Sha’Carri Richardson storms from scratch to a stunning Stawell Gift win

STAWELL, Australia (AP) — American sprint star Sha'Carri Richardson surged through the field Monday to win the Stawell Gift, an annual race contested on handicap over 120 meters on grass in a small Australian town near Melbourne.

Stawell Gift US Sprinters

In the 144th edition of the event, Richardson provided one of its most breathtaking finales as she started at scratch and caught the field at the 90-meter mark before pulling away for an astonishing win in 13.15 seconds.

"Just make sure I'm patient that first 10-meters like my coach today told me, and just executing the rest," Richardson told Seven Network television post race. "I think I realized I was gonna win right past 90."

The 26-year-old American, one of the fastest women of all time, is just the third woman to win the race from scratch and claimed a prize of 40,000 Australian dollars ($27,500).

Richardson won a silver medal in the 100 meters in the 2024 Paris Olympics, and gold in the 4x100 relay that same year. She also claimed the 100-meter title at the 2023 World Championships.

After a near calamity in the semifinals earlier Monday, where Richardson rose too soon and was almost pipped on the line, the American made no errors in the final, chasing down the field early and running through the line powerfully.

She celebrated with fans before embracing boyfriend and former world champion Christian Coleman, who was the marquee name of the men's draw. She and Coleman remain in a relationship despite adomestic violence chargeagainst Richardson last July.

"This is one of the most exciting, fun, and entertaining track meets I've ever ran in, not even just that, but the love, the true love and support for track and field, unbeatable," she said.

Coleman misses men's final

Former 100-meter World Champion, Coleman failed to qualify for the men's final after finishing sixth in his semifinal earlier Monday with 12.48 seconds. Only the winners of the six semifinals for both the men's and women's division qualified for the respective finals.

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Both Richardson and Coleman raced from "scratch" meaning they were required to run the entire distance and chase down opponents, which proved too much of a gulf to bridge for Coleman, despite him closing the gap appreciably in the latter stages of his heat.

"Yeah, it is what it is, but I mean, I gave it everything I got, like you said, they're great athletes, so when you're giving up that much of a margin, I mean, it's pretty tough," Coleman said to Seven Network television.

Australian Olufemi Komolafe won the men's Stawell Gift ahead of Jake Ireland and Dutchman Liam van der Schaaf.

Semifinal scare for Sha'Carri

Earlier Monday, Richardson powered through the field to win her semifinal by just 0.007 seconds after she leaned back at the finish allowing local Halle Martin to almost steal the race in a photo finish.

"I feel like I am having a great time, but also working on race pattern, me and my coach Dennis Mitchell staying calm, executing, and running through the line," Richardson said after the semifinal.

In Saturday's heats, Richardson, who gave away 10 meters to her closest competitor at the start, won her heat in 13.815 seconds Saturday and Coleman his in 12.681.

There are more than 700 competitors in the Stawell race, including many of Australia's top runners, in the event held about 235 kilometers (145 miles) west of Melbourne.

It has not been disclosed whether Richardson or Coleman have been paid appearance money to take part in the race. Last year Australian media reported that top Australian sprinterGout Goutwas paid 50,000 Australian dollars (35,000) to run at Stawell, where he was eliminated in the semifinals.

AP sports:https://apnews.com/hub/sports

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 05, 2026

Sha’Carri Richardson storms from scratch to a stunning Stawell Gift win

STAWELL, Australia (AP) — American sprint star Sha'Carri Richardson surged through the field Monday to win the Stawel...

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Kevin Durant, Rockets spoil Stephen Curry's return from injury, beat Warriors 117-116

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alperen Sengun made the go-ahead layup with 11 seconds left on a pass from Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets held offStephen Curry in his returnafter being sidelined more than two months for a 117-116 victory Sunday night.

Rockets Warriors Basketball

Curry missed a long, straightaway 3-pointer in the final seconds.

Gary Payton II scored the go-ahead basket on a goaltend by Amen Thompson with 20 seconds left, but Durant took charge on the other end. He finished with 31 points, eight rebounds and eight assists against his former team, making a crucial 3-pointer with 2:10 remaining.

But he missed with 38 seconds left, and Draymond Green found a cutting Payton in the key.

Curry dazzled down the stretch to score 29 points on 11-for-21 shooting in 26 minutes after missing 27 straight games because of a right knee injury — his first action since Jan. 30 against Detroit.

Curry's driving layup made it a one-point game with 1:27 left then Sengun converted a three-point play moments later only for Curry to hit a 3 on the other end.

Curry entered to a warm standing ovationand greetings on the big screen — he also expressed his gratitude on video — when he entered with 4:54 left in the opening quarter. It marked the first time he has come off the bench in a regular-season game since March 7, 2012, against Memphis. He last was a reserve in Game 4 of the first round of the 2022 playoffs during the Warriors' last championship run.

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Things briefly got heated midway through the second quarter when Green and Jabari Smith Jr. exchanged words and had to be separated. Smith wound up with 23 points and nine rebounds while Sengun added 24 points and Thompson 18 and seven assists.

Curry andyounger brother Sethplayed together for the first time when Stephen re-entered the game at the 6:19 mark of the second quarter, the first time two brothers have been together in Warriors franchise history, according to Elias.

Seth Curry appeared in six preseason games for Golden State in 2013 then played for the team's G League Santa Cruz Warriors that year — with the brothers playing all of 100 seconds together during the fourth quarter of two games during that '13 preseason.

Up next

Rockets: Visit the Suns on Tuesday night.

Warriors: Host the Kings on Tuesday night.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/NBA

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 05, 2026

Kevin Durant, Rockets spoil Stephen Curry's return from injury, beat Warriors 117-116

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alperen Sengun made the go-ahead layup with 11 seconds left on a pass from Kevin Durant and the Hous...

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Luka Doncic to seek specialized treatment for hamstring in Europe

Los Angeles LakersguardLuka Doncic was ruled outfor the final five games of the NBA regular season on April 3.

Despite the news, Doncic and the Lakers are hopeful that he can be ready in time for a postseason run.

Doncic suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in the Lakers'lossto theOklahoma City Thunderon April 2.

The point guard has since consulted with Lakers doctors and his own medical team about seeking specialized treatment in Europe for his hamstring,Doncic's agent Bill Duffy told ESPN.

MORE:Luka Doncic injury could cost him MVP shot. His agent plans to fight.

Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

What is a Grade 2 hamstring strain?

A Grade 2 hamstring strain is a "moderate injury that is typically a partial tear in the muscle; patients are likely to limp when walking and will have occasional twinges of pain during activity," according toMercy Health.

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The injury could take close to a month to heal, but "returning to sports before the injury is fully healed can cause more severe injuries."

Injury-riddled Lakers lose to Mavericks

Playing without Doncic and Austin Reaves —who has an oblique injury— the Lakers were defeated by the Dallas Mavericks,134-128, on April 5.

LeBron James finished with a team-high 30 points as the Lakers continue to march toward the postseason without the services of two of their key contributors.

The Mavericks were led by rookie Cooper Flagg,who scored 45 points in Dallas' victory.

Reaves' injury is expected to keep him sidelined for four to six weeks.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Lakers' Luka Doncic going to Europe for specialized medical treatment

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 05, 2026

Luka Doncic to seek specialized treatment for hamstring in Europe

Los Angeles LakersguardLuka Doncic was ruled outfor the final five games of the NBA regular season on April 3. ...

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After harsh winter, Ukrainians find joy in releasing bats rescued from war

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — As night falls over a nature park on the edge ofKyiv, children crowd around volunteers who carefully open cloth bags and release bats into the twilight.

Russia Ukraine War Rescuing Bats

As each one takes flight, snapping through the air, more than 1,000 spectators cheer and applaud — families, off-duty soldiers, and bat enthusiasts, a few dressed in Goth outfits.

Hundreds of bats, many rescued from war-torn areas in the east of the country, were released late Saturday at one of multiple events around Ukraine planned to coincide with the arrival of spring.

"This is important for us as an organization because these are on a red list of endangered animals. Preserving them is very important," said Anastasiia Vovk, a volunteer at the Ukrainian Bat Rehabilitation Center, which organized the release.

All 28 bat species in Ukraine are listed as protected animals due to declining populations.

For many attendees, the event offered welcome relief and an excuse for a family outing after aharsh wintermarked by subzero temperatures, nightly Russian drone and missile attacks and crippling power cuts.

Late Saturday, children, many wearing bat-themed T-shirts and hats, watched as volunteers fed the animals mealworms with tweezers before letting them go. Some were allowed to wear gloves and handle the bats themselves.

"Life goes on despite the war," said Oleksii Beliaiev, a 54-year-old Kyiv resident who attended with his family. "The war is the main thing right now, but there has to be something else as well."

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Beliaiev runs a small printing business and spends time volunteering for army projects.

The war hasdisplaced animalsas well as people. Buildings destroyed by shelling damage bats' shelters, and explosions terrify the tiny mammals, experts say.

"In winter, bats hibernate, and if they are disturbed, they can die. They reproduce slowly — one or two offspring per year — so populations recover very slowly," said Alona Shulenko, who headed Saturday's release.

"As natural hibernation sites disappear, bats move into cities, into cracks in buildings and balconies. But repairs or destruction of these places can kill entire colonies," she said.

All Ukrainian bat species are insect-eating and legally protected, while the country lies on an important east European migratory route.

The charity says it has rescued more than 30,000 in total, including 4,000 bats last winter.

"We are all living in wartime, and everyone has their own struggles," Shulenko said. "But we are doing what we know best. … If we stop what we are doing, thousands of bats will die."

Associated Press writers Volodymyr Yurchuk and Dan Bashakov contributed to this report.

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 05, 2026

After harsh winter, Ukrainians find joy in releasing bats rescued from war

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — As night falls over a nature park on the edge ofKyiv, children crowd around volunteers who carefully...

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Hungary's Orbán has long annoyed the European Union. Now some hope he faces defeat

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) —Hungary's elections on April 12 will have profound aftershocks as many in the European Union hope for the defeat of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who is widely seen as endangering the future of the 27-nation bloc.

Hungary Orban Far Right

Orbán, the EU's longest-serving leader, hastrailed in the polls. His 16-year grip on power has tested the EU system of governance meant to ensure peace through economic and political integration after the ravages of the world wars. His rivalPéter Magyar told the Associated Presshe would repair Hungary's relationship with the EU if elected.

The EU is grappling with enormous threats: the rise of right-wing populism, conflicts inUkraineand theMiddle East, Russiansabotage efforts, Chinese economic expansion and a White House that isupending decades of transatlantic cooperation.

But Orbán's vetoes have limited EU responses. Lawmakers and analysts say he has used his right of veto and a deep understanding of how the bloc disperses funding to members to entrench his power and gain outsize influence by blocking decision-making to extract concessions.

"He entered a club, read the rules, figured out how he can rig the rules, and then started to be a free rider and blackmail all of the other club members," said Dániel Hegedűs, deputy director with the Berlin-based Institute for European Politics. "The question is, how long will the club members tolerate it?"

Optimism for Hungary turned into frustration

It didn't start that way. After the Cold War, Hungary joined the EU along with nine other countries in 2004 in the bloc's largest expansion ever. There was widespread optimism for Hungary, said Jim Townsend, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

But after economic crises, Orbán came to power by promising prosperity to the rich and poor alike, said Gábor Scheiring, a former Hungarian lawmaker now teaching at Georgetown University in Qatar. He also built bonds with conservative politicians across the bloc.

Orbán began vilifying the EU, often comparing Brussels to the Soviet Union, even while receivingmassive amounts of EU money, and resisting pressure toreverse democratic backsliding.

From 2014 until 2022, "Hungary was one of the biggest beneficiaries of EU funds," Scheiring said. "Orbán could navigate the EU system really well: get all the money and get away with his political shenanigans."

The EU grew frustrated with Orbán's failures to ensure judicial independence and media freedom and to rein in corruption. It beganfreezing billions in fundingto Budapest in 2022 over breaches of rule-of-law standards.

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Orbán frequently used his veto power to stymie efforts to support Kyiv and sanction Moscow. His closeness with Russian President Vladimir Putin was noted.

Last month, when Orbán reneged ona deal struck in Decemberto provide Ukraine with a 90-billion euro ($104-billion) loan, the famously amiable European Council President Antonio Costa was visibly irked: "Nobody can blackmail the European Union institutions," he said.

Orbán exposes EU 'design flaw'

As many see it, a thorn in the EU's side is that major decisions require unanimity among its members. Critics say it has kept the bloc from taking stronger actions on other critical issues like the war in Gaza.

An internal European Parliament report shows that Orbán has vetoed far more than any other leader in the EU's history, said Daniel Freund, a German lawmaker.

"It's staggering. No one else even comes close," Freund said. "This is the biggest design flaw in the EU that he has exposed."

Orbán's vetoes have led to calls to reform the bloc's foundational treaties to buttress against future authoritarians — or Orbán himself, if he wins the election.

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There are ways to do that, but each has limitations.

The EU could reduce the number of issues that require a unanimous vote. That would allow measures to pass with a simple majority of the 27 national leaders representing roughly two-thirds of the bloc's population.

Hegedűs said the European Commission "could play even more hardball" by crafting sanctions to address specific breaches of EU rules.

Some politicians have even proposed invoking Article 7 of the Treaty of the EU, a legal measure that could revoke Hungary's voting rights in the bloc.

That would require the agreement of all the EU's other leaders, however, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has said he would veto such a measure.

The EU could pressure Hungary in defense funding

There are other tools the EU could use.

The European Commission has not approved Hungary's bid to draw some 16 billion euros ($18.4 billion) as part of an EU program to boost members' defense capabilities. The 18 other countries that submitted plans to use the funds have been approved.

If Orbán is reelected, the EU could use that funding as a bargaining chip to extract concessions such as lifting his veto of the 90 billion euros to Ukraine, Hegedűs said. But there's no guarantee he won't find other policies to veto once Hungary gets the money.

"What will the EU offer in two to three or four months when the next strategic decision will come and Orbán will block again?" Hegedűs said.

Orbán inspires a look at how the EU accepts members

Orbán's conduct has prompted a reexamination of how the EU accepts new members and monitors current ones.

The ongoing negotiations with Moldova, Montenegro and Ukraine to join the EU are increasingly shaped by the tumultuous experience with Hungary.

In February, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said the 12 countries including Hungary that joined the EU from 2004-2007 "led to a new era of stability for our continent and an impressive level of economic convergence."

But without naming Hungary or any other nation, Kos said a lesson learned from 2004 is that "we need to have safeguards that ensure new members stick to the rules."

"If countries go backwards on our fundamentals, such as democracy and rule of law, the safeguards must bite," the commissioner said, adding: "No Trojan horses."

McNeil reported from Brussels.

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 05, 2026

Hungary's Orbán has long annoyed the European Union. Now some hope he faces defeat

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) —Hungary's elections on April 12 will have profound aftershocks as many in the European Union ...

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