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Sport shorts: Pettersen retires after securing Solheim Cup for Europe and England captain Root targets Ashes win in 2021
Ten things from the world of sport on Monday 16 September
The Norwegian, 38, secured Europe’s thrilling 14½-13½ win over Team USA at Gleneagles in Scotland then announced that she was retiring.
“I think this is a perfect closure, the end for my Solheim career and also a nice ‘the end’ for my professional career,” said Pettersen. “It doesn’t get any better than this.”
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Team Europe captain Catriona Matthew hailed her players and said it was a “dream come true” to win the Solheim Cup in her home country.
The Scot said: “It was a fantastic moment. All 12 players played their hearts out. We wouldn’t have won it if it wasn’t for all of us.”
2. Gareth Thomas ‘forced’ to reveal he is HIV positive
Former Wales rugby union captain Gareth Thomas has revealed he is living with HIV, having kept the diagnosis a secret for years.
After the 45-year-old disclosed that he has the virus, he announced on his Twitter page that he had been “forced” to make the admission. He said “evils” were “threatening to tell you before I do”.
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3. Fury: I had 40 stitches and won £5,000
Tyson Fury was left bloodied after sustaining severe cuts in his points win over Otto Wallin, but the British boxer revealed that despite a visit to hospital to have 40 stitches he was able to celebrate in Las Vegas.
Speaking to BBC Sport he said: “I went to the hospital, had a few stitches, went home and had an early night. Then I’ve got up, gone to the casino, won five grand, had a few beers and now I’m going to have a few more beers.”
Fury is now setting his sights on a rematch with WBC champion Deontay Wilder, which could be held in February. However, promoter Frank Warren says that Fury’s cuts must heal or a rematch will have to be delayed.
Warren said: “It’s not just the fight, it’s the training and sparring. He has to be 100% right.”
4. Dolphins are sinking in the NFL
The Miami Dolphins’ terrible start to the new NFL season continued after they were thrashed 43-0 by the New England Patriots yesterday. This result comes after they were beaten 59-10 by the Baltimore Ravens in week one.
With a 102-10 aggregate score from their first two matches, Slate’s Nick Greene wrote a scathing report headlined: “The Miami Dolphins really want to be the worst team in NFL history”.
Greene said: “I can’t get enough of the 2019 Miami Dolphins. I don’t have a personal connection to South Florida, nor do I harbor a particular fondness for any of the players on their roster. I enjoy the Dolphins because they are remarkably bad.” Ouch.
5. 15,000 watch Wales train ahead of RWC
Rugby World Cup fever is hitting Japan. The Asian nation is gearing up to host the tournament, starting on Friday, and the locals can’t get enough.
It’s reported that 15,000 people watched Wales’s opening training session at the Kitakyushu Stadium.
6. Zlatan: I am the best ever in the MLS
After scoring a hat-trick for LA Galaxy in their 7-2 win over Sporting Kansas City Zlatan Ibrahimovic declared: “I think I am the best ever to play in MLS.”
The Swedish striker added: “I’m here to perform and show everybody what the game is about. I think the two years I’ve had here, I’ve done good things. Amazing things. Perfect things.”
7. Reds five points clear at the top
Liverpool have built a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League after they beat Newcastle 3-1 and Manchester City were beaten 3-2 at Norwich.
Despite the deficit City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne said: “We lost four games out of 38 last season and that is a good record. We can still win this season with the same points at the end of this season.”
Real Madrid and Barcelona are both lining up a double raid on Anfield for two of Liverpool’s prized assets. Reports in Spain claim that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and star defender Virgil van Dijk are “priorities” for the La Liga giants.
After ending the partnership with title sponsor Rich Energy, the Haas F1 Team has unveiled a revised livery ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix. Autosport reports that the American team’s livery on the VF-19 car will continue to have a black-and-gold colour scheme, despite Rich Energy’s exit.
Joe Root wants to continue captaining England and is targeting winning back the Ashes in Australia in two years’ time.
England secured a 2-2 draw after winning the fifth Test at The Oval yesterday but Australia retained the urn and will defend it on home soil in 2021.
Root told Sky Sports: “We have got two-and-a-half years to prepare very well for it. I think it has to be a real focus for English cricket to do everything we can to be in the best possible space for that.
“I want to be at the front of that, I want to be leading it and hopefully be the man to bring the Ashes back to England.”
