the on-court altercation. Alvarado and Bryant will miss three for leaving the bench during the altercation and fighting.
Diver Performs Frigid Feat
Croatian freediver Valentina Cafolla swam 140 horizontal meters under ice, setting a new world record in the apnea ice diving. High in the Italian Alps, Cafolla plunged into the waters of Lake Anterselva with only a wetsuit and a large fin affixed to her feet. The 27-year-old held her breath for one minute and 40 seconds as she covered the distance. Cafolla first claimed the women’s discipline record at Lake Anterselva seven years ago with a swim of 125 meters. When Japan’s Yasuko Ozeki swam just one meter farther on Feb. 22, though, Cafolla responded promptly by reclaiming the record within three days. Both Ozeki’s and Cafolla’s records were certified by the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques. Cafolla now looks ahead to the CMAS freediving world championships in Belgrade, Serbia this summer.
Japan and Australia Secure Olympic Spots
The women’s national soccer teams of Japan and Australia have qualified for this summer’s Paris Olympics. Japan defeated North Korea 2–1 in Tokyo, while Australia squashed Uzbekistan 10–0 in Melbourne. Each game was the second installment in a two-leg series. Japan’s win settled a scoreless draw in Saudi Arabia last Saturday, while Australia compounded their 3–0 lead from the first game in Tashkent. 12 teams will compete in Paris this summer, and only two spaces remain after Germany beat the Netherlands 2–0 Wednesday. The final two bids will be awarded to African nations at the Confederation of African Football’s Women’s Olympic qualifying tournament this April. The nine teams that have already qualified are Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Germany, and the U.S. Spain triumphed in last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup and aims to replicate that victory in Paris this summer.
