Digest

OLYMPICS

IOC encouraging teams to use two flag bearers

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday announced that it will allow teams to have two flag bearers, a male and a female, at the opening ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

"We have changed the rules to allow national Olympic committees to nominate a female and a male athlete to jointly bear their flag during the opening ceremony," said an IOC statement following a meeting of its executive board in Lausanne, Switzerland.

"We encourage all national Olympic committees to use this option."

The IOC also announced that the July 24-Aug 9 Olympiad will be the "first gender-balanced Olympic Games in history with 48.8 percent women's participation".

The IOC added that there should be－for the first time－at least one female and one male athlete in every one of the 206 teams, including the Refugee Olympic Team.

SOCCER

Mourinho defends Dier over fan confrontation

Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho defended Eric Dier after the England international stormed into the stands following his side's FA Cup exit to Norwich City on Wednesday.

Dier climbed over rows of seats to confront a fan, who had allegedly been involved in an altercation with the player's brother.

The incident rounded off a terrible night for Tottenham, which saw another chance of silverware slip away 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw against the Premier League's bottom side.

"When someone insults you, and your family is there and your family gets involved with somebody who is insulting you, in this case a younger brother, I think Eric did what we professionals cannot do but, I repeat, probably everyone of us would do," said Mourinho.

"I am with the player and I understand the player."

Dier scored his penalty in the shootout, but Erik Lamela, Troy Parrott and Gedson Fernandes missed from the spot to condemn Spurs to a fourth straight defeat in all competitions.

Mbappe treble fires PSG into cup final

Kylian Mbappe hit a hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain cruised into the final of the French Cup with a thumping 5-1 win at Lyon on Wednesday.

The World Cup winner took his tally in all competitions to 30 during a victory that was made easy by the sending-off of Fernando Marcal, just before Neymar put the French champion ahead in the 64th minute from the penalty spot.

The defeat ends a five-match unbeaten run for Lyon that included an impressive 1-0 win over Juventus in the Champions League and last weekend's triumph over local rival Saint-Etienne.

"It was a solid, serious display full of concentration," said PSG coach Thomas Tuchel."After the Dortmund match (lost 2-1 in Germany), Mbappe has responded brilliantly. He uses his speed so intelligently... he is in good form."

Mbappe equalized for the away side with a simple tap-in just three minutes after Martin Terrier had given the raucous home fans hope with a neat 11th-minute opener.

The 21-year-old France star also played a key role in the move that earned PSG its second-half spot-kick.

GOLF

Woods included on Hall of Fame shortlist

Reigning Masters champion Tiger Woods, a 15-time major winner, is among 10 people named as finalists to be considered for 2021 enshrinement into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

The 44-year-old Woods, whose 82 career PGA Tour titles match the all-time record set by Sam Snead, is joined by fellow American players Johnny Farrell and Tom Weiskopf and Ireland's Padraig Harrington as candidates for next year's induction class.

US women's stars Dottie Pepper, Sandra Palmer, Beverly Hanson and Susie Maxwell Berning, former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem and the late Marion Hollins, among the first women golf-course designers, were also named as finalists by a 26-person Hall of Fame nominating committee.

Harrington, 48, won the 2007 and 2008 British Opens and 2008 PGA Championship. Farrell, who died in 1988 aged 87, won the 1928 US Open, while the 77-year-old Weiskopf won the 1973 British Open.

TENNIS

Kenin back to winning ways at French tourney

Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin snapped a three-match losing streak by easing past Russian Vitalia Diatchenko in straight sets at the WTA event in Lyon on Wednesday.

The American top seed, who had lost her opening matches in both Dubai and Doha in recent weeks, beat her 107th-ranked opponent 6-4,6-3 to reach the second round.

Kenin will next face Romanian qualifier Jaqueline Adina Cristian.

World No 5 Kenin took the opening set off Diatchenko on her third set point, before battling through a topsy-turvy second which featured six breaks of serve.

"I didn't have the best two weeks,"Kenin told wtatour.com.

Her maiden Slam triumph had been followed by a win over Anastasija Sevastova in the Fed Cup before losses in the international team competition and Doha.

"I had some tough opponents on a streak of playing some hot tennis and I was close, so it wasn't like I lost to someone who was no good. I'm just happy to have gotten the win."

BASKETBALL

Robinson helps Heat set record from deep

It took a record-setting night from 3-point range for the Miami Heat to beat the Orlando Magic.

Duncan Robinson scored 27 points, all of them coming from beyond the arc, and the Heat hit a franchise-record 22 3-pointers in their 116-113 win over the Magic on Wednesday night.

Goran Dragic scored 25 points and added nine assists, Kelly Olynyk scored 16 on a perfect shooting night and Jimmy Butler finished with 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as Miami won its fourth straight.

The previous record for Heat 3-pointers was 21, set April 5, 2017, at Charlotte. The 22 3-pointers made also tied the most allowed in a game by Orlando.

"My teammates encouraged me to shoot. The coaching staff encourages me to shoot," Robinson said."So I just went out there and tried to be aggressive."