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■ TRIATHLON

Gomez wins in Mooloolaba

Spain's Javier Gomez pulled away from the leading group in the final 2km of the run leg yesterday to win the World Cup triathlon in Mooloolaba, Australia -- his 13th straight time on the podium in ITU events. Gomez, whose last race finish outside the top three was on March 3, 2006 in Doha, Qatar, finished in 1 minute, 49 minutes and 50 seconds. Last year's champion, Beijing-bound Brad Kahlefeldt of Australia, was second in 1:50.14 while Britain's Tim Don was third, nine seconds further back. Gomez, the world champion, was the first triathlete from the northern hemisphere to win the event in six years.



■ CURLING

China reach women's final

China reached the final of the women's curling world championships for the first time ever at Vernon, Canada. The Chinese team, led by captain Wang Bingyu and who were ranked 11th in the world before this event, finished in top spot of the qualifying phase with 10 victories and two defeats. China, whose first appearance in this tournament was just five years ago, beat favorites Canada 7-5 to qualify for the final. In Sunday's title game, China will meet either holders Canada, who have won the competition 14 times since 1979, or Japan. Till now, no Asian team has managed to win a medal. The president of the international curling federation Les Harrison said: "The results of China and Japan have brought about a redefining of the curling landscape."



■ MOTORSPORT

Schumacher qualifies third

Michael Schumacher, the retired Formula 1 world champion, finished third in qualifying on Saturday for his first competitive motorbike race and will start on the front row. The 39-year-old German, whose seven titles and 91 grand prix wins make him Formula 1's most successful driver, had said he would be happy just to make the starting grid for the KTM minor series race at the Misano circuit in Italy yesterday. "Here it will be impossible to win, there are real and well-prepared riders, practically professional," the ex-Ferrari driver told Saturday's Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.



■ BOXING

Abraham knocks out Ayala

Arthur Abraham knocked out American Elvin Ayala with a 12th-round uppercut in Kiel, Germany, on Saturday and successfully defended his IBF middleweight title for the seventh time. The victory paved the way for the unbeaten German to keep a scheduled bout in New York on June 7 against an undetermined boxer. He is ranked second to Kelly Pavlik among the world's middleweights by the IBO. Abraham knocked down Ayala (18-3, with one draw and eight knockouts) in the fifth -- the first time the American had been off his feet in his career -- and followed with a barrage of punches in the subsequent three rounds.



■ SWIMMING

D'Arcy under investigation

Australian Olympic swimmer Nick D'Arcy was under police investigation after an early morning incident at a Sydney nightclub, Swimming Australia said yesterday. Police said they were investigating an altercation which left former three-time 1998 Commonwealth Games champion Simon Cowley with facial injuries, including a suspected broken nose. The incident came just hours after 20-year-old butterfly star D'Arcy was officially named in the Australian team for his first Olympics in Beijing following the eight-day selection trials.



■ SOCCER

Mourinho denies Inter talks

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho vehemently denied on Saturday he had held talks with Serie A leaders Inter Milan about taking over next season from Roberto Mancini as had been widely reported. The 45-year-old -- known as "The Special One" -- issued a statement rubbishing the rumors and contradicting his own spokesman who had confirmed that he had held a meeting in Milan with Inter president Massimo Moratti. "I say categorically that it is not true that I went to Milan, that I met with Massimo Moratti, who I do not have the pleasure of knowing personally," read the statement sent to the Portuguese national agency Lusa. "It is false to say that I am on the point of signing a contract with Inter Milan."



■ CRICKET

Akhtar, Asif not selected

Pakistan selectors have left senior fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Muhammad Asif out of the squad for the first two one-day internationals against Bangladesh to be played next month. Shoaib was not considered as he faced a disciplinary hearing, while Asif had yet to recover fully from an elbow injury that had kept him out of action since October, a spokesman for the Pakistan board said. Shoaib is due to appear before the Pakistan Cricket Board's disciplinary committee tomorrow to respond to several violations of the players Code of Conduct.



■ SOCCER

Bolivia to take FIFA to court

Bolivia will take its case against FIFA's ban on international games at altitude to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport, the country's chief soccer official said on Saturday. "We have determined ... to fight for our rights," Bolivian federation president Carlos Chavez said in announcing it will formally file its appeal next week. Ratified earlier this month, FIFA requires players to acclimatize for at least a week before international games above 2,750m, and two weeks for matches higher than 3,000m. With matches -- especially World Cup qualifying games -- often scheduled within days of one another and fitted within league fixtures, the rule virtually bans games at those altitudes.



■ ROWING

Oxford win the Boat Race

Oxford University beat defending champions Cambridge to win the 154th annual Boat Race along the River Thames on Saturday for the third time in four years. The favored eight-man Oxford crew broke clear after Cambridge failed to take advantage of the left-hand, mid-race bend and crossed the line at the end of the 6.8km race in 20 minutes, 53 seconds. Cambridge finished in 21 minutes, 13 seconds in the slowest race since 1947.



■ SOCCER

Rangers win Old Firm clash

A Kevin Thomson strike gave Rangers a 1-0 win over Celtic that leaves the Ibrox giants on the brink of reclaiming the Scottish Premier League title from their arch rivals. Former Hibs midfielder Thomson secured his new club's fourth successive Old Firm win a minute before halftime, exchanging passes with striker Jean-Claude Darcheville before sliding a low finish past Artur Boruc in the Celtic goal. The win extended Rangers' lead at the top of the table to six points and, with the benefit of a game in hand, manager Walter Smith looks destined to secure the trophy in his first full season since he returned to the club in the middle of last term.
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