Sidelines: Surfing debuts at Pan Am Games

surfing

Surfers take to waves for first time in Pan Am Games

Surfers Kevin Schulz of the United States and Cody Young of Canada made history Monday as the first competitors during the sport’s debut in the Pan American Games.

Young earned 10.43 points to Schulz’s 7.50 at Punta Rocas beach, a reef break located about 38 miles south of the Peruvian capital of Lima. Surfing will also make its Olympic debut next year in Tokyo, and is one of the “wait and see” sports at the Pan Am Games. That means top male and female surfers not yet qualified for the Olympics will earn a spot, although the top finishers from the Pan Ams won’t be confirmed until May 2020.

NHL

Lightning wrap up goalie Vasilevskiy for eight years

Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has signed an eight-year, $76 million contract extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The two-time All-Star appeared in 53 games last season, going 39-10-4 with a 2.40 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage while helping Tampa Bay match the NHL single-season record with 62 wins.

Hockey Hall of Famer Denis Potvin has announced his retirement as a television broadcaster for the Florida Panthers.

Alex Meruelo has completed his purchase of the controlling interest in the Arizona Coyotes.

motorsports

Johnson fires crew chief as NASCAR playoffs approach

On the brink of missing the playoffs for this first time in his career, seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson is moving on to another new crew chief in the hope of reversing a serious slide.

Hendrick Motorsports made its second big shakeup in months atop Johnson’s pit box and replaced Kevin Meendering with Cliff Daniels.

wnba

Earthquake-affected game to be completed Aug. 5

The Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics’ game that was suspended by an earthquake earlier this month will be finished on Aug. 5. The original game was on July 5, with Washington leading 51-36 when a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Southern California just before halftime, with the effects felt as far away as Las Vegas and Mexico.

colleges

RB transfers from Clemson to rival South Carolina

Running back Tavien Feaster is switching sides of a state rivalry, leaving Clemson to join South Carolina for his final college season. Feaster rushed for 1,330 yards and 15 touchdowns in three seasons with the Tigers.

Alabama and Wisconsin will meet in 2024 and 2025 in a home-and-home football series.

Wisconsin says assistant basketball coach Howard Moore, who survived a car wreck two months ago in which his wife and daughter were killed, won’t coach during the upcoming season after going into cardiac arrest.

obituary

Keith Lincoln, star for AFL Chargers, dies at age 80

Keith Lincoln, a star on the San Diego Chargers’ 1963 AFL championship team, has died. He was 80.

Lincoln’s death on Saturday was announced by Washington State University, where he was known as the “Moose of the Palouse” during his college career.

Lincoln was a five-time AFL All-Star and was elected to the Chargers Hall of Fame.

Press Democrat news services