Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko has turned in another top ten placing, finishing tied for ninth at the latest LPGA tour event in Daly City near San Francisco.

Ko shot a final round 2-under par 72 to finish six under for the tournament, eight shots behind the winner Final Matilda Castren.

Ko's round included four birdies and two bogeys.

It's her sixth top ten finish of the season and moves her to the top of the Race to the Globe points standings - wehre the top 60 golfers contest the luncrative end of year Group Tour Championship.

Ko won the Daly City event in 2018.

-RNZ

Dixon holds onto third

New Zealand driver Scott Dixon has held onto third place in the Indycar Championship despite another disappointing day in Detroit.

Dixon followed up yesterday's eighth place finish with a seventh place result in the second race of the double-header.

Mexican Patricio O'Ward won the race to take the Championship lead after eight rounds.

Fellow New Zealander Scott McLaughlin was 20th in today's race.

McLauglin is 12th in the championship standings.

The next round is at Road America in Wisconsin next weekend.

NZ mountain biker Anton Cooper podiums in Austria

New Zealand mountain bike champion Anton Cooper has powered to a podium finish in the third round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Austria.

Cooper, the Trek Factory professional, was in the leading trio that edged clear after the first full lap of the demanding 3.6km course at the foot of the Asitz mountain in Leogang.

They worked their way to a 15 second advantage mid-race before Cooper found the pace too hot and edged eight second behind leader Mathias Flueckiger. Cooper remained in touch less than 50m behind the leaders until the final lap when the Swiss rider went clear to victory.

It was Cooper's third top-three finish in a World Cup following third placing in Albstadt in 2017 and runner-up at Nove Mesto na Morave in 2018.

The result moves the Christchurch rider up to a share of fourth place in the World Cup standing with Dutch superstar Mathieu van der Poel.

Cooper is confident his performances will earn him selection for next month's Tokyo Olympics with the NZOC expected to make their selection announcement within the next week.

-RNZ

Sterling gets England win in Euro 2020

Raheem Sterling finally found his tournament touch when his goal gave England a deserved 1-0 win over Croatia at Wembley as they began a European Championship with a victory for the first time in nine attempts.

Sterling, something of a surprise starter after a flat end to the domestic season but a favourite of manager Gareth Southgate, slid home a 61st-minute shot after great work by Kalvin Phillips to end an individual drought that had run through England's three previous major tournaments.

The game lacked the drama and jeopardy of the teams's 2018 World Cup semi-final, won by Croatia.

It was a morale-boosting victory for England as they set off once again in search of their first title since 1966.

Meanwhile, late goals from substitutes Michael Gregoritsch and Marko Arnautovic gave Austria a convincing 3-1 victory over European Championship debutants North Macedonia in an entertaining opening Group C clash.

Gregoritsch prodded home David Alaba's cross in the 78th minute before Arnautovic struck in the 89th, as Austria earned a first win at the Euros at their seventh attempt and their first victory at a major tournament since the 1990 World Cup.

Stefan Lainer put Austria ahead with an acrobatic effort in the 18th minute before North Macedonia captain Goran Pandev equalised 10 minutes later to bag his team's first-ever goal at a major tournament after capitalising on a mix-up in the Austrian defence, but it was not to be for the tournament's lowest-ranked team.

Austria resume their campaign against Netherlands in Amsterdam, while North Macedonia stay in Bucharest to face Ukraine.

Scotland and the Czech Republic get their Group D campaign underway tomorrow.

-Reuters

Footballer Christian Eriksen suffers cardiac arrest

Denmark's Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest when he collapsed during his side's Euro 2020 opening match against Finland, his team's doctor has confirmed, but the reason remained unclear.

"We got him back after one defib (defibrillation)," Morten Boesen told a news conference, adding that Eriksen remained in hospital for further tests after his collapse yesterday.

"The exams that have been done so far look fine," Boesen added. "We don't have an explanation to why it happened."

Eriksen, 29, collapsed suddenly in the 42nd minute of the match while running near the left touchline after a Denmark throw-in. As a hush fell over the 16,000-strong crowd, his team mates gathered around him while he was treated on the pitch and then carried off on a stretcher.

Coach Kasper Hjulmand said Eriksen had told him he did not remember much from the collapse and that he was eager to get back on to the pitch.

The Group B game was halted and eventually restarted an hour and 45 minutes later. Finland went on to win 1-0.

-Reuters

Saints keep winning in NBL

The Wellington Saints have seen off the Manawatu Jets 100-77 thanks to a thunderous third quarter in which they scored 43 points to the Jets 13 in the national basketball league.

Things were close at half time after a low scoring first two quarters, thanks to some tenacious defence from both teams.

The Jets were dealt a tough blow with their defensive lynchpin Jake McKinlay carried off the court late in the first quarter, and his defensive presence was sorely missed in the third.

The Saints spread the scoring with their entire starting line-up entering double digits for scoring, while the Jets were their own worst enemies - illustrated by a 'disagreement' on their bench at the start of the fourth quarter.

Saints coach Zico Coronel looked to his youngsters down the stretch, and the Jets capitalised with a 30-19 fourth term, but it was too late for the men in green, and the Saints remain undefeated at home in 2021.

Teenage Australian swimmer breaks world record

Australia's young guns are threatening to make a serious splash at next month's Olympic Games with teenager Kaylee McKeown proving herself the best in the world on a thrilling, record breaking day two of Australia's swim-offs.

In the midst of great emotion, McKeown seemed to be the calmest person around as she booked her ticket to Tokyo at the South Australia Aquatic Centre by smashing the women's 100m backstroke world record in 57.45 seconds.

Aged just 19, she said the death of her father in 2020 drives her forward daily.

An emotional Emily Seebohm, 29, who will accompany McKeown to Tokyo for what will be her fourth Olympics after finishing second, said it was one of the toughest races ever at the trials.

Later, 20-year-old Ariarne Titmus, who is widely being touted as one of Australia's great hopes, swam the second fastest women's 400m freestyle ever to break the Commonwealth record in 3:56.90.

The day's heavyweight line-up was saved for the last race, the men's 200m freestyle. Local favourite and 100m Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers qualified first in a personal best of 1:45.48.

-Reuters

Boxer Povetkin to retire

Russian boxer Alexander Povetkin said he was retiring, citing lingering injuries that require treatment.

The 41-year-old was the 2004 Olympic super-heavyweight gold medallist before turning professional. He held the World Boxing Association (WBA) world heavyweight title between 2011 and 2013.

Povetkin had 36 wins, three losses and one draw in his professional career, including 25 knockouts.

"The years take their toll," Povetkin said in a video posted on his Instagram account. "I have all kinds of injuries that still need to be treated. The time has come for me to end my career."

Dillian Whyte of Britain knocked out Povetkin in March after the Russian emphatically beat him last August for the World Boxing Council (WBC) interim heavyweight title.

Povetkin's manager said this year he was concerned about the boxer's health and was trying to convince him to retire.

-Reuters