Holding Hands with Heroes by Jack Kassinger Offers a Riveting Journey from Vietnam to the CIA

More than a month after sparking public outrage by soiling herself during Hyrox Beijing, Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has announced she is “super excited” about returning to competition. In a new video posted on her social media, the 24-year-old said the past several weeks gave her an opportunity to re-examine the incident and learn from it. “So I’ve had some time to reflect over the past six to eight weeks of everything that happened in Beijing,” she said, offering another apology. “I...

George Russell said one difficult Formula One ⁠season would not define ⁠his career and he still had ⁠plenty of time on his side. The Briton started the campaign as the favourite but has been eclipsed by 20-year-old Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli, who is set to clinch the title in Mexico City this weekend. “I’ve probably learned more about myself this ‌year than I would have liked, in all honesty,” Russell said on Thursday, acknowledging that Antonelli, who will be Italy’s first champion in 73...

Even Asia’s first UFC world champion, Zhang Weili, cannot escape the pressure of Chinese parents pushing her to get married. A year ago, Zhang, now 37, said she was glad her family was not rushing her to marry, preferring to focus on her fighting career and leave relationships to fate. But in an interview posted on social media this week, Zhang revealed her parents grew deeply concerned about her love life during the first half of the year, saying they were “pushing really hard”. In the...

John ‘Stingray’ Ray Onifa will tackle the Barclays MoonTrekker on Friday, but he said it was “much more difficult” to talk about navigating Hong Kong’s hills and valleys than actually doing it. And that’s despite the Philippine star, who is considered one of the best trail runners in Asia, carrying a long-term back injury that still leaves him “feeling the pain”. Onifa also has a perfect record to defend, having won the 50-kilometre race on his debut in 2018 and the 40km version five years...

In 2014, Chris Green spent two days dressed as Hulk Hogan in Hong Kong Stadium’s riotous South Stand cheering for friend Cameron Clark during the rugby sevens. The “awesome” experience gave Green a “very specific taste” of a city he has grown to “really love.” This year he is back to lead his country in the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes, a year after being in the side that reached the semi-finals. A modern-day gun for hire, the 33-year-old has played in virtually every franchise tournament going; from...

World No 1 Elena Rybakina hailed her “amazing achievement” after securing the year-end top ranking with a 6-2, 6-3 win over fellow Kazakh Yulia Putintseva in Japan on Thursday. Rybakina became the world’s top-ranked player for the first time last month in winning the US Open, replacing Aryna Sabalenka at the summit, needing only one ‌more victory this year to ensure the world No 2 Belarusian could not overtake her. She ensured she would start 2027 on top after a comfortable opening match in...

The Portland Trail Blazers’ decision to assign centre Yang Hansen to their NBA G League affiliate has caught many Chinese basketball fans off guard, sparking a flurry of online debate over his current standing and future in the league. The Trail Blazers announced on social media early Thursday morning that the 21-year-old had been assigned to the Rip City Remix. The move came just three games into Portland’s 2026-27 NBA season as Yang continued to struggle to enter the regular rotation or secure...

October was a busy month in Hong Kong racing with nine meetings, a trio of Group races and a host of jockeys and trainers making big statements. The SCMP analyses the jockeys and trainers who had a month to remember or one to forget, as well as the most outstanding victory and winning ride. Who’s hot? Zac Purton, apprentice Nichola Yuen Hang-yiu and Jerry Chau Chun-lok were the stars of the show in October, with each reaching double figures for wins. Purton ramped up his march towards a 10th...

Pierre Ng Pang-chi has been forced to go to plan B for Happy Valley’s Sunday meeting, as two Nichola Yuen Hang-yiu-ridden last-start winners have new jockeys with the in-form claimer in hot demand. Ng and Yuen have struck up a remarkable partnership since her debut in April, combining for 11 winners from 30 runners at a phenomenal strike rate of 37 per cent. This season alone, seven of Ng’s 15 winners have been ridden by Yuen, including victories on her sole rides for the stable at the last two...

Venus Williams has vowed not to be railroaded into retirement, but the American superstar raised the possibility that next week’s Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open could close the book on her extraordinary career. A 23-time grand slam champion, Williams suffered a 16th straight defeat when she was comfortably beaten by 18-year-old Lilli Tagger in the opening round of the Guangzhou Open on Tuesday. Williams has been winless in singles since marking her return from a 16-month lay-off with a victory...

Apprentice Nichola Yuen Hang-yiu strengthened her grip on second in the jockeys’ championship with a treble as Britney Wong Po-ni and Jimmy Ting Koon-ho celebrated breakthrough wins at Sha Tin on Wednesday night. Continuing a dream start to the season, Yuen boosted her tally to 16 wins – 10 behind nine-time Hong Kong champion Zac Purton – with victories aboard Macanese Master, Yoda’s Choice and Giant Leap. “I’m very happy with all the opportunities I’m getting,” Yuen, 26, said. “I’m getting good...

Philippine sensation Alexandra Eala came from behind to beat Talia Gibson 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 in Tokyo on Wednesday and said “it took a lot to turn that match around”. The world No 19’s recent run of early tournament exits looked in danger of continuing when Australia’s Gibson, ranked 38, took the first set at the Pan Pacific Open. But Eala dug in and evened the match before hitting top gear in a dominating third set. The 21-year-old said the turnaround had been “a gradual increase of level”. “Maybe...