From record-breaking performances to inspirational comebacks, athletes across the globe delivered moments to remember. This week had it all.
Tim Tszyu bounces back
Australian boxing star Tim Tszyu delivered a powerful statement on his return to the ring on Sunday, finishing American Joey Spencer off in the fourth round in Newcastle.
Serious doubts were raised over the career of Tszyu, who had lost his previous two fights in a convincing fashion.
“I couldn’t do a third consecutive loss,” Tszyu admitted post fight.
Tszyu picked apart Spencer and proved much too good for the Michigan native. After a flurry of blows against the ropes, Spencer’s team threw in the towel late in the fourth round.
Tszyu took no time in calling out the man he hopes to see next, Keith Thurman.
“Sign the contract, big boy. Sign the contract,” Tszyu told Main Event. “If the fans want it, we can bring a mega-show to Australia.”
Tszyu looked sharper, hungrier, and more disciplined than he had in recent memory, landing clean combinations and controlling the ring from the opening bell. With his confidence restored and a hometown crowd behind him, the 30-year-old reminded fans why he was once considered the future of Australian boxing.
“I hope I can teach people that if they drop and go on the floor, if sh*t hits the fan, you can always rise back up and get back to the top,” Tszyu said.
UConn crowned in NCAA women’s final, men’s title game set
The UConn Huskies are back on top of women’s college basketball, blowing out South Carolina 82-59 in a dominant NCAA Championship win on Sunday in Florida.
The Huskies won four titles in a row from 2013 to 2016 but have not been to the finals since.
Thanks to huge performances from Sarah Strong, Azzi Fudd, and Paige Bueckers, the expected #1 pick in the upcoming WNBA draft, UConn is back where it feels like it belongs.
“There are a lot of people that hoped it would never happen”, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said post-game.
“In the last 30 years, I don’t know that any program has meant more to their sport than what UConn has meant to women’s basketball.”
In the men’s tournament, the stage is set for a showdown between Houston and Florida after both advanced from the Final Four.
Houston snuck past Duke in a three-point thriller, trailing by as many as 14 points. Florida beat Auburn 79-73, reaching its first NCAA national championship game since 2007, thanks to a 34-point game from Walter Clayton Jr.
Sixty-six games later, March Madness has delivered chaos, comebacks, and Cinderella stories, and now only one game remains.
With history on the line for both programs, all eyes turn to the Cougars and Gators as they battle for college basketball’s ultimate crown.
Alex Ovechkin becomes all-time leading NHL goal scorer
Washington Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin scored his 895th goal on Sunday, surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring record.
‘Ovi’ and his Capitals lost to the New York Islanders 4-1, but with Washington already clinching a playoff berth, the night was all about history.
The 38-year-old Russian forward fired the record-breaking goal late in the second period, slipping a blistering one-timer past Islanders goalie and fellow Russian teammate Ilya Sorokin.
“This is something crazy,” Ovechkin said post-game.
“I’m probably going to need a couple more days. Maybe a couple weeks to realise what it means to be number one.”
Gretzky’s long-standing record of 894 goals, once considered unbreakable, stood for over 30 years. In classic fashion, the “Great One” was quick to congratulate his successor.
“I can tell you first hand I know hard it is to get to 894, 895’s pretty special,” Gretzky said.
The Islanders crowd gave Ovechkin a standing ovation, and the Capitals spilled onto the ice to embrace their captain.
Ovechkin now sits solo atop the NHL goal-scoring mountain, and with games still left in the season, his record continues to grow.
Photo:
- Aerial View of Soccer Field by Mike found HERE
- Basketball Hoop on Court by Daniel Absi found HERE
- Person Swimming on Body of Water found HERE
All photos used under a Creative Commons license. The images have not been modified.
