Cuban in Semifinals at 2015 World Rowing Championships in France

The 2015 World Rowing Championships in France continued with the final round of semifinals in the all important Olympic boat classes. The athletes' aim was to be among the top three spot to get into Sunday's final. It also keeps their 2016 Olympic qualification hopes alive.

The water was a bit bouncy, the sun came and went and the temperatures were warm for these, the top rowers in the world.

Men's Single Sculls (M1x) - Semifinals

Mindaugas Griskonis of Lithuania led the way at the start over reigning World Champion, Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic. By the middle of the race, Griskonis had built up a bit of a lead over Synek with Cuba's Angel Fournier Rodriguez now pushing into second. Fournier medaled at the last two World Rowing Championships, but he has been having a rather slow regatta so far.

These three scullers strode away from the rest of the field and by the 1500m mark the race looked sorted. Synek pushed through into second and none of these scullers felt any need to sprint the finish.

Qualifiers: LTU, CZE, CUB, NZL, CRO, NOR

Usain Bolt Requests International Aid for Dominica

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt requested international aid for the recovery in Dominica, where the rains and flooding brought by Tropical Storm Erika caused the death of at least 31 people, 20 others missing and millions in material losses.

The athlete made the call in a short video published in YouTube, and said that any form of support would be welcome for the Caribbean island nation.

Bolt, multi-champion at the Olympic Games and World Championships, joined several governments, organizations and personalities in solidarity with the victims of the storm in Dominica.

The country is in national mourning to pay tribute to the victims of Erika, which left 300 millimeters of rain a week ago, with subsequent floods, landslides and overflowing rivers.

 

In other news related to Usain Bolt, the President of the Jamaica Football Federation, Captain Horace Burrell has suggested that Usain Bolt should be conferred the nation's fourth highest honor, the Order of Merit, following his performance at the Athletics World Championships in Beijing, China.

Burrell said Bolt is one of the greatest Jamaicans that has lived, and says he deserves all the recognitions that can be bestowed upon him at this time and he called on the Governor General, the Parliament and the Prime Minister to consider his proposal.

In October 2008, Bolt was made a Commander of the Order of Distinction and in 2009, at the age of 23, he became the youngest Jamaican ever to receive the Order of Jamaica, OJ rank.

Burell made the proposal after Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, announced the formation of a bipartisan committee that will decide how Jamaica will pay recognition to Bolt and the other medalists of Beijing 2015.

Jamaica ended in second position in the tournament with seven gold, two silver and three bronze medals.

Super Round of WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup

The Super Round of the 27th WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup opened on Thursday, with Australia, scoring victories over Cuba, Japan over Canada and the U.S. over South Korea.

Here's a look at the Friday's action and Super Round scenario for Cuba playing the United States at Hanshin Koshien Stadium.

The game was between the two most decorated countries at the U-18 World Cup: Cuba had won 11 golds and 18 medals in total, while the U.S. had won 7 gold and 23 in total.

The most recent game at the U-18 Baseball World Cup between United States and Cuba came in the 2013 in Taichung, Taiwan. After eight innings, the U.S. was leading, 5-3, but in the top of the ninth, Cuba managed to tie the game, 5-5, but the U.S. quickly added a run to win and eventually go on to defend the U-18 world title.

At the U-18 Baseball World Cup in 2006 and 2010, Cuba and the U.S. met in the quarterfinals. In 2006, the U.S. won, 4-0. In 2010, Cuba knocked the U.S. out of the competition, with a 3-2 win.

But on Friday the U.S. team picked up its come-from-behind victory, edging Cuba 6-5 to clinch a spot in the World Cup gold-medal game.

The Americans struck first, piecing together three hits to put three runs on the board in the bottom of the second. Cuba would respond immediately plating five runs in the top of the third inning.

But American team would not relent; it scored one run in the bottom of the third. The North Americans played small ball to slip ahead in the bottom of the seventh to score and give them a lead they would not relinquish.

The Americans will face Japan in the gold medal game, but will still play the final day of the Super Round on Saturday, taking on a talented Canada team.