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Sport Briefs

■ RALLYING

Hirvonen takes lead

Finland's Mikko Hirvonen, driving a Ford Focus, led the Rally of Great Britain after Friday's rain-hit opening day, ahead of Marcus Gronholm and three-time defending world champion Sebastien Loeb. After the day's six special stages, or 140km of timed sections, Hirvonen led Finland's Gronholm by 39 seconds and Loeb by 57 seconds. Hirvonen won five of the six special stages.

■ Stunt riding

Legendary daredevil dies

Motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel, who wowed and terrified crowds with his daring long-distance leaps and equally spectacular falls, died on Friday at the age of 69, his Web site said. The site gave no cause of death for Knievel, the man who survived death-defying stunts in the 1960s and 1970s, notably a 1974 jump over the Snake River Canyon in Idaho with a rocket-propelled bike. But US media said Knievel died of lung failure. He also suffered from diabetes and liver disease. Knievel finally retired at the end of the 1970s, without achieving his dream of leaping the Grand Canyon on his bike, as the authorities refused permission to install the necessary ramp in the national park.



■ Soccer

Hannover leave it late

Frank Fahrenhorst scored in the 84th minute to spark a late goal burst as Hannover 96 beat Hansa Rostock 3-0 on Friday, Rostock's third loss in four games. Fahrenhorst scored from a header while Mike Hanke followed in the 86th and Jiri Stajner a minute later as Hannover won for the second time in six games and moved up to sixth place in the Bundesliga. The game appeared to be headed toward a draw in the last 10 minutes when Szabolcs Huszti's free kick was deflected toward Fahrenhorst, who converted to spark the goal spree.



■ Soccer

South Africa drop McCarthy

South Africa have ditched star striker Benni McCarthy for next year's African Nations Cup in Ghana. Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira also dumped first choice defender Bradley Carnell and midfielders Delron Buckley and Macbeth Sibaya from a 23-man squad named on Friday. McCarthy's Blackburn Rovers teammate Aaron Moekoena (68 caps) and Arminia Bielefeld striker Sibusiso Zuma (59) are easily the most experienced members of a group that includes eight overseas-based players and 15 from the South Africa Premiership. Goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune from Kaizer Chiefs and striker Excellent Walaza from Orlando Pirates are the two uncapped players in a squad grouped with Angola, Senegal and Tunisia in a wide open Nations Cup mini-league.



■ Soccer

Champions League changing

UEFA is opening up the Champions League to more clubs from smaller countries. In a number of changes to the competition approved on Friday, UEFA also said three English, Italian and Spanish clubs will qualify automatically for the Champions League starting in 2009. Under the current format, only the top two teams from the English Premier League, Italy's Serie A and Spain's La Liga are guaranteed a spot in the group stage. That season's final in 2010 will then be held on a Saturday for the first time, instead of its traditional Wednesday date. UEFA's executive committee said six of the 32 places in the group stage would be reserved for champions from Europe's less competitive leagues, to bring more countries into the continent's top club competition.
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