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Kimitaka Sakurai displays a sharpening stone for working on skate blades, in Yokohama on March 28. Regular sharpening is crucial for maintaining optimal performance and reducing skaters’ risk of injury on the ice.
MORE SPORTS
Apr 15, 2025

The man who helps Japanese figure skaters stay sharp

Skate sharpening is not a lucrative endeavor, but Kimitaka Sakurai has been doing it full time for 14 years, and he is a master at his craft.
New Zealand's Mark Tele'a in action in October 2023
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Apr 15, 2025

All Black wing Tele'a announces Japan switch

Media reports have suggested that the 28-year-old will join Toyota Verblitz.
Rory McIlroy celebrates with his green jacket and the trophy after winning the Masters in Augusta, Georgia, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Apr 15, 2025

Rory McIlroy’s Masters win is most-watched since 2018 tournament

McIlroy’s road to his first Masters title was dramatic and likely gave a much-needed boost to the tournament’s ratings.
Japan Head Coach Eddie Jones
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Apr 15, 2025

Jones' under-23 Japan team beaten by his old club Randwick

The Japan team's defeat came after it was hammered 54-27 by Australia's under-20 side in Coffs Harbour last week.
BayStars pitcher Andre Jackson throws during Game 1 of the Japan Series on Oct. 26 last year.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Apr 16, 2025

Baystars pitcher Jackson 'honored' to wear No. 42 on Jackie Robinson Day

The stars almost aligned perfectly on Tuesday night for the American, who pitched six strong innings on the day that the baseball world celebrates the Dodgers legend.
Kirishima (behind) battles Atamifuji during a regional tour event in Hyogo Prefecture in 2023.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 16, 2025

Sumo's throwback regional tours offer glimpse into sport's heart and history

With tickets for grand tournaments tough to come by, regional tours are the best chances for fans to watch live sumo — and even interact with the sport's biggest names.
Ilia Malinin skates during an exhibition in Boston on March 30.
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Apr 16, 2025

Skating 'Quad God' Malinin ready for Olympic favorite tag

The American, known as the "Quad God," for his dazzling arsenal of quadruple jumps, will be competing in Tokyo this week for the World Team Trophy.
Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov (left) celebrates with teammate Cole Caufield after scoring against the Blackhawks at Bell Centre in Montreal on Monday.
MORE SPORTS / Ice Hockey
Apr 17, 2025

Canada reschedules political debate to avoid clash with Canadiens game

The debate, initially set for Wednesday evening, was moved two hours earlier after federal party leaders raised concerns about viewership.
Alysa Liu reacts after her free skate at the world championships in Boston on March 28.
MORE SPORTS / Figure skating
Apr 17, 2025

World champion Alysa Liu feels best yet to come with Olympics on horizon

The 19-year-old crowned her comeback with a dazzling win at the world championships in Boston a little less than three weeks ago.
Japan coach Eddie Jones (right) shakes hands with France coach Fabien Galthie before a match in Saint-Denis, France, on Nov. 9, 2024.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Apr 17, 2025

Japan coach Eddie Jones at peace after messy exit from Australia

Jones oversaw Australia's worst Rugby World Cup performance at the 2023 tournament in France.
U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin competes during the men's short program at the ISU World Team Trophy at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Figure skating
Apr 18, 2025

Malinin and Liu help U.S. take early lead at skating's World Team Trophy

Malinin, who won his second world title last month in Boston, topped the men's short program in Tokyo with a score of 106.08.
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks to pass against the Jaguars during their game in Jacksonville, Florida, on Dec. 15, 2024.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Apr 18, 2025

Aaron Rodgers noncommittal about NFL future due to issues in personal life

Rodgers said he was somewhat taken by surprise when the Jets opted to release him in March.
Max Verstappen speaks during a news conference in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Apr 18, 2025

Red Bull star Max Verstappen feeling ‘very relaxed’ amid rampant speculation

Verstappen, who won the Japanese Grand Prix on April 6, finished sixth in Bahrain last week.
Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun (left) congratulates Alex Ovechkin after his goal against the Penguins on in Pittsburgh on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Ice hockey
Apr 18, 2025

Capitals great Alex Ovechkin seeks ultimate prize to cap historic season

The race for the history books captivated fans and propelled the Capitals to the top of their division for the first time in five years.
Young girls practice taekwondo as they prepare for an event at Kalobeyei Sports Complex at the Kalobeyei refugee settlement in Kenya on March 28.
MORE SPORTS / Taekwondo
Apr 18, 2025

Refugee girls in Kenya find strength in taekwondo

Kakuma is Kenya's second-largest refugee camp and home to over 300,000 people.
Alysa Liu reacts after competing in the women's free skating during the ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating 2025 in Tokyo on Saturday.
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Apr 20, 2025

Comeback queen Liu leads U.S. to World Team Trophy win

Liu, who walked away from the sport in 2022 at the age of 16 before returning to the ice last year, topped the women's free skate, knocking Japan's Kaori Sakamoto to third place.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri celebrates after winning the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Apr 21, 2025

Oscar Piastri plans to do more winning after rising to top of F1 standings

The last Australian to lead the championship was Mark Webber, who is now the 24-year-old Piastri's manager, at Red Bull in 2010.
Justin Thomas celebrates after winning the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, South Carolina, on Sunday.
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Apr 21, 2025

Justin Thomas wins RBC Heritage to end long drought

It was Thomas' 16th win on the PGA Tour and moves him to second place in the FedEx Cup rankings behind Masters champion Rory McIlroy.
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows' Munetaka Murakami bats during spring camp on March 14 in the city of Urasoe, Okinawa. Murakami returned from a spring injury on Thursday but was taken off the roster again the next day.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Apr 21, 2025

Munetaka Murakami's return cut short as Swallows’ struggles deepen

The Tokyo team’s star slugger returned on Thursday but was taken off the roster again the next day.
Gymnast Simone Biles poses with her Sportswoman of the Year Award during the 26th Laureus World Sports Awards gala in Madrid on Monday.
OLYMPICS
Apr 22, 2025

Biles 'not so sure' about competing at Los Angeles Olympics

"I'm really enjoying my time off before I decide if I want to go back to the gym and compete," the gymnast said.
Then-Canadian Industry Minister Allan Rock (left) talks with bat-maker Sam Holman at the Original Maple Bat manufacturing plant in Ottawa in October 2002. By the early 2000s, Holman had clients with nearly every major league baseball team.
BASEBALL
Apr 22, 2025

He revolutionized bats not with a new shape but a new kind of wood

Sam Holman made use of the fact that maple has a tight grain structure and is a harder wood than ash, giving it the potential to be more durable.
Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo leads his team out onto the field prior to a match against Al-Riyadh on April 12.
SOCCER
Apr 23, 2025

Ronaldo hunts Asian Champions League glory in Saudi-hosted finals

First, Ronaldo's side must overcome last year's finalists, Yokohama F. Marinos, a club that is in a crisis after firing manager Steve Holland last week.
Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola during his club's match against Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Tuesday.
SOCCER
Apr 23, 2025

Guardiola calls season 'bad' even with Champions League within reach

City took a big step toward securing European qualification with its 2-1 Premier League win over Aston Villa on Tuesday.
Australian sprinter Gout Gout reacts after competing in an event in Stawell, Australia, on Monday.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Apr 23, 2025

Australia's Gout Gout on track for World Championships debut at 17

The Queenslander's rapid rise has raised comparisons with Jamaican great Usain Bolt.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during a campaign rally in Laval, Quebec, Canada, on Tuesday. Carney was the subject of at least 16 books published in March and listed on Amazon, according to a review of the site on April 16.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 23, 2025

AI floods Amazon with strange political books before Canadian election

The development adds to concerns about how new technologies are affecting the information voters receive during the election campaign.
Wrestlers at a Yokozuna Deliberation Council practice in 2016. Although banzuke ranking positions aren’t at stake, the fact that the practice is so close to a real tournament ensures that most rikishi give it their all.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 23, 2025

More than just training: Sumo's open practices are intense — and entertaining

The Yokozuna Deliberation Council practice is a rare — and, when open to the public, free — chance to see sumo's top wrestlers battle it out in the final days before a basho.
Henriette Jaeger crosses the finish line win a women's 400-meter heat at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, on March 7.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Apr 24, 2025

Norwegian athletes advised to avoid meat in China over doping fears

The 2025 World Athletics Relays will take place in early May at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium in Guangzhou, while the Diamond League event in Shanghai is scheduled for May 3.
Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward is expected to be the top pick in the NFL draft on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Apr 24, 2025

Titans expected to take QB Cam Ward with top pick of NFL draft

Ward threw for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns for Miami last season.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.