Dan Humphrey could never
From The GIST (hi@thegistsports.com)
Welcome back!
ICYMI in last week’s holiday hubbub, Jessica Campbell is now the first full-time female NHL assistant coach after being hired by the Seattle Kraken. What better way to start the week than with women making history?
— British tennis legend and women’s sports stan Andy Murray, reflecting on his career while saying an emotional goodbye to Wimbledon after losing in doubles last week. Murray, who plans to retire after the upcoming Olympics, is the last British man to win England’s tennis tourney, which he did in 2016.
Formula 1
🏎️ Drive, survive, thrive
The GIST: It’s been 84 years 945 days, but Mercedes’ Sir Lewis Hamilton — the winningest driver in Formula 1 (F1) history — is back atop the podium after taking the checkered flag in yesterday’s thrilling British Grand Prix (GP), his home race.
- The W marked a historic day for Hamilton and a reminder that parity — and all the drama that comes with it — just might be back on the grid. Vroom, vroom.
A record-breaking day: Already widely considered to be the greatest racing driver of all time, the Brit further cemented his legacy yesterday — Hamilton’s now won nine times at his home track, surpassing the legendary Michael Schumacher’s previous record of eight wins at a single circuit.
- And that’s not all: Hamilton also extended his F1 record for race wins and race podiums, securing his 104th career dub and 199th top-three finish. All in a day’s work.
Parity in the paddock: Two-time defending champ Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who finished second yesterday, has dominated the track for the last two seasons, winning 34 of the 44 GPs, a trend that many found incredibly boring. But with six different winners over the last 10 GPs, the drama is finally back, baby.
- And it’s not just drivers getting the job done — teams composed of engineers, mechanics, and strategists work behind the scenes all season to better their race cars. Mercedes and McLaren, for example, have brought substantial engineering upgrades over the last few races, closing the gap to current top dog, Red Bull.
The final word: With 12 of this year’s F1-record 24 races still to come, the race for the World Driver’s Championship is nowhere near done. Buckle up.
UEFA Euro 2024
🏆 Down to the wire
The GIST: After yet another dramatic weekend of penalty kicks, extra time, and even more own goals, the Euro semis are officially set. Up first? A true powerhouse showdown with No. 8 Spain taking on No. 2 France tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET. How’d they get here? Glad you asked.
Spain breaks hearts in Stuttgart: With just over one minute of extra time remaining, Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino nailed this header on Friday, securing Spain’s 2–1 win over host country No. 16 Germany and capping off a thrilling matchup between two of the strongest offenses in this year’s tourney. Simply stunning.
France outlasts No. 6 Portugal: Even sans broken-nosed superstar Kylian Mbappé late in the game, Les Bleus ended Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo’s Euro career on Friday, winning the penalty shootout 5–3 following a 0–0 draw.
- Though the French snuck away with the quarter-final dub, they still shockingly haven’t scored a single goal in open play (aka, not from a penalty kick) this tourney.
- Also of note? Both Spain and France will play without top defenders in tomorrow’s semi, with Spaniard Dani Carvajal and Frenchman Robin le Normand suspended due to yellow card accumulation. Uh oh.
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🎾 Upsets abound at Wimbledon
Blimey! Both defending champion Iga Świątek and fan favorite Coco Gauff suffered stunning early exits in London, with world No. 1 Świątek ousted in the third round and No. 2 Gauff bounced by compatriot Emma Navarro in the Round of 16 yesterday. That leaves No. 4 Elena Rybakina — who hits the Round of 16 court today at 8:30 a.m. ET — as the runaway tourney favorite.
- As for the men, No. 1 Jannik Sinner and reigning champ No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz are already through to the quarter-finals, where seven-time Wimbledon winner No. 2 Novak Djokovic will be looking to join them after Round of 16 play today at 11:45 a.m. ET.
⚽ No. 48 CanMNT’s Cinderella run continues at Copa América
Thanks to a gutsy 4–3 penalty shootout win over No. 54 Venezuela, the underdog red and white are through to the Copa América semifinals, and in their tourney debut no less. Their reward? A rematch with Lionel Messi’s No. 1 Argentina, who they lost to 2–0 in group stage play, tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET.
- Come Wednesday, expect fireworks when ultra-physical No. 14 Uruguay takes on dominant No. 12 Colombia in the other semi, also at 8 p.m. ET.
🏀 Records fall as WNBA season approaches midway point
League superstars shined extra bright across this historic W weekend. In her squad’s stunning upset of the league-leading NY Liberty on Saturday, the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark became the first rookie to post a triple-double.
- Then MVP frontrunner A’ja Wilson did MVP frontrunner things yesterday, breaking the Las Vegas Aces franchise record for career points (4,301) in a rout of the Dallas Wings. Did we mention she’s only 27?
- And last but certainly not least, Chicago Sky rook Angel Reese posted her 13th straight double-double yesterday, breaking a little someone named Candace Parker’s league record. Just the beginning.
🚴 Biniam Girmay wins another stage, Tadej Pogačar leads after one week of Tour de France action
2020 and 2021 champ Pogačar leads the pack with nine of 21 stages complete, including a grueling gravel stage 9 yesterday. Meanwhile, fresh off making history as the first Black rider to win a tour stage, Eritrean cyclist Girmay added a stage 8 victory to his resume over the weekend, his second sprint win of the tour. Full speed ahead.
Here’s what passed The GIST squad’s vibe check this week:
❤️ Who to root for
The “parents” of the Connecticut Sun: engaged teammates DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas. Too precious.
🏀 Who’s on the move
DeMar DeRozan, who’s heading to the Sacramento Kings after a blockbuster deal to acquire him from the Chicago Bulls.
🌎 Where to get the news
The DONUT. Through their unbiased and easy-to-understand storytelling, you’ll actually look forward to reading the news. Subscribe today and become the journo of your friend group.
Question of the Day
We’re just about halfway through the WNBA season, so we want to know: Which team is your early pick to win it all? Vote below or reply with your prediction.
🗽 NY Liberty
☀️ Connecticut Sun
🐺 Minnesota Lynx
🃏 Defending champion Las Vegas Aces
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