Digest

SHOOTING

China claims bronze at World Cup event

China beat Germany 6-2 in the bronze-medal match of the men's trap team event to add another title to its tally at the ISSF World Cup meet in Changwon, South Korea, on Wednesday.

Comprising Tuesday's individual champion Qi Ying, Chen Liang and Yu Haicheng, China ranked fourth in qualification with 207 hits, one behind Germany.

In the bronze-medal match, China started strong and missed only one target, in the third round, en route to victory.

Slovakia defeated India 6-2 to bag the gold medal.

In the women's competition, which only featured China and host South Korea, individual gold medalist Wu Cuicui, together with Zhang Ting and Wang Xiaojing, combined for 205 hits in the qualification section, five ahead of South Korea.

However, it was South Korea that gained the upper hand in the gold-medal match, taking a 4-0 lead after two rounds. Although Chinese shooters leveled the scores at 4-4, they made only six hits out of 15 in the final round, while their opponents hit 12 for the title.

BASEBALL

Trout in All-Star Game despite back spasms

Mike Trout is still expected to play in next week's All-Star Game despite dealing with upper back spasms.

The Los Angeles Angels superstar wasn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Astros and could miss at least the next two games. Trout exited Tuesday night's loss to Houston during the fifth inning.

The three-time American League MVP was selected earlier this month to appear in his 10th All-Star Game, which will be played next Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

"We've talked to him about that. He's expected to be available for that game," trainer Mike Frostad said on Wednesday. "He's been dealing with a lot of stuff throughout the entire year. And, you know, this is just one more thing to add to the pile. He's got a good pain threshold. He's played through a lot."

Frostad said MRI and CT scans on Trout's back did not show any muscle strains or tightness. Trout first mentioned having back spasms last week while the team was in Miami for a series against the Marlins, the trainer said.

SOCCER

Leeds ace Raphinha set to join Barcelona

Brazil winger Raphinha, who played a pivotal role in helping Leeds United avoid relegation from the English Premier League last season, is poised to sign for Barcelona after the clubs agreed to the deal in principle on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old will cost the Catalan club a reported 55 million euros ($55.3 million)－with a potential 15 million euros in add-ons－in a five-year contract.

"Barcelona and Leeds United Football Club have reached an agreement in principle for the transfer of Raphael Dias Belloli, Raphinha, pending the player passing his medical," read a statement on the Barcelona website.

Raphinha spent two seasons at Leeds, scoring 17 goals and providing 12 assists after arriving from Rennes for 17 million pounds ($20 million). The French side will now earn a cut of the Barca transfer fee.

Agencies