National Sports

TORONTO — Desert Encounter overcame a dreadfully slow start to successfully defend his title at the $800,000 Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International on Saturday.

NEW YORK — Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers aren't satisfied with their strong start. They know they can improve.

VIENNA — Roger Bannister, 1954. Neil Armstrong, 1969. Eliud Kipchoge, 2019? Like the sub-four minute mile and walking on the moon, running a marathon in less than two hours had seemed impossible — until Saturday.

STUTTGART, Germany — Simone Biles won the women's vault competition at the gymnastics world championships on Saturday to tie the record for most world medals by any gymnast, but couldn't add another in the uneven bars.

HELSINKI — New pairs partners Lubov Ilyushechkina of Toronto and Charlie Bilodeau of Trois-Pistoles, Que., won the bronze medal in their competitive debut on Saturday at the Finlandia Open figure skating competition. Roman Sadovsky of Vaughn, Ont.

ULAN-UDE, Russia — Canadian boxer Tammara Thibeault earned a bronze medal on Saturday at the AIBA Elite Women's World Championship.

LAS VEGAS — Brazilian lightweight Larissa Pacheco upset Canadian Sarah Kaufman on Friday night, winning by unanimous decision to advance to the US$1-million Professional Fighters League championship bout.

Friday's Games MLB Best-of-Seven National League Championship Series Washington 2 St. Louis 0 (Washington leads series 1-0) --- CFL Toronto 28 Ottawa 21 Calgary 30 Saskatchewan 28 --- NHL Buffalo 3 Florida 2 (SO) Anaheim 2 Columbus 1 Carolina 5 N.Y.

Friday's Games MLB Best-of-Seven National League Championship Series Washington 2 St. Louis 0 (Washington leads series 1-0) --- CFL Toronto 28 Ottawa 21 Calgary 30 Saskatchewan 28 --- NHL Buffalo 3 Florida 2 (SO) Anaheim 2 Columbus 1 Carolina 5 N.Y.

CALGARY — Hergy Mayala was happy that the majority of the 30,210 fans at McMahon Stadium were on his side on Friday night.