Olympic champion Chris Hoy continued his dominance of the 1,000m time trial, taking out the event at a World Cup track cycling meet in his first race since winning the title in Athens.
The Scot clocked an impressive time of one minute, 1.671 seconds to claim the gold medal on the third leg of the World Cup in Manchester, England.
Australian Ben Kersten was second in 1:01:945, followed by Olympic bronze medallist Stefan Nimke of Germany, who rode 1:02:996.
It was Hoy's third-fastest time behind his victorious ride of 1:00:711 in Athens and his 1:01.599 to win gold at last year's world championships in Melbourne, Australia.
His performance was even more notable given that he spent six weeks off the bike after the Olympics and it augured well for the defense of his world crown in Los Angeles from March 23-27.
"I was very pleased with the time," Hoy said. "Particularly for this time of the season and the amount of time I've had to prepare for it. I was hoping for a 1:02 or a long 1:01.
"I was a bit surprised. It's a good stepping stone for the world championships in March."
Another British rider, Bradley Wiggins finished ninth in the scratch race -- his first competitive outing since winning three medals in Athens.
The race was won by Frenchman Jerome Neuville, with Volodymyr Rybin of Ukraine second and Ioannis Tamouridis of Greece third.
Wiggins -- who won gold in the individual pursuit, silver in the team pursuit and bronze in the Madison at last year's Games -- will also contest Saturday's points race before concentrating on his road career with French team Credit Agricole.
Rob Hayles, Wiggins' Madison and pursuit teammate in Athens, took silver behind Spanish rival Sergio Escobar Roure in the individual pursuit. Levi Heimans of the Netherlands finished third.
Former cycling world champion Jobie Dajka is expecting a mixed reaction as he returns from serving a ban for lying to a doping inquiry.
The weekend World Cup races in Manchester, England, will be the first for the 23-year-old since he was axed from the Australian Olympic team shortly before the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
He was suspended until Jan. 1 by Cycling Australia for lying to a doping inquiry headed by Supreme Court Justice Robert Anderson.
"A lot of people have patted me on the back and said: 'Keep your head up' and, 'good to see you.' I've also had people a little bit stand-offish, don't know what to say to me, I suppose," Dajka said.
Anderson was investigating allegations that Dajka and four other Olympic squad members injected substances in a room at an Australian Institute of Sport residential facility in Adelaide.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely