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Charron earns silver in weightlifting, Park takes bronze in taekwondo

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PARIS – Maude Charron lifted Canada to a silver medal Thursday in the women’s 59-kilogram weightlifting event at the Paris Olympics.

The 31-year-old from Rimouski adds a second Olympic medal to her collection. She had previously won gold in Tokyo in 2021 in the 64 kg category, which has since been removed from the Olympic program.

Unlike the pandemic Games in Tokyo, where athletes competed in mostly empty venues, Charron celebrated her podium finish in Paris in front of a raucous crowd, including her family.

“We didn’t say much. We cried most of it. They said, ‘We’re there’. I said, ‘I saw you guys. I heard you.’ We’re just so glad that we can share this moment with them,” she said of her family.

“It was amazing and so nice to be with a crowd. In weightlifting, we don’t have that big of a crowd, but it’s so amazing.”

Charron lifted 106 kilograms in the snatch and 130 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a total of 236 kilograms to win Canada’s 20th medal at the Paris Games.

China’s Luo Shifang, the reigning world champion, won gold with an Olympic-record total of 241 kilograms, while Kuo Hsing-Chun of Taiwan, the defending Olympic champion in the category, won the bronze with a total of 235.

Charron attempted a final clean and jerk of 132 kilograms, the highest weight she had ever attempted but was unable to complete it.

Canada entered the day with 19 medals — six gold, four silver and nine bronze.

Winnipeg’s Skylar Park also added to Canada’s medal haul in Paris on Thursday with a bronze medal in taekwondo.

The 25-year-old defeated Lebanon’s Laetitia Aoun 2-0 in the women’s 57-kilogram division.

Earlier in the day, the outlook seemed less promising for Park, who lost her quarterfinal 2-0 to South Korea’s Kim Yujin.

Park needed Kim to advance to the final to enter the repechage, and Kim delivered by defeating top-seeded Luo Zongshi of China.

She then defeated Turkey’s Hatice Kubra Ilgan 2-0 in the repechage to advance.

The victory followed a motivational pep talk from her coach and father, Jae Park.

“Just that he was proud of me. And I think before the match, he said, `win as a team, lose as a team’. So that’s what we’re doing moving forward,” she said.

The country is guaranteed to add to its medal total on Friday when Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson play for gold in women’s beach volleyball.

The Toronto duo scored a clutch 14-21, 22-20, 15-12 semifinal victory over Switzerland’s Tanja Hueberli and Nina Brunner at Eiffel Tower Stadium on Thursday.

After dropping the opener, the Canadians saved a match ball in the second set before forcing a decider on extra points. They sealed the win on their second match point when Switzerland sent the ball long.

Humana-Paredes and Wilkerson will play the winner of the late semifinal between Australia and top-ranked Brazil on Friday.

After dropping the opener, the Canadians saved a match ball in the second set before forcing a decider on extra points.

Earlier, Canada qualified for both the men’s and women’s 4×100-metre relay finals.

The men’s team of Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney and Andre De Grasse ran a time of 38.39 seconds to finish third in Heat 2 on Thursday at Stade de France.

After failing to qualify for the men’s 200-metre final, De Grasse had revealed Wednesday night he was battling a hamstring injury he re-aggravated a few days ago. He had also failed to advance to the 100-metre final on Sunday, his first time missing an Olympic final.

Canada took bronze in the men’s relay at the Rio Games in 2016 and silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The women’s quarter of Sade McCreath, Jacqueline Madogo, Marie-Eloise Leclair and Audrey Leduc ran a national record of 42.50 seconds to finish fourth in Heat 2 and grab one of two non-automatic qualifier spots.

Also advancing to a final in her sport was Sarah Mitton in women’s shot put, with a top throw of 19.77 metres on her first attempt.

The nearest throw to Mitton’s was 19.25 by New Zealand’s Maddison-Lee Wesche. The qualifying standard was 19.15 or to be among the 12 top performers for Friday’s final.

The 28-year-old from Brooklyn, N.S., earned silver at the 2023 world championships and won the world indoor title in March. Mitton has a personal and season best of 20.68 metres from May.

“It’s going to be a dog fight,” she said.

“It’s going to take 20 metres to earn any medal. I don’t know how much over 20 that’s going to be, but I know that I’m confident and can do that. There’s also quite a few other girls out there who can do the same, so it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a battle.”

Mitton looks to become the first Canadian woman to earn an Olympic medal in shot put.

Sprint canoeists Sophia Jensen and Katie Vincent advanced to the semifinals in the women’s single 200 metres. The two Canadians finished first in their respective heats Thursday morning.

The 22-year-old Jensen, from Chelsea, Que., clocked in at 46.80 seconds, followed by Spain’s Antia Jacome with 47.35. Vincent came in at 47.22, with Spain’s Maria Corbera just behind at 47.74.

“I was super nervous. I felt like I was going to throw up everywhere, but as soon as the gun went I was like, ‘I could do this,’ and then it all came together,” said Jensen.

“It means a lot. I’ve had a lot of people tell me I can’t do this, it feels good to shove it in their face a little bit.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 8, 2024.

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Statistics Canada reports wholesale sales higher in July

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OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, rose 0.4 per cent to $82.7 billion in July.

The increase came as sales in the miscellaneous subsector gained three per cent to reach $10.5 billion in July, helped by strength in the agriculture supplies industry group, which rose 9.2 per cent.

The food, beverage and tobacco subsector added 1.7 per cent to total $15 billion in July.

The personal and household goods subsector fell 2.5 per cent to $12.1 billion.

In volume terms, overall wholesale sales rose 0.5 per cent in July.

Statistics Canada started including oilseed and grain as well as the petroleum and petroleum products subsector as part of wholesale trade last year, but is excluding the data from monthly analysis until there is enough historical data.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa sustains third concussion of his career after hitting head on turf

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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion for the third time in his NFL career, leaving his team’s game Thursday night against Buffalo after running into defensive back Damar Hamlin and hitting the back of his head against the turf.

Tagovailoa remained down for about two minutes before getting to his feet and walking to the sideline after the play in the third quarter. He made his way to the tunnel not long afterward, looking into the stands before smiling and departing toward the locker room.

The Dolphins needed almost no time before announcing it was a concussion. The team said he had two during the 2022 season, and Tagovailoa was diagnosed with another concussion when he was a college player at Alabama.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa would get “proper procedural evaluation” and “appropriate care” on Friday.

“The furthest thing from my mind is, ‘What is the timeline?’ We just need to evaluate and just worry about my teammate, like the rest of the guys are,” McDaniel said. “We’ll get more information tomorrow and take it day by day from here.”

Some players saw Tagovailoa in the locker room after the game and said they were encouraged. Tagovailoa spoke with some players and then went home after the game, McDaniel said.

“I have a lot of love for Tua, built a great relationship with him,” said quarterback Skylar Thompson, who replaced Tagovailoa after the injury. “You care about the person more than the player and everybody in the organization would say the same thing. Just really praying for Tua and hopefully everything will come out all right.”

Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million extension before this season — a deal that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL — and was the NFL’s leading passer in Week 1 this season. Tagovailoa left with the Dolphins trailing 31-10, and that was the final score.

“If you know Tua outside of football, you can’t help but feel for him,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said on Amazon following the game. “He’s a great football player but he’s an even greater human being. He’s one of the best humans on the planet. I’ve got a lot of love for him and I’m just praying for him and his family, hoping everything’s OK. But it’s tough, man. This game of football that we play, it’s got its highs and it’s got its lows — and this is one of the lows.”

Tagovailoa’s college years and first three NFL seasons were marred by injury, though he positioned himself for a big pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023 as he led the Dolphins into the playoffs. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards last year.

When, or if, he can come back this season is anyone’s guess. Tagovailoa said in April 2023 that the concussions he had in the 2022 season left him contemplating his playing future. “I think I considered it for a time,” he said then, when asked if he considered stepping away from the game to protect himself.

McDaniel said it’s not his place to say if Tagovailoa should return to football. “He’ll be evaluated and we’ll have conversations and progress as appropriate,” McDaniel said.

Tagovailoa was hurt Thursday on a fourth-down keeper with about 4:30 left in the third. He went straight ahead into Hamlin and did not slide, leading with his right shoulder instead.

Hamlin was the player who suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a Monday night game in January 2023 at Cincinnati, causing the NFL to suspend a pivotal game that quickly lost significance in the aftermath of a scary scene that unfolded in front of a national television audience.

Tagovailoa wound up on his back, both his hands in the air and Bills players immediately pointed at him as if to suggest there was an injury. Dolphins center Aaron Brewer quickly did the same, waving to the sideline.

Tagovailoa appeared to be making a fist with his right hand as he lay on the ground. It was movement consistent with something that is referred to as the “fencing response,” which can be common after a traumatic brain injury.

Tagovailoa eventually got to his feet. McDaniel grabbed the side of his quarterback’s head and gave him a kiss on the cheek as Tagovailoa departed. Thompson came into the game to take Tagovailoa’s spot.

“I love Tua on and off the football field,” Bills edge Von Miller said. “I’m a huge fan of him. I can empathize and sympathize with him because I’ve been there. I wish him the best.”

Tagovailoa’s history with concussions — and how he has since worked to avoid them — is a huge part of the story of his career, and now comes to the forefront once again.

He had at least two concussions during the 2022 season. He was hurt in a Week 3 game against Buffalo and cleared concussion protocol, though he appeared disoriented on that play but returned to the game.

The NFL later changed its concussion protocol to mandate that if a player shows possible concussion symptoms — including a lack of balance or stability — he must sit out the rest of the game.

Less than a week later, in a Thursday night game at Cincinnati, Tagovailoa was concussed on a scary hit that briefly knocked him unconscious and led to him being taken off the field on a stretcher.

His second known concussion of that season came in a December game against Green Bay, and he didn’t play for the rest of the 2022 season. After that, Tagovailoa began studying ways where he may be able to fall more safely and protect himself against further injury — including studying jiu-jitsu.

“I’m not worried about anything that’s out of my hands,” McDaniel said. “I’m just worried about the human being.”

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David Beckham among soccer dignitaries attending ex-England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson’s funeral

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TORSBY, Sweden (AP) — David Beckham and former England coach Roy Hodgson were among the soccer dignitaries who attended the funeral of Sven-Goran Eriksson on Friday in the Swedish manager’s small hometown of Torsby.

Eriksson’s wooden coffin was covered in white flowers and surrounded by six tall candles and other floral wreaths as the ceremony began inside the 600-seat Fryksande church.

“It is a day of grief but also a day of thankfulness,” the priest, Ingela Älvskog, told those in attendance.

Beckham, who arrived by private jet on Thursday, greeted Eriksson’s 95-year-old father Sven and other family members with hugs inside the church before the funeral started.

Eriksson became England’s first foreign-born coach when he led the national team from 2001-06, and made Beckham his captain.

Eriksson, who also won trophies at club level in Italy, Portugal and Sweden, died on Aug. 26 at the age of 76, eight months after he revealed he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had at most one year to live.

Some 200 seats in the neo-Gothic church from 1898 were reserved for his family, friends and players from his career in the football world, according to his agent. The remaining seats were open for the public, according to Eriksson’s wish, with a big screen set up outside the church where hundreds more gathered to watch the ceremony. The funeral was also broadcast live on some Swedish media websites.

The wooden coffin was wheeled in by pallbearers at the church Friday morning as fog wrapped Torsby — a town of about 4,000 people located about 310 kilometers (193 miles) west of Stockholm. Next to the casket was a photo of Eriksson on a small table. The floral wreaths included ones sent by FIFA and Lazio, the Italian team that Eriksson led to the Serie A title in 2000.

The ceremony began with somber piano and organ music, but later took on a more upbeat note with Swedish singer Charlotta Birgersson performing Elton John’s song “Candle In The Wind” and then “My Way” in a duet with Johan Birgersson, who later intoned the popular Italian song “Volare” after the family had gathered around the casket to lay flowers.

Beckham also visited Eriksson in Sweden in June to say goodbye. Others attending the funeral included the Swedish coach’s longtime partner Nancy Dell’Olio. Eriksson’s agent had said that guests from England, Italy and Spain were expected.

After the funeral, the casket was carried out of the church by eight men to the hearse. The guests then walked in a procession accompanying the coffin to a nearby museum where speeches and eulogies to the coach fondly known as “Svennis” were planned on an outdoor stage. A brass band played during the procession through Torsby, including the tune “You never walk alone” from the musical “Carousel” which has become the anthem of Liverpool, the club Eriksson supported since childhood.

The local soccer club Torsby IF, where Eriksson started his career in the 1960s, wrote on its webpage that “you also showed your greatness by always being yourself, the caring Svennis who talked to everyone and took the time, for big and small, asking how things were and how the football was going. We will miss you.”

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AP soccer:

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