■ Boxing
Klitschko goes on offensive
Ukrainian boxer Vitali Klitschko, who says he would have beaten Lennox Lewis in last month's world heavyweight title fight if it had not been stopped, has pledged to resume training in two months for a rematch. Briton Lewis said on Wednesday he was ready to give Klitschko a rematch, tentatively set for Dec. 6, and the Ukrainian said he could start training again by September. "I will just stay and relax in Ukraine until September, then I will go wherever I have to, depending on where the rematch will take place. I always train in the same city as I fight," Klitschko said in the Russian daily Izvestia on Thursday.
■ Soccer
Death linked to heart attack
Heart problems could have caused the sudden death of a soccer player during training, local press reported on Thursday. Maximiliano Patrick Ferreira collapsed during practice with his Botafogo de Ribeirao Preto club on Wednesday, and couldn't be revived by medics in a chilling repeat of the death of Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe last week during the semifinals of the Confederations Cup in France. "What must have happened ... was an arrhythmia or a severe heart attack, due to a lack of oxygen in the brain," said Dr. Dayr Kiomizu Kazava of the Legal Medicine Center.
■ Rugby Union
All Black denies split
All Blacks coach John Mitchell denied yesterday he has a "personal conflict" with Christian Cullen, who is quitting New Zealand to play rugby in Ireland. Mitchell told the New Zealand Herald that Cullen's non-selection for the All Blacks this season was based on technical, not personal issues. "He is a fantastic bloke, a great guy and there is no personal conflict," Mitchell said. Cullen, New Zealand's most-capped fullback and leading tryscorer in tests, Thursday confirmed he had signed a three-year contract with the Irish club Munster.
■ Motor racing
Tracy takes initiative
Paul Tracy, CART's season series points leader, won the provisional pole during the first day of qualifying at the CART Cleveland Grand Prix, which will be run at night for the first time in 22 years. Tracy, who won the season's first three events, turned a lap in 58.40 seconds, nearly one-half second ahead of his Players' teammate and defending champion Patrick Carpentier (58.86). Rookie Sebastien Bourdais was third (59.16). By winning the provisional pole, Tracy picked up one point in the standings -- his 100th -- and is guaranteed a front-row start today when drivers will be running under temporary lights set up along the course.
■ Baseball
Rockies close escalators
The Colorado Rockies shut down all their stadium escalators for Thursday's night's game, one day after a three-story-high escalator apparently malfunctioned and tossed dozens of screaming baseball fans into a heap. At least 32 people were injured, and nine remained hospitalized, authorities said on Thursday. Assistant Fire Chief Larry Trujillo said most injuries were fractures, cuts and bruises, and none appeared to be critical. "It's like it had no brakes and everybody was just piling up at the end of it,'' said Cherri Brownfield, who was on the escalator Wednesday night Inspectors who looked at the escalator after the accident found nothing to explain what happened.
■Golf
Turbo trio out in front
South African Retief Goosen was one of three players to break the course record on the revamped K Club `North' course on Thursday in the first round of the European Open. Goosen, aiming for a third successive European order of merit, joined Scotland's Alastair Forsyth and Welsh Ryder Cup hero Phillip Price on 66. On a congested leaderboard, one of the tournament favorites, Darren Clarke, is tied for fourth place, while another, Colin Montgomerie, is two shots off the pace. Defending champion Michael Campbell is four shots behind. Clarke had to compose himself after hitting his playing-partner Stephen Leaney's pregnant wife Tracey on the head with his tee shot at the 11th. She recovered with no ill effects and a relieved Clarke went on to collect three birdies in the next four holes.
■ Soccer
African Cup heats up
The qualifying round for next year's African Cup of Nations heads into its final weekend with 11 berths still unclaimed, and Egypt, Morocco and South Africa look set to take three of them. Egypt, a four-time winner of the continental tournament, has the best chance to join host Tunisia, defending champion Cameroon, Algeria, Nigeria and Senegal in the competition finals in January. The Pharaohs have played all four of their Group 10 matches and lead Madagascar by three points. But Madagascar, which hosts Mauritius, needs to make up a 17-goal difference in order to overtake Egypt in the standings. Morocco, which won this tournament in 1976, leads Sierra Leone in Group 7 by three points. It needs only a draw at Equatorial Guinea to ensure qualification. South Africa also needs only a draw to move on. Bafana Bafana, which trails Ivory Coast in Group 11 on goal difference, visits winless Burundi.
■ Olympics
Vote mystery unsolved
A day after Vancouver's narrow win in the selection of the 2010 Olympic host city, the mystery of the uncast votes remained unsolved.
Four IOC members failed to vote in the first round of Wednesday's secret ballot and three in the second round -- a factor which could have swung the election the other way. "The only explanation is they just did not operate the machine," said IOC board member Denis Oswald, a scrutineer for the vote. "Based on experience, there are always 3 to 4 people who don't vote. My interpretation is that they wanted to abstain." No official abstentions were recorded, however.
■ Olympics
Brothel boost upsets Swedes
The Swedish government lodged an official complaint with the International Olympic Committee and the Greek government on Thursday about Athens' policy of allowing more brothels during next year's Olympic Games. Iceland has already complained to the IOC about the plans to authorize 30 more brothels during next August's games to meet extra demand. "It is most worrying to receive information that initiatives have recently been taken in your country, in the context of the preparations for the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, that could be perceived as supportive of prostitution and brothel activities," said the letter sent by Swedish sports minister Mona Sahlin to Greek culture minister Evangelos Venizelos. "The Olympic Games were established to bring people together -- not to degrade them," the letter added.
Agencies
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care