AP National Sports

PHUKET, Thailand (AP) — A South Korean executive with Olympic sponsor Samsung has been elected president of the International Skating Union. Kim Jae-youl garnered 77 of the 119 votes in a four-person contest to lead the governing body of figure skating and speed skating. The other candidates were from the United States, Finland and Serbia.

KOBE, Japan (AP) — Japan has defeated fellow World Cup qualifier Ghana 4-1 in a friendly. Earlier, World Cup team Tunisia defeated Chile 2-0. Both games were played in Kobe. Chile did not qualify for the World Cup opening in November in Qatar but has lodged a protest with FIFA that could see it advance.

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Sergio Pérez has continued his strong form for Red Bull as he set the pace in Friday’s first practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Mexican driver was the winner last year in Azerbaijan and is coming off victory in the Monaco Grand Prix. He was fastest with a lap

By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Sports Writer PARIS (AP) — French champion Paris Saint-Germain continues its restructuring by hiring renowned talent scout Luis Campos as its football adviser. The 57-year-old Campos made his name as Monaco’s sporting director from 2013-16. The club took on a new dimension with major signings like Colombian striker Radamel Falcao and

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Lewis Hamilton says he’s optimistic Mercedes has made progress toward challenging the Formula One leaders and the “adversity” of struggling to keep up has brought the team closer together. The seven-time champion has just one podium finish from seven races after Mercedes had to redesign a car that started the year

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Italian soccer club Spezia has been cleared to resume player trading by sport’s highest court. The Court of Arbitration for Sport gave its verdict in Spezia’s appeal against a FIFA transfer ban of two years. FIFA had found the club guilty of trafficking young players from Nigeria. The players were signed

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Kenya’s women’s soccer team has failed in a legal bid to get back in the African Cup of Nations that kicks off next month. The Court of Arbitration for Sport cites a legal technicality in the players’ appeal. The verdict ensures Kenya cannot advance to the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — German soccer club St. Pauli has refused the use of its stadium for a German Cup game because Leipzig is one of the teams involved. Defending champion Leipzig was drawn at Hamburg-based FC Teutonia Ottensen in the first round. The fourth-tier club’s 5,000-capacity ground is unsuitable for the game on Aug.

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — Three Russian canoeists including a gold medalist at the 2012 London Olympics have been banned or being part of the state-backed doping program eight years ago. The Court of Arbitration for Sport said its judges upheld appeals filed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after the

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — Hosting Champions League games in Poland and planning a humanitarian tour of the United States feel like natural next steps for Ukraine’s top soccer team after eight years exiled from its home city by Russian aggression. The story of Shakhtar Donetsk — playing only away games

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani pitched seven stellar innings and hit a two-run homer, and the Los Angeles Angels snapped their 14-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Andrew Velazquez added a three-run homer in the sixth, but the Angels ended the longest

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The World Cup-bound Canadian men’s national team returned from its protest over stalled labor negotiations to beat Curaçao 4-0 on Thursday night in the CONCACAF Nations League. Alphonso Davies returned after a long layoff due to heart issues and scored twice. Steven Vitoria and Lucas Cavallini added goals. Canada’s players

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Alabama junior Mercy Chelengat won the 10,000 meters at the opening day of the women’s NCAA track and field championships on Thursday. California senior Camryn Rogers won her third NCAA title in the hammer, setting a college record. Ohio State’s Adelaide Aquilla defended her title in the shot put and also

By MARC BOWMAN Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Carlos Santana and MJ Melendez homered, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 7-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Santana hit a two-run homer to break a fifth-inning tie as the Royals won consecutive games for the first time since May 17-18. Bobby Witt Jr.

By CLIFF BRUNT AP Sports Writer OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Kinzie Hansen and Grace Lyons hit three-run homers, Jayda Coleman made two spectacular defensive plays and No. 1 seed Oklahoma defeated unseeded Texas 10-5 to win its second straight Women’s College World Series title. The Sooners claimed the best-of-three series 2-0 after winning Game 1

By VIN A. CHERWOO AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Ondrej Palat scored on a deflection with 1:50 remaining to break a tie and lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday night for a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference final. Mikhail Sergachev and Brandon

By PATRICK DONNELLY Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gerrit Cole gave up home runs to his first three batters and a career-high five in 2 1/3 innings but the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Minnesota Twins 10-7 behind two home runs from Joey Gallo. Cole left trailing 7-3, and the Yankees tied the

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — Andrés Giménez drove in the go-ahead run with a single in Cleveland’s four-run eighth inning, and the Guardians rallied without manager Terry Francona for an 8-4 win over Oakland. The Athletics have dropped nine straight games. Giménez looped a single off loser Lou Trivino as the

MIAMI (AP) — Jazz Chisholm bunted for a single on the first pitch of Stephen Strasburg’s return from a one-year absence, stole second and the Marlins kept on going in a 7-4 win over the Washington Nationals that finished a three-game sweep. The 33-year-old right-hander allowed seven runs, eight hits and two walks in 4