(Reuters) – ON THIS DAY — JUNE 4
June 4, 1997
BASKETBALL – Chicago Bulls’ Michael Jordan shoots over Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone during the first period of the second game of the NBA Finals at the United Center, Chicago.
Jordan put up 38 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists to help the Bulls pick up a 97-85 win and take a 2-0 lead in the series, having eked out a two-point victory in Game 1.
The Bulls dropped the next two games but closed out the series in six, with Jordan named Finals Most Valuable Player for the fifth time in as many appearances.
June 4, 1998
SWIMMING – Australian swimmer John MacLean trains in Sydney Harbour ahead of his attempt to become the first paraplegic to swim across the English Channel.
MacLean became paraplegic after an eight-ton truck hit his bicycle while he was training for the Nepean Triathlon in 1988.
The Australian, who became the first wheelchair athlete to complete the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon in 1995, also won a silver medal in rowing at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.
June 4, 1998
ATHLETICS – Canada’s Olympic sprinter Bruny Surin competes with a Formula Atlantic car driven by Stephane Roy in Montreal in a 50 metre exhibition race between man and machine ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.
Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher won the Formula One race three days later, although it was best remembered for a first corner pile-up involving Alexander Wurz, Jean Alesi and Jarno Trulli.
The trio crashed on the opening lap, resulting in the race being red flagged and restarted. Alesi and Trulli were involved in another collision at the same corner, prompting officials to restart the race again under the safety car.
June 4, 1998
SOCCER – France’s Thierry Henry and Robert Pires leave their hotel for lunch in Helsinki a day before their World Cup warm-up match against Finland.
Striker David Trezeguet scored the only goal of the game as France prepared for their World Cup opener against South Africa with a 1-0 victory.
France would go on to top their group before defeating Paraguay, Italy, Croatia and Brazil in the knockout rounds to lift their maiden World Cup title, with Henry scoring three goals in the competition.
June 4, 2000
FORMULA ONE – McLaren-Mercedes driver David Coulthard holds up his trophy after winning the Monaco Grand Prix.
Coulthard, who became the first British racer since Jackie Stewart in 1973 to win the race, finished 15.8 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Rubens Barrichello.
Germany’s Michael Schumacher dominated for 55 laps before a rear suspension problem forced him out of the race, allowing Coulthard, who had moved up to second place after Jarno Trulli’s Jordan went out, to take the lead and win comfortably.
June 4, 2010
BASKETBALL – Four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal makes an appearance onstage during the 2010 National Spelling Bee after challenging 2009 champion Kavya Shivashankar to a spell-off.
“I’ve got my bachelor’s degree and my masters degree,” O’Neal told the audience before proceeding to spell out the word ‘kitten’. “If you don’t believe me, kitten, K-I-T-T-E-N. Do you accept my challenge?”
After some scripted back and forth with Shivashankar, O’Neal, who had been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers by the Phoenix Suns the previous year, walked off the stage.
June 4, 2011
TENNIS – China’s Li Na reacts after winning the French Open, title by beating defending champion Francesca Schiavone 6-4 7-6(0) in the final at Roland Garros in Paris.
Li’s maiden major success meant she became the first player from her country to win a Grand Slam singles title.
She went on to win the Australian Open in 2014 and retired in the same year, having clinched nine WTA singles during her career.
June 4, 2015
ATHLETICS – American sprinter Justin Gatlin celebrates after clinching his third successive Rome Golden Gala 100 metres win, clocking 9.75 seconds at the Olympic stadium.
Gatlin shot out of the blocks to lead from start to finish and beat Usain Bolt’s meeting record of 9.76 set in 2012.
Jimmy Vicaut crossed second in 9.98 seconds and Gatlin’s fellow American Mike Rodgers was third with the same time.
June 4, 2017
SOCCER – Real Madrid celebrate in Cibeles square a day after defeating Juventus 4-1 in the Champions League final to win their 12th European Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice, and Casemiro and Marco Asensio also got on the scoresheet to help Real win their third Champions League trophy in four years.
The players were honoured by the city’s mayor before embarking on an open-top bus parade. Defenders Sergio Ramos and Marcelo then presented the trophy from the top of a statue in a fountain in the square.
June 4, 2019
TENNIS – Roger Federer celebrates after beating fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka 7-6(4) 4-6 7-6(5) 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the French Open.
Federer came through his first serious test on his return to Roland Garros and at 37, became the oldest man to reach the last four since Pancho Gonzales achieved the feat aged 40 in 1968.
Federer, however, would go on to lose in the semis against eventual champion Rafa Nadal.
(Compiled by Manasi Pathak and Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru)
