■ Cycling
McEwen takes Tour stage
Australian Robbie McEwen, riding for the Predictor team, won Saturday's third stage of the Tour of Benelux in a sprint finish ahead of Italian Francesco Chicchi and Thor Hushovd of Norway. Belgian Nick Nuyens, of the Cofidis team, finished in the main peloton to keep the leader's red jersey. Despite his stage victory, McEwen expressed anger at his team's decision not to enter him in the Tour of Spain. "I was not ready to race this Tour of Benelux," he protested. "I would have preferred to do the Vuelta [which starts on Saturday]. I'm angry but I'm a professional and I always race to win."
■ Rugby Union
Japan star out of World Cup
Japan's main attacking threat Daisuke Ohata has been forced out of next month's rugby World Cup after rupturing his Achilles tendon, officials said yesterday. The winger, who has scored a world record 69 test tries, limped out of Japan's 15-13 win over Portugal in Lisbon on Saturday clutching his left foot. "It's his left Achilles tendon and it looks like he won't be taking part in the World Cup," the Japan Rugby Football Union said.
■ Soccer
Veteran coach quits
Veteran French coach Guy Roux, who spent more than 40 years working with Auxerre, quit as Lens boss on Saturday after just four games The 68-year-old Roux's decision to leave comes with Lens struggling three places off the bottom of the French league with just two points and without a win after four games. "It is without doubt the end of my career," said a tearful Roux who had told club president Gervais Martel of his desire to leave last week. "It is more honest to leave now but I hope that Lens will win lots of matches this season." Roux insisted that the precarious position of Lens was not the only reason for his departure. There were also health concerns for a man who underwent a heart bypass six years ago. Roux has taken charge of 894 matches as a coach in his French league career, 890 of those with Auxerre.
■ Soccer
Fans go on rampage
About 200 Cambodian fans rioted after the kingdom's youth team failed to score in the second half of an Asian championship match, smashing cars and throwing bottles, officials said yesterday. The riot broke out late on Saturday in Phnom Penh, but ended quickly after police fired a warning shot into the air, Sao Sokha, president of the Football Federation of Cambodia said. While Cambodia beat Brunei 2-0, local fans got angry when their players were shut out in the second half, said Sao Sokha. "Fans accused Cambodian players of not trying hard enough in the second half," he said.
■ Rugby Union
Pumas pummel Belgians
Argentina beat a Belgium XV 36-8 on Saturday in their last World Cup warm-up match. The Belgians called in four French players to help stave off potential humiliation with Francis N'Tamack, Aubin Hueber, Cedric Desbrosses and Yann Delaigue as reinforcements. But Argentina were in front after 11 minutes with a try from Hernan Maria Nunez Piossek which Felipe Contepomi converted to make the score 7-0. Martin Schusterman added the second try with Contepomi again adding the extra points but the Belgians made the score 14-5 at the interval when Alan Williams crossed for a try. Argentina stepped up their game after the break with Horacio Agulla, Manuel Contepomi and Hernan Senillosa adding to the total.
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