■ Golf
Old contract pays out
Michael Campbell's US$1 million-plus victory at the US Open last month got marginally better yesterday, thanks to a 12-year-old deal with an insurance company. Returning home for the first time since his win at Pinehurst's No. 2 course in North Carolina, Campbell was told that the first professional contract he signed with an insurance company in 1993 contained a clause that said he would receive NZ$10,000 (US$6,800) if he ever won the US Open. Campbell, who said he had forgotten about the agreement, donated the money to junior golf yesterday.
■ Athletics
Injuries take heavy toll
Injuries are taking a heavy toll on the athletics world championships. The list of no-shows grew on Monday when Olympic hammer throw champion Koji Murofushi of Japan withdrew because of a lingering rib injury, and three-time Olympic javelin champion Jan Zelezny pulled out because of an Achilles tendon injury. The 39-year-old Zelezny, the reigning world-record holder, would have been seeking his fourth worlds title after winning in 1993, 1995 and 2001. Other big names who have bowed out of the Aug. 6-14 championships include 100m world-record holder Asafa Powell, Hicham El Guerrouj, Kelly Holmes, Jana Pittman and Christian Olsson. Powell, a 22-year-old Jamaican, became the world's fastest man when he lowered the 100 record to 9.77 seconds in June. He pulled out of the 100 at the worlds over the weekend because of a groin injury, but may still compete in the relay. Powell had run the three fastest times of the season. His withdrawal makes American sprinter Justin Gatlin a heavy favorite to add the world title to his Olympic gold medal from Athens last year. Pittman won't defend her 400 hurdles title because of a bad back.
■ Cricket
Collingwood going to Ashes
Allrounder Paul Collingwood was called into the England squad on Monday for the second Ashes test against Australia. England coach Duncan Fletcher and captain Michael Vaughan inspected the Edgbaston pitch before adding the 29-year-old for the test start tomorrow. "Having looked at the pitch it has been decided to add Paul Collingwood to the squad so that England will have the maximum number of options available on match day," chairman of selectors David Graveney said. Collingwood played two tests for England against Sri Lanka in December 2003, and has 80 one-dayers to his credit. Australia leads the five-test series 1-0 after last month's 239-run win at Lord's.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB