■ Boxing
Fighter remains in coma
Mexican boxer Victor Burgos has shown signs of improvement but remains in a medically-induced coma in a Los Angeles hospital, his wife told local media on Saturday. According to Claudia Montiel, who has been with Burgos since he underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain after a fight last Saturday, Burgos "has movement in his hands and feet" and can hear despite still being unconscious. Burgos, 31, was hospitalized after he was stopped in the 12th round by Australian Vic Darchinyan in their IBF flyweight world title bout at the Home Depot Center.
■ Athletics
Hashimoto wins in Nagoya
Yasuko Hashimoto won a close battle with fellow Japanese defending champion Harumi Hiroyama to win the Nagoya international women's marathon yesterday. The 31-year-old from Chiba spurted in the last 700m to leave Hiroyama behind, crossing the finishing line in two hours 28 minutes 49 seconds. Hiroyama failed to close the gap of some 20m to finish second in 2:28:55, followed by 2002 Rotterdam marathon winner Takami Ominami of Japan third in 2:29:24.
■ Speed Skating
World records tumble
Sven Kramer broke the 10,000m world record that had stood for just a month, while Jenny Wolf broke one that had stood since 2001 at the World Single Distances Speedskating Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday. Kramer clocked 12min 41.69sec, improving the mark of 12:49.88 that he set on Feb. 11 in Heerenveen in the Netherlands. Kramer led a Dutch sweep of the podium places. Carl Verheijen was second and Birgt Rykkje third. Germany's Wolf broke the women's 500m world record with a time of 37.04sec. Wolf posted the record-breaking mark in the second of two 500m races on the day, and her championship combined time of 74.42sec was also a world record.
■ Football
Sea Devils sign Chambers
Disgraced British sprinter Dwain Chambers looks set to turn his back on athletics after signing on Saturday to play for NFL Europa side Hamburg Sea Devils. The 28-year-old former European 100m champion was stripped of the gold he won in Munich in 2002 after he was implicated in the 2003 BALCO doping scandal having tested positive for the designer steroid tetrahydrogestrinone. Chambers is set for his NFL Europa debut as a wide receiver when the Sea Devils host the Cologne Centurians next month.
■ Basketball
Artest set to return to action
The Sacramento Kings said on Saturday they will allow Ron Artest to return to the team, five days after his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence. The Kings called a news conference to discuss the return of the controversial forward after missing two games. Artest was excused from all team activities on Tuesday, a day after being arrested at his home in a Sacramento, California suburb. A woman called police and said she had been assaulted, and a police report said Artest had slapped the woman's face and grabbed her repeatedly, causing visible injuries on her hand and leg. Artest was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence and using force or violence to prevent the woman from reporting a crime. He was released from custody after posting a US$50,000 bond.
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