San Francisco, CA
Taylor Knibb imperious in winning the San Francisco T100 – World Triathlon
American Taylor Knibb was dominant in winning the San Francisco T100 today on the iconic Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon course. She was second out of the water, but quickly took the lead on the bike from Switzerland’s Imogen Simmonds and went on to register an impressive victory by just under 4 minutes.
She was humble speaking afterwards. “It did not feel easy but it is a great course and atmosphere out there – and I was very grateful to do this race today.”
“On the swim I dove in, probably a little late, and the one thing I’d been given advice on was that you dive into the water and everyone disperses and that didn’t happen. But it was like, get to the end, figure it out, and I saw Imogen, she got 30 seconds on everyone, and I thought ‘oh my God’. But I think seeing the men really helped because I was ready for everyone to be there [together].”
“Once I was in the lead [on the bike], I wasn’t descending very well, I wasn’t taking the corners very well but I was trying to be better each lap. So, I think on the fifth lap I finally nailed the one turn into the curb, uphill.”
On her 18km run, she said: “Well I just wanted to execute a good run and run well and see how it was, like see how it was after each lap and make decisions from there.”
Second placed Brit Kat Matthews, who made a late dash to San Francisco after her disqualification in Hamburg last weekend, was pleased with her performance.
“I’m pretty proud. I’m glad to have been able to have given Taylor a training day out before her Olympic prep begins,” she said with a smile on her face.
Asked if she hadn’t got the rub of the green this year so far, Matthews responded:
“I’m not sure I’ve had the luckiest two years to be honest. But I think there was something special about this. I had so much energy for this after my dramas from last weekend and maybe a good long taper actually suits me.”
“This race feels like I’ve just got back level – a redemption of my own personal performance. I’m still now desperate for that personal satisfaction to go more, to go higher.”
How The Race Unfolded
The women’s San Francisco T100 race got underway with a dive from the San Francisco Spirit into icy sea waters known to play host to sharks. As with the men, it was a choppy affair in San Francisco Bay but canny use of the currents saw Imogen Simmonds (SUI) meet dry land in first place, clocking 17:00 in the water – 23 seconds ahead of pre-race favourite and T100 debutant Taylor Knibb (USA).
Despite the challenging gradients of the 80km bike leg, Knibb – recently crowned the US national time trial champion – was soon in the lead and pulling away from every other woman. By halfway into the bike course, Knibb’s lead to second-place Kat Matthews (GBR) was over 2 minutes, the Brit clearly positioning herself as the best of the rest. Laura Philipp (GER), Simmonds and Paula Findlay (CAN) were the only other challengers within 4 minutes of the leader.
From there, Knibb’s inexorable pace on two wheels just continued to pad her advantage in a showing that’s sure to strike fear into her Olympic competitors in both the triathlon and cycling time trial in Paris. 3:45 at 15km to go and 4:45 as she entered a lonely transition area, Knibb was truly showing her once-in-a-generation talent.
With impressive pace for an athlete considered a swim-biker just a couple of years ago, Knibb continued to dominate once she’d laced up her running shoes, lapping athletes over 4km behind her on the course.
Behind, Matthews was running with her usual aplomb while Emma Pallant-Browne (GBR) picked off a couple of places in a fleet-footed performance.
Facing no threat to her maiden T100 victory, Knibb took in the crowd’s adulation on her way to a 3:38:01 finish, earning 35 points and $25,000.
Matthews’ run pedigree shone through, the Brit a minute faster than Knibb on two feet, but was still 3:45 behind when she claimed 2nd to score 28 points and $16,000.
Philipp ran strongly to maintain her podium position, beginning her T100 season with 25 points and $12,000.
Likewise, Simmonds stayed in the 4th place position she’d been holding since T2 for 22 points. Meanwhile, Pallant-Browne put her first 20 points on the board to round out the top 5.
The next T100 race will be in London on 27-28 July.
The San Francisco Giants have been one of the biggest disappointments in baseball this season, prompting the front office to explore operating as sellers this summer. Amid a flurry of MLB trade rumors this week about a potential firesale, there is now more buzz regarding the future of Matt Chapman with the team.
MLB insider Robert Murray spoke to executives around the league who said that Chapman is “the most appealing” trade target of the group that also includes Rafael Devers and Willy Adames.
Matt Chapman Trade Landing Spots
- Matt Chapman contract (Spotrac): $25.166 million AAV (2026-2030)
It’s no surprise that Chapman is the most coveted player among the highly-paid trio. He is a Gold Glove Award winner at third base who can still provide well above-average fielding at the hot corner as a 33-year-old. On top of that, he is also outproduced Adames by a wide margin this season and offers far greater positional value than Devers.
However, there is a complicating factor. Chapman has played 10 seasons in the majors and has a full no-trade clause. He also made it clear to reporters this week that he prefers to remain in San Francisco, especially since he is a California native.
Rafael Devers Trade Landing Spots
- Matt Chapman stats (2026): .252/.337/.400, .737 OPS, 7 home runs, 41 RBI in 309 plate appearances
As a result, per Murray, San Francisco is not expected to move him this offseason. That makes it even more likely that the club’s highest-paid players remain with the team for the remainder of the season, with president of baseball operations Buster Posey expected to pursue alternative options.
More than likely, the Giants will instead be trading the likes of Robbie Ray, Tyler Mahle, and Luis Arraez. All three veterans are on expiring contracts, so San Francisco will attempt to get whatever it can for them on the trade market next month.
Willy Adames Trade Landing Spots
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco hotels see steady World Cup business, but fall short of Super Bowl surge
Bay Area bars and restaurants are packed for World Cup watch parties this week, but San Francisco hotels are not seeing the same sell-out crowds experienced during the Super Bowl earlier this year.
While the Super Bowl brought a concentrated week of events that sent hotel prices soaring into the thousands, the World Cup spans more than a month. The extended timeline has resulted in a slower, steadier trickle of out-of-town soccer fans booking rooms.
The Bay Area has several exciting matches on the schedule at Levi’s Stadium, but none feature top-seeded teams or the mega-star power seen when “Messi mania” previously swept the region.
“We knew we weren’t going to get any of the first-place teams. We weren’t going to get Brazil, or Germany, or any of the teams carrying big fan bases — Messi, Ronaldo,” said Alex Bastian, CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco. “But that being said, this is still such a great thing, because people are coming here from around the world.”
Bastian noted that the city’s hospitality industry is still in a strong position for the summer.
“We have a great convention calendar for the month of June, and because we were prepared, we’re doing much better compared to our colleagues across the country,” he said.
A significant surge in hotel bookings could still happen if Levi’s Stadium secures a match featuring Team USA. That possibility grew stronger following the U.S. team’s 2-0 win over Australia on Friday.
“I’m really excited about Team USA. I’m USA all the way,” Bastian added. “I’m hopeful that when that game is played here, the world will come check out San Francisco as well.”
The San Francisco Giants are headed even farther south today as they begin a weekend road series against the Miami Marlins.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be noted bigot Landen Roupp. Roupp enters today’s game with a 4.24 ERA, 2.96 FIP, with 82 strikeouts to 32 walks in 74.1 innings pitched. His last start was in Friday night’s 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs, in which Roupp clearly cared more about proselytizing than he did about winning, allowing four runs on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks in four and two thirds innings.
As of the time this is being written on Thursday, the Marlins have not announced a starting pitcher for today’s game and I am off today (Happy Juneteenth!). But you can head on down to the comments for the most up to date information.
Who: San Francisco Giants vs. Miami Marlins
Where: loanDepot park, Miami, Florida
Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area
Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM
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