Other Sports – Winnipeg Free Press

Canada's Vicky Savard (4) spikes the ball against Turkey, in this handout photo, at the women's volleyball world championships in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. Canada suffered its first loss, falling 3-0 (25-21, 27-25, 25-13) to Turkey. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Volleyball Canada (Mandatory Credit)

Canada falls to Turkey at women’s volleyball world championships

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025

NAKHON RATCHASIMA - Canada suffered its first loss of the women's volleyball world championships on Wednesday, falling 3-0 (25-21, 27-25, 25-13) to Turkey.

The undefeated Turks, who won Pool E, held a 49-35 edge in attack points and 10-5 in blocks.

They were led by Melissa Vargas, who had 16 points.

Canada, which finished second in the pool at 2-1, held a slight edge in ace serves (3-2).

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From surgeries to comebacks: Rugby stars defy odds to shine at Women’s World Cup

Foster Niumata, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

From surgeries to comebacks: Rugby stars defy odds to shine at Women’s World Cup

Foster Niumata, The Associated Press 7 minute read Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025

LONDON (AP) — Heartbreaking sports injuries before major events are as fated as sunset. The Women's Rugby World Cup is no different.

Charlotte Caslick gave up the captaincy of Australia's world champion sevens team to be a World Cup Wallaroo but withdrew from the squad this month after running out of time rehabbing the right ankle she broke last month. However, she's on standby for the knockout rounds.

In tune-ups against Ireland this month, Canada flanker Pamphinette Buisa injured her arm and was ruled out a week before the World Cup, and Scotland fullback Lucia Scott broke her hand and had to drop out.

Ireland suffered its own major blows in April when two key flankers went down; Erin King, the world breakthrough player of 2024, to a knee injury, and Dorothy Wall to an Achilles tendon injury.

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Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025

FILE - England's Emily Scarratt is tackled by New Zealand's Kennedy Tukuafu, right, during the Women's International match between England and New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London, Saturday Sept. 14, 2024. (David Davies/PA via AP,File)

Canada tops U.S. 6-5 to win gold at men’s under-20 lacrosse worlds

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025

SEOGWIPO - Lucas Littlejohn led the way with two goals as Canada held off a late rally from the United States to emerge with a 6-5 victory in the gold-medal game of the men's under-20 lacrosse world championship on Sunday.

David Peterkin, Max Frattaroli, Sawyer English and Jared Maznik also scored for Canada.

The Canadians held a 6-2 lead after Maznik's goal with 4:26 left in the fourth quarter.

Jack Speidell and Colin Kurdyla each scored two goals for the U.S., with Rhett Chambers adding the other.

Olympic equestrian rider Schwizer suspended from Swiss team for financial legal issues

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Olympic equestrian rider Schwizer suspended from Swiss team for financial legal issues

The Associated Press 2 minute read Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025

BERN, Switzerland (AP) — Three-time Olympic equestrian rider Pius Schwizer was suspended from the Swiss national team Wednesday while he faces legal issues for alleged financial debts.

The 63-year-old Schwizer competed for Switzerland at the Paris Olympics one year ago in team jumping at Versailles and was in the team that took bronze at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games.

The Swiss equestrian federation cited media reports in recent days of legal matters faced by the rider who was the world No. 1 in jumping in 2010.

“Pius Schwizer’s current situation is no longer compatible with the demands necessary to represent Switzerland at the highest level as a Swiss team member,” the federation said, adding he can still compete as an independent individual.

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Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025

FILE - Switzerland's Pius Schwizer, riding Vancouver de Lanlore, during the Equestrian Team Jumping competition, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Versailles, France. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, file)

Canadian women’s rugby team chases World Cup dream on shoestring budget

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Canadian women’s rugby team chases World Cup dream on shoestring budget

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025

On the eve of the tournament, Rugby Canada has announced it has reached 95 per cent of its $1 million target for its "Mission: Win World Cup 2025" fundraising campaign.

While the Canadian women are ranked second in the world and seen as legitimate contenders to challenge No. 1 England, which is hosting the expanded 16-country tournament, they are have-nots off the field compared to other top teams.

The Canadian women get paid the same as the men for wearing the Maple Leaf, according to a deal negotiated with the Canadian Rugby Players Association. It is not much.

"If they did everything this calendar year, they can earn about 12K," said Rugby Canada CEO Nathan Bombrys, adding there are some "success bonuses" on top of that.

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Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025

Canada's Claire Gallagher (10), second from right, tackles USA's McKenzie Hawkins (10) during the first half of Women's rugby action in Ottawa on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Basketball’s loss is rugby’s gain as Alex Tessier leads Canada at Rugby World Cup

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Basketball’s loss is rugby’s gain as Alex Tessier leads Canada at Rugby World Cup

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025

A basketball player growing up in Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., 125 kilometres northeast of Montreal, Alex Tessier didn't pick up a rugby ball until she moved to Montreal for school.

She was 17 and knew next to nothing about the sport when a friend took her to rugby practice.

"When I first actually tried it out, the training was so confusing, but at the same time intriguing. So I was very curious," Tessier recalled.

"I was amazed at how there were so many aspects that I never thought a sport could offer," she added. "On the field, there was just so much going on in my head, like everything was new."

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Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025

France's Marine Menager grabs Canada's Alex Tessier's leg as she runs the ball during WXV 1 women's rugby union action, in Vancouver, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. Canadian Tessier is a finalist for World Rugby's Women’s 15s Player of the Year. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

Canada’s McIntosh grabs fourth gold to cap dominant world swimming championships

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Canada’s McIntosh grabs fourth gold to cap dominant world swimming championships

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025

SINGAPORE - Despite making history Sunday, Summer McIntosh is feeling more motivated than ever.

McIntosh capped a dominant world swimming championships with her fourth gold medal, winning the women’s 400-metre individual medley in championship-record time. The 18-year-old from Toronto touched the wall in four minutes 25.78 seconds, well ahead of Australia’s Jenna Forrester and Japan’s Mio Narita, who tied for silver in 4:33.26.

It was McIntosh's fifth overall medal at these championships alone, making her the second woman ever to accomplish the feat alongside Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom in 2019 (one gold, two silver, two bronze).

McIntosh is also the second woman to ever win four golds at a single championships alongside American Katie Ledecky (2015).

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Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025

Summer McIntosh of Canada celebrates after winning a gold medal in the women's 400-meter individual medley final at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

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La Barrière Park unveils new cricket pitches

Maggie Macintosh 4 minute read Preview

La Barrière Park unveils new cricket pitches

Maggie Macintosh 4 minute read Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025

All coaches, athletes and fans of one of the fastest growing sports in Manitoba were winners on Saturday at the unveiling of the province’s “epicentre of cricket.”

La Barrière Park is now home to three regulation-sized cricket pitches, practice cages and shade structures.

“Sports like cricket bring so many people together. If you come to watch the play here you’ll (hear many accents),” said Bhavana Bonde, a cricket enthusiast and landscape architect from Architecture49, the Winnipeg-based firm tasked with designing the project.

Bonde said the park is being frequented by cricketers who are South Indian, Punjabi, Australian, Carribean Islanders and New Zealanders, among others.

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Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025

MAGGIE MACINTOSH / FREE PRESS
From left: Cricketers Milan Dave, 25, of Winnipeg, and Heaven Brar, a 32-year-old from Calgary, competed in a weekend tournament at La Barriere Park.

Canada’s McIntosh wins second gold at world swimming championships

The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Canada’s McIntosh wins second gold at world swimming championships

The Canadian Press 5 minute read Monday, Jul. 28, 2025

SINGAPORE - It wasn't the time she hoped for, but the goal of gold was accomplished for Summer McIntosh.

McIntosh won her second gold medal at the world swimming championships, taking the women’s 200-metre individual medley on Monday.

The 18-year-old Toronto native touched the wall in two minutes 6.69 seconds — nearly two seconds ahead of American Alex Walsh, who claimed silver in 2:08.58.

Fellow Canadian Mary-Sophie Harvey, of Laval, Que., won bronze in 2:09.15.

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Monday, Jul. 28, 2025

Summer McIntosh of Canada reacts after winning the gold medal in the women's 200-meter individual medley final at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, Monday, July 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Runner bitten by dog during half marathon flags route congestion as problem

Zoe Pierce 4 minute read Preview

Runner bitten by dog during half marathon flags route congestion as problem

Zoe Pierce 4 minute read Monday, Jun. 16, 2025

A Manitoba Marathon race participant was attacked by a spectator’s dog while running the half marathon on Sunday morning.

Brendan Scott, a 28-year-old dental student at the University of Manitoba, was around the seven-and-a-half-kilometre mark of the race on Dunkirk Drive, about to turn onto Kingston Row, when he was bitten by a dog who jumped out from the spectators watching on the sidewalk, inflicting two puncture wounds.

“Most of the half marathon up until the halfway points are pretty packed with runners,” said Scott. “So I was trying to get a good time, and I’m weaving between people. At points a lot of runners are up against the sidewalk there where the spectators are. So nothing unusual for me or anyone. But running along the spectators, just trying to pass people, I guess I got a little close. Again, to me, nothing out of the ordinary, I see a lot of people running along close to the sidewalk.”

“But I just felt almost like a bang on my elbow. And at first, I just thought, like maybe I’d hit someone that had peeked out from the sidewalk, or even a traffic cone, I was really confused, but I looked back to see a dog owner pulling back the dog.”

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Monday, Jun. 16, 2025

MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Brendan Scott, a 28-year-old University of Manitoba dental student, has some bruising on his arm and a small cut, after a dog bit him while he was running the half marathon on Sunday.

Father-son bond makes victory extra special as record number of Manitoba Marathoners compete

Zoe Pierce 6 minute read Preview

Father-son bond makes victory extra special as record number of Manitoba Marathoners compete

Zoe Pierce 6 minute read Sunday, Jun. 15, 2025

Caleb De Jong’s first full marathon race since 2021 could not have gone better Sunday morning at the 47th annual Manitoba Marathon.

With family and friends cheering him on, the 29-year-old completed the 42.2-kilometre course in 2:26:47, claiming his first-ever marathon race win on a sunny day in his hometown.

Making the moment even more special for De Jong was seeing his father, Doug De Jong, also complete the full marathon. At 63 years old, Doug finished the race with a time of 4:35:41.

“It’s super cool,” De Jong said after crossing the finish line in Princess Auto Stadium.

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Sunday, Jun. 15, 2025

JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Caleb de Jong wins the Manitoba Marathon Sunday, June 15, 2025. Reporter: zoe

Canadian teen Summer McIntosh shatters third world swim record in five days

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Canadian teen Summer McIntosh shatters third world swim record in five days

The Associated Press 2 minute read Thursday, Jun. 12, 2025

VICTORIA, Canada (AP) — Canadian teen Summer McIntosh has done it again.

The 18-year-old made it three world records in less than a week when she broke her own 400-meter individual medley mark on Wednesday night.

McIntosh won at the Canadian swimming trials in 4 minutes, 23.65 seconds to lower her previous best in one of the sport’s toughest events by 0.73 seconds.

Her closest rival was 12 seconds behind.

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Thursday, Jun. 12, 2025

FILE - Summer McIntosh of Canada reacts after competing in the Women's 200m Butterfly Heats on day three of the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos, file)

Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh sets two world records in three days

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh sets two world records in three days

The Associated Press 2 minute read Tuesday, Jun. 10, 2025

VICTORIA, Canada (AP) — Canadian teen Summer McIntosh set her second world record in three days at the Canadian swimming trials on Monday night.

McIntosh swam the 200-meter individual medley in 2 minutes 5.7 seconds, breaking the previous record of 2:06.12 set by Hungary great Katinka Hosszu in 2015.

“I’ve been knocking on the door on this one. I’ve just tried to chip away, chip away at it. To finally do it, it’s kind of like, wow, I’ve finally got that done,” McIntosh said.

The 18-year-old Toronto native had already broken the world best mark in the 400 freestyle on Saturday, completing the race in 3:54.18, shaving more than a second off the old record of 3:55.38 set by Ariarne Titmus of Australia.

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Tuesday, Jun. 10, 2025

Canadian teenage surfer Erin Brooks upsets world No. 1 in Portugal surfing event

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Canadian teenage surfer Erin Brooks upsets world No. 1 in Portugal surfing event

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Monday, Mar. 17, 2025

PENICHE - Canadian teenage surfer Erin Brooks upset American Caitlin Simmers, the world No. 1 and defending World Surf League champion, on Monday to advance to the semifinals of MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal.

Brooks, 17, posted a quarterfinal score of 12.67 to defeat the 19-year-old American who scored 12.40. She will face 22-year-old Hawaiian Gabriela Bryan in Tuesday's semifinal.

“I made a lot of mistakes in that heat," Brooks said. "Going up against Caity is always nerve-racking, but we’ve known each other for so long, so it was still a fun heat. When you get a good wave, and you hear the score, you get a bit of confidence … I was building momentum and I’m just really glad I got those waves."

American Caroline Marks, the Paris Olympic champion, takes on Australian Molly Picklum in the other semifinal.

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Monday, Mar. 17, 2025

Canada's Erin Brooks is seen after surfing in Heat 3 of the Quarterfinals at the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, at Supertubos, Peniche, Portugal, in a Monday, March 17, 2025, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-World Surf League, Manel Geada, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Canadian women drop down the field hockey ladder after latest loss in Chile

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Sunday, Mar. 2, 2025

SANTIAGO - Canada lost 2-0 to South Korea at the FIH Hockey Women's Nations Cup on Sunday, relegating the Canadian women to the new third-tier Nations Cup 2 competition.

The Nations Cup features the best-ranked teams not participating in the FIH Hockey Pro League, with the winning side earning a spot in the top tier next season and the bottom side dropping down.

The Canadians will need to win the Nations Cup 2 to climb back up the field hockey ladder.

Canada, ranked 18th in the world, finished last in the eight-team tournament at 0-5-0 while No. 16 South Korea was seventh at 1-4-0.

One-of-a-kind family enterprise turns out well-rounded athlete-scholars ready to take on the world

Taylor Allen 25 minute read Preview

One-of-a-kind family enterprise turns out well-rounded athlete-scholars ready to take on the world

Taylor Allen 25 minute read Friday, Sep. 6, 2024

How did Danny Coles — a homeschooled, multilingual amateur wrestler from Winnipeg with 10 siblings — end up in a prestigious Ivy League program like Princeton?

It’s a question that intrigued Toronto criminal lawyer Karen McArthur, who happened to be at a Princeton-Harvard wrestling meet last winter with her 16-year-old son Beau when a spectator informed her of the Canadian’s unusual background.

“My curiosity was definitely piqued,” McArthur said in a recent interview.

Determined to find out more, the McArthurs introduced themselves to Coles after the final match.

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Friday, Sep. 6, 2024

September 5, 2025

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