■ Nascar
Montoya wins in Mexico
Juan Pablo Montoya spun out team mate Scott Pruett late in the race before going on to claim his first Nascar victory at the Telcel-Motorola 200 on Sunday. The 31-year-old Montoya survived a late charge by Denny Hamlin to claim the Busch Series event, his first win in 10 races since switching from Formula One last year. The Colombian bumped front-running Pruett with eight laps to go at Mexico City's Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Pole-sitter Pruett spun out and had trouble refiring his engine. He finished fifth out of 43 drivers in the 80-lap race. "Of all the people to take out, your team mate," Pruett told ESPN television. "That was just no good, low, nasty, dirty driving. I can't put it into words. It's just so disappointing."
■ Football
Veteran quarterback quits
Veteran quarterback Jake Plummer announced his retirement on Sunday, ending a 10-year National Football League career. The announcement caps an unusual turn of events surrounding Plummer, who lost his job as the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback last season and was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday. Rather than join a rebuilding team with a muddled quarterback situation in Tampa Bay, the 32-year-old Plummer instead decided to call it quits after a decade in the NFL. After leading the Broncos to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons with the team, Plummer struggled last year, ultimately losing his starting job to Jay Cutler.
■ Soccer
Sydney want Sheringham
Australian A-League side Sydney FC have offered a contract to former England striker Teddy Sheringham, local media reported yesterday. Sheringham, who will be 41 next month, is out of favor with Premier League club West Ham United and has been offered a one-season contract with the option of a second year, Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported. The paper said Sheringham has spoken about the move with former Old Trafford team mate Dwight Yorke, who guided Sydney to the inaugural A-League title last year before returning to England with Sunderland. Sydney chief executive George Perry said the club had opened negotiations with the striker who started his professional career with Millwall in 1984. "He's still playing at the top level and is by any standards an excellent player," Perry was quoted as saying. "He obviously has a wealth of experience and his presence would put bums on seats. He comes highly recommended and I think he would create a buzz around the club."
■ Athletics
Mogaka wins LA Marathon
Kenyan Fred Mogaka outran countryman Moses Kororia in the last kilometers to win the Los Angeles Marathon and its battle-of-the-sexes challenge on Sunday. Mogaka passed eventual women's winner Ramilia Burangulova of Russia in the 40th kilometer to cross the finish line in two hours, 17 minutes, 14 seconds, giving the race a Kenyan men's winner for the ninth straight year. Mogaka earned a US$100,000 bonus as part of "The Challenge," which allows the top women to start nearly 20 minutes ahead of the men. Burangulova was 49 seconds behind Mogaka. The time differential is chosen by race officials in hopes of creating a close finish between the top man and the top woman. Mogaka and Burangulova each received US$20,000 and a new car.
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
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
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
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and