Parrii Srohi didn’t impress the judges at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Krasnoyarsk but the Indian figure-skater has no regrets about competing as she paid tribute to the Russian greats from whom she gained inspiration.
The 17-year-old Srohi failed to impress the judges with her showing at the event in the Siberian city, scoring just 27.56 points in total – including a tally of just 0.84 for the technical elements in her short program, which is reportedly the lowest ever recorded.
Her result saw her rooted to last place in the standings, some 17 points behind the figure-skater in second-last position.
However, the Indian who took up the sport just three years ago says that the defeat is just part of her continuing journey through the sport.
Srohi explained afterwards that the event was her first international tournament, and that coming to skate in Russia held particular significance for her as she valued the chance to work with Russian trainers.
Pointing to some of her inspirations, Srohi named some famous Russians on the ice from down the years, including Sochi 2014 sensation Yulia Lipnitskaya – whose performance at the Winter Olympics seven years ago Srohi described as “legendary.”
Parri Srohi(IND)skating out of pure joy at her first JGP in Russia a week ago. Parri grew up&trained almost entirely in India where there is dearth of ice& artificial ice rinks.Her coach since she started has been @NishchayLuthra of Luthra International Figure Skating Academy. pic.twitter.com/8Mn6TP6QQn
A young MMA hopeful has passed away aged just 22 after he took part in a fight earlier this month and was then hospitalized amid complaints about headaches in the hours that followed the bout in southern Brazil.
Lucas Gabriel Peres hailed from Peabiru in South America’s largest country with his scrap in a K-1 competition taking place two hours away in Marina, Parana state.
Just hours after his match, when already arriving back in Peabiru, Peres complained of suffering from a headache and was taken to a local hospital in Campo Mourao.
His condition gradually worsening, he was then sent to the Metropolitan Hospital in Sarandi and eventually pronounced dead last Saturday on September 18.
El luchador brasileño, Lucas Gabriel Peres de artes marciales mixtas (MMA), murió a sus 22 años a causa de las lesiones sufridas durante una pelea que disputó hace semanas, según diagnósticos. Se dedicaba a las MMA como aficionado y era tan solo su segunda pelea.#IGpic.twitter.com/2X0d2sK0jX
A report from a local branch of domestic media giant Globo has said that the organizers of the event have been in direct contact with Peres’ family and do not plan to make any comment on the development.
The Medical Legal Institute is looking into the cause of the youngster’s passing, with his death certificate detailing that he suffered from head trauma.
His career barely able to get off the ground, Pires competed just once at amateur level and lost a May bout to compatriot Leandro Pires.
The September outing was meant to be his return to competition, but concluded in the most tragic of fashions.
Head trauma is fast becoming one of MMA’s hottest topics of discussion alongside fighter pay, with the president of its most elite championship, the UFC, admitting that more could be done to aid those such as Spencer Fisher and others who have shown signs of the condition.
“Listen, we’re all learning every day about the brain injury stuff,” Dana White admitted to MMA Junkie earlie this year.
“We’ve been invested in this [Lou] Ruvo Center [at the Cleveland Clinic] to try and figure out more.”
“But listen, he’s not the first and he’s definitely not going to be the last,” White said of Fisher.
“This is a contact sport and anybody who’s done this younger, myself included, is dealing with brain issues. It’s part of the gig,” he claimed.
Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski branded title challenger Brian Ortega a “f*cking drug cheat” in a heated staredown before the pair meet in their main event at UFC 266 in Las Vegas.
Volkanovski makes the second defense of his 135lbs belt against his American rival at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night, and ahead of the bout the Australian claimed he had only just found out about Ortega’s past ban for taking a prohibited substance.
The 32-year-old champ appears to have only just found out about Ortega’s case despite the pair appearing together as captains of rival teams on the latest edition of reality TV show ‘The Ultimate Fighter’.
In response, Ortega later told ESPN journalist Brett Okamoto that Volkanovski could “come get at me in person, one on one.”
“Where I come from, if you got an issue with me, we f*cking fight, we square up and we do what we want.”
Volkanovski scoffed at that idea, saying: “Don’t think for one minute I wouldn’t fight you in the streets as well. But the beauty of it, we get paid to do it on [Saturday].”
Volkanovski says it’s not a show for cameras #UFC266
The 22-1 Aussie picked up the featherweight strap with a unanimous decision victory over long-time ruler Max Holloway in December 2019, before defending it against the Hawaiian in a split decision win in July of last year.
Volkanovski was dismissive of the threat posed by the “unprofessional” Ortega, whose only defeat in his 17 professional outings came at the hands of Holloway at UFC 231 in December of 2018.
“I’ve said it all week. Unprofessional and weakness, you know what I mean? What upsets me the most is [he’s] unprofessional. I put the hard yards in my whole life, especially in this career. That’s how I got this belt,” said Volkanovski.
“Obviously, showing weakness a few years back popping [for PEDs], producing, that sh*t annoys me. It’s unprofessional and I ain’t about that sh*t.”
Saturday’s co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena also sees a title on the line as women’s flyweight ruler Valentina Shevchenko takes on challenger Lauren Murphy.
Also on the card is the return of fan favorite Nick Diaz to the UFC octagon following an absence of more than six years, as he meets Robbie Lawler in a rematch which comes 17 years after the pair first threw down at UFC 47.
Climber Johanna Farber appears to have removed herself from Instagram after a sexism scandal erupted at the recent World Championships in Moscow when a broadcaster showed close-up shots of the Austrian’s backside.
The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) was forced to apologize when questionable camerawork lingered on some chalk handprints on Farber’s rear during the women’s boulder event.
“The IFSC condemns the objectification of the human body and will take further action in order for it to stop, and to protect the athletes,” said the organization.
The incident was the second involving the 23-year-old Farber this year, following similar outrage at the World Cup event in Innsbruck back in June.
On that occasion, Farber is said to have lashed out on social media, writing: “Honestly wtf?”
“Having this slow-motion clip shown on NATIONAL TV and YouTube live stream is so disrespectful and upsetting.
“I’m an athlete and here to show my best performance. To be honest I do really feel so embarrassed to know that thousands of people saw this. We need to stop sexualizing women in sports and start to appreciate their performance.”
Farber, who finished 19th in the overall standings in Moscow, now appears to have had enough with Instagram as well, with her account disappearing from the platform in the wake of the latest row.
Farber’s account has been removed, according to Instagram
Images from the climber’s account had already been widely shared around the world before it disappeared, with fans now awaiting an explanation as to the situation.
The fact that Farber found herself in the same situation twice caused double the outrage from figures in the climbing world, including IFSC president Marco Scholaris, who issued a personal message.
“How many times will things have to be done wrong before we learn how to do them right?” Scholaris said.
Those sentiments were echoed by the likes of outraged editor-in-chief of Climbing.com, Natalie Berry.
“While the intentions of the camera operators and editors may not be to sexualize an athlete and instead to focus on a visually interesting chalky handprint, in the context of the sexualization of women in sport throughout history, it’s quite simply inappropriate,” said the former Great Britain climber to Sky News.
On both occasions involving Farber, the livestream of the event was removed from the IFSC’s YouTube channel and edited, before being uploaded again with the controversial sequence removed (from 30:53 in the video below).
Commentator Matt Groom issued an immediate apology on the broadcast during the Moscow event, while co-commentator and fellow climber Hannah Meul criticized the scenes.
“I’m sorry for Johanna. There are so many strong women out there, it’s about our performance in the sport,” said Meul
“I think everyone noticed what happened, and I really want everyone to know that it’s not about something like that.”
Climbing is increasing its profile after making its Olympic debut in Tokyo this year, although the latest row will cause concern for bosses as they seek to grow the sport.
Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the popular ‘Harry Potter’ film series, was rushed to hospital after collapsing during the 18th hole of the Celebrity Ryder Cup golf tournament at Whistling Straights in Wisconsin.
Felton, who turned 34 this week, suffered a “medical incident” on the course which required him to be transported to a “local hospital for treatment“, according to the PGA after he fell ill during the 11-hole event which took place a day before the start of the Ryder Cup proper.
Pictures shot at the scene show a clearly dazed Felton being tended to by several people following the collapse, as well as him being taken away from the course on a stretcher.
Details as to what prompted Felton’s collapse haven’t yet been made known.
Scary scene at Whistling Straits, where Tom Felton collapsed on the 18th green and was carted off after playing in the celebrity portion of the Ryder Cup pic.twitter.com/ssPSCBTw9S
“In today’s Ryder Cup Celebrity Match, actor and musician Tom Felton experienced a medical incident on the course while participating for Europe,” the PGA of America said in a statement released on Thursday.
“He was transported to a local hospital for treatment. No further details are available.”
Felton, who is a keen golfer, was representing Europe in the event alongside fellow stars like former Juventus star Alessandro Del Piero, NBA stars Toni Kukoc and Sasha Vujacic as well as Finnish NHL great Teemu Selanne, among others.
The US team, by comparison, featured the likes of ex-hockey player Mike Eruzione, Super Bowl winner A.J. Hawk, comedian and actor Rob Riggle and WWE superstar Mandy Rose.
Felton is a veteran of more than 50 movies but is best known for his eight-film stint in the ‘Harry Potter’ film series where he played the villainous Draco Malfoy, the young antagonist to Daniel Radcliffe’s titular character.
He also starred in the movie ‘From The Rough’, which details the story of the first woman to coach a male Division I golf team.
