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Sports Digest: Larson posts strong run in Indy 500 qualifying

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AUTO RACING

After backing out of his first Indy 500 qualifying attempt, Kyle Larson returned to the track Saturday and shot right toward the front of the provisional grid, posting a four-lap average that should put the NASCAR star in position to run for the pole on Sunday.

Larson went an average of 232.563 mph at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to ensure his spot next weekend in the 33-car field.

Team Penske had the three fastest qualifying runs, with defending race winner Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin and Will Power. Larson, meanwhile, joined Arrow McLaren teammate Alexander Rossi in the provisional top six.

NASCAR: Joey Logano will start up front for the NASCAR All-Star race on Sunday after turning a lap of 1:29.75 during qualifying at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina.

The remainder of the field will be determined later Saturday following two 60-lap heats at the .625-mile track.

FORMULA ONE: On a weekend commemorating Ayrton Senna, Max Verstappen matched the late Brazilian’s record for consecutive pole positions as he led qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, Italy.

Verstappen made it eight polls in a row – seven this year – when his Red Bull finished just ahead of the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

However, Piastri was later penalized three grid places for impeding Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and dropped to fifth, promoting Norris to the front row.

Senna died in a crash at Imola during the 1994 race, and there was a memorial Thursday to mark the 30-year anniversary of the death of the three-time world champion.

BASKETBALL

WNBA: Breanna Stewart scored 24 points to lead a balanced New York offense as the Liberty beat Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever 91-80 in front of a sellout crowd in New York.

Clark finished with 22 points – the most in her young pro career – to go with eight assists and six rebounds. She also had eight turnovers.

TENNIS

ITALIAN OPEN: Top-ranked Iga Swiatek was in control from the start as she won the tournament for the third time, routing No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, 6-2, 6-3, as she established herself as the overwhelming favorite at the upcoming French Open again.

Swiatek extended her winning streak to 12 matches and became the first woman to win titles in Madrid and Rome back to back since Serena Williams in 2013.

HOCKEY

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Defending champion Canada had to recover from an early scare before rallying to beat Finland, 5-3, for its fifth victory in five games in the Czech Republic.

Captain John Tavares set up the winning goal with his second assist with 8:28 remaining in the final period.

OLYMPICS: Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins was selected as U.S. coach for the 2026 Milan Olympics, an expected move that puts the two-time Stanley Cup champion in charge of the country’s bid for its first gold medal since the “Miracle On Ice” in 1980.

SOCCER

ENGLAND: Mayra Ramirez scored twice as Chelsea routed Manchester United 6-0 to clinch its fifth straight Women’s Super League title in a triumphant sendoff for Manager Emma Hayes.

Hayes ends her 12-year spell at Chelsea on a high note before taking over as coach of the U.S. women’s team.

GERMANY: Bayer Leverkusen became the first team since the Bundesliga was founded in 1963 to complete a whole season undefeated.

Early goals from Victor Boniface and Robert Andrich gave the league champion a 2-1 win over Augsburg. Leverkusen finished with 28 wins and six draws. The team has a 51-game unbeaten streak in all competitions this season.

CYCLING

GIRO D’ITALIA: Tadej Pogacar extended his overall lead to nearly four minutes when he finished second to Filippo Ganna in the 14th stage, a 19-mile individual time trial from Castiglione delle Stiviere to Desenzano del Garda, Italy.

The two-time Tour de France champion leads Geraint Thomas by 3 minutes, 41 seconds.


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