■ RUGBY UNION
Aussie coach loses locks
The trademark long locks of Australia's attack coach Scott Johnson are no more following the Wallabies' 20-15 Tri-Nations rugby upset of New Zealand on Saturday. Johnson honored a bet with the Wallaby players to mark the occasion of Australia's rousing victory over the World Cup favorites. In the Wallabies team hotel following the Tri-Nations triumph Johnson shaved off his signature grey locks as part of the bet. It was his first short haircut in 20 years. "We've haven't beaten New Zealand in a long time [three years] and I haven't coached a team that's beaten the All Blacks," he said. "I just put it to them [during preparations], if you win I'll cut my hair because it's always been a point of banter."
■ ATHLETICS
Champion runner collapses
Champion US marathon runner Alberto Salazar collapsed on Saturday at the Nike World campus and was hospitalized with a heart problem. According to a news release from Providence St Vincent Medical Center, in Portland, Oregon, Salazar did not have a heart attack. But the 48-year-old did have to have a stent inserted to open up an artery. Salazar was awake and alert when he arrived at the hospital. He was being treated in the cardiac care unit and was in serious condition. Salazar won three consecutive New York City marathons. He has set six US records and one world record. He is a longtime Nike employee and consultant.
■ FORMULA ONE
Massa takes pole position
Felipe Massa signaled a possible Ferrari comeback by taking the pole position on Saturday for the French Grand Prix to stop Lewis Hamilton's run. Massa timed 1 minute, 15.034 seconds on the 4.41km circuit for his fourth Formula One pole of the season and the seventh of his career. The Brazilian had three straight poles earlier this season, but the first since the Spanish GP in May. "I am happy to start again in the pole position" Massa said. Hamilton was second for McLaren in 1:15.104, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari in 1:15.257. Two-time defending world champion Fernando Alonso was 10th in his McLaren in a limited session. Robert Kubica, who survived an horrific crash at the Canadian GP and missed the following US GP, was fourth in 1:15.493. He was cleared to race on Thursday after hurting his ankle when he crashed hard into two walls in Montreal. Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella and Heiki Kovalainen were fifth and sixth.
■ BASEBALL
Bonds calls for more security
San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds has called for increased security at his home ballpark after a fan entered the field and approached him during Friday's game with Arizona. Bonds, who is on the verge of becoming baseball's all-time home run leader, was told security would be beefed-up as he nears Hank Aaron's record of 755. "This is about baseball players, all of us," Bonds told reporters. "This is not my ballpark. I just work here ... I'm an employee. All the employees should be protected." The fan rushed bare-footed onto the field in the seventh inning and ran towards Bonds. Bonds put his arm around him and walked him off the field to waiting security. Bonds said the fan told him he had no shoes, no money, and nothing in his life. "`I've been down in that neighborhood.' I said, `Let's just walk back together, though, so those guys don't get itchy and throw you to the ground, and you can show them that you mean no harm,'" Bonds said.
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
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was