Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - Reigning champion Scott Dixon has finished third at the latest Indy Car race in Portland.

The race was won by Dixon's Chip Ganassi team-mate Alex Palou, who has regained the championship lead.

Dixon, who started third, and Palou, who was on pole, were both caught up in an incident near the start of the race and went off track to avoid a crash.

They were put to the back of the grid by officials, before fighting their way through the field.

Scott Dixon remains fourth overall and is now 49 points behind Palou with two races remaining.

Fellow New Zealander Scott McLaughlin finished ninth in Portland after starting 15th on the grid.

Phoenix Academy players step up to A-League contracts

Wellington Phoenix acadmey players Ben Old and Alex Paulsen have signed three-year contracts with the A-League side.

Both players joined the Phoenix Football Academy in 2018, with Old, an attacking midfielder, making his A-League debut against Western United late last season.

Goalkeeper Paulsen had a stellar season with the Phoenix Reserves, last season being named MVP of the ISPS Handa Men's Premiership at just 18 years old.

Wellington Phoenix General Manager David Dome said the Phoenix Academy continued to be the primary source of homegrown talent for the club.

"With the Covid situation last season we weren't given the opportunity we wanted to access the Phoenix Academy until nearer the end of season; so for the coming campaign we're focussing on giving young Kiwi players the chance to get some much-needed experience."

Both players are currently training with their teammates in Wellington, with the team expected to travel to Australia next month to prepare for the 2021/22 A-League season.

Black Cap goes big in the CPL

The Black Caps batsman Glenn Phillips has put his power on show ahead of cricket's T20 World Cup.

Phillips has hit 80 from only 39 balls in the Caribbean Premier League this morning.

The 24-year-old's innings included nine sixes and two fours, helping Barbados to an eight wicket win over St Lucia.

Phillips and Kyle Mayers set a new competition record for the third wicket, adding 154 from just 81 balls.

The Black Caps have arrived in Pakistan for three ODIs and five T20s, with the T20 World Cup to follow in the UAE from October 17.

NZ SailGP fade in Saint-Tropez

The New Zealand SailGP team have faded to finish fourth at the fifth event of the season in Saint-Tropez.

Peter Burling's crew were on track to qualify for the three boat final until finishing last in the final fleet race to miss out on the event decider by a single point.

Japan won the final, with the U.S.A. second and Spain third.

The Japanese have moved to the top of the overall standings, ahead of the U.S.A. and Australia.

New Zealand are sixth in the eight-nation competition, with the next round in Spain next month.

Wilde off the podium in Munich

Olympic bronze medallist Hayden Wilde has finished fourth at the second Super League triathlon event in Munich.

Wilde, the winner of the opening event in London last week, finished just of the podium in the equaliser race format.

Frenchman Vincent Luis won in Munich, ahead of British Olympic medallists Jonathan Brownlee and Alex Yee.

Wilde is now third overall, level on points with Brownlee, with Luis the new season leader.

The next Super League triathlon is on the island of Jersey next week.

Eels advance in NRL finals

The Parramatta Eels have advanced to the second week of the NRL finals at the expense of the Newcastle Knights.

The Eels have beaten the Knights 28-20 in their elimination final in Rockhampton, with Parramatta scoring a late converted try to seal the win.

Veteran winger Blake Ferguson scored two tries for the Eels, while halfback Mitchell Moses crossed for a try and kicked four conversions.

Enari Tuala scored a hat-trick for the Knights, but it wasn't enough for them to keep their season alive.

Parramatta will now face the Penrith Panthers in another sudden death playoff match on Saturday night.

Liverpool cruise at Leeds United

Mohamed Salah's 100th Premier League goal helped Liverpool cruise to a 3-0 victory at 10-man Leeds United in a match that was marred by a nasty injury to teenager Harvey Elliott.

After a lightning-fast start to the game, Salah became the 30th player to join the Premier League's 100-goal club in the 20th minute, tapping home from close range from a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross.

The visitors missed a host of chances to make it two in the first half, before Fabinho made one count early in the second period to put Juergen Klopp's side on course for three points in West Yorkshire.

There was a worrying sight later in the half as Elliott needed lengthy treatment on the pitch following a tackle from Leeds' Pascal Struijk, with the hosts' substitute shown a straight red card for the challenge by the referee.

Elliott was taken off on a stretcher with what appeared to be a serious leg injury, receiving applause from Leeds fans as he was taken down the touchline.

Liverpool regained their composure to add a stoppage-time third through Sadio Mane to put the seal on a victory that moved them above Manchester City into third in the standings, while Leeds sit 17th without a win from four league matches this season.

- Reuters

Marathon winner disqualified for thick shoes

Ethiopia's Derara Hurisa won the Vienna City marathon but was disqualified soon after when the soles of his shoes were found to be one centimetre too thick and in violation of the rules.

Hurisa crossed the line with a time of 2:09:22 but less than 45 minutes later, he was left distraught when his time was struck off as his shoes' soles were five centimetres thick.

The soles of road running shoes cannot be thicker than four centimetres and Hurisa had worn a different set of shoes to the ones he had mentioned on his form.

"We also stressed in the technical meeting the rules about the shoes. Unfortunately, we had no other choice than disqualifying the athlete," race co-ordinator Hannes Langer said.

"It's the first time something like this has happened. I'm pretty sure that from now on there will be some form of checks to avoid something like this to happen again in a major race."

Kenya's Leonard Langat, who finished three seconds behind Hurisa, was declared the winner as a result.

- Reuters

American wins European Tour's PGA Championship

American Billy Horschel birdied the final hole to claim the European Tour's PGA Championship title.

Horschel was tied for first in a group on -18 as he stood over his third shot at the par-five 18th at Wentworth but produced a sensational wedge for a nailed-on birdie to complete a sizzling round of seven-under 65.

Englishman Laurie Canter then needed to find a birdie at the last to force a playoff but was unable to do so and ended in a tie for second alongside Welshman Jamie Donaldson and Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat who shot a superb closing 64.

Horschel, whose bag sports the colours and emblem of English soccer club West Ham United, is only the second American to win the title, following in the footsteps of Arnold Palmer.

Afterwards he said he would celebrate by going to dinner with West Ham's England international Declan Rice.

"I am speechless really, and that's rare," Horschel, who has missed the U.S. Ryder Cup team, said. "To win this event means a lot, this is like the Players' Championship."

"I knew if I could birdie one of the last three holes I could win and one was enough."

- Reuters