■TENNIS
Alicia Molik retires at 27
Australia’s Alicia Molik has retired from international tennis after a long run of injuries, including a debilitating inner-ear virus. Molik peaked at a No. 8 ranking after reaching the Australian Open quarter-finals in 2005, but spent most of the rest of that season off the circuit because she was unable to balance owing to the ear virus. She won the bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics and, despite only limited time in competition, achieved her ambition of making the Beijing Olympics last month, but was knocked out in the first round. “It’s tiring and it’s very draining,” Molik told Melbourne’s Age newspaper on Friday. “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking ... It took a while to get back and since then I’ve just struggled with a few more things that I never imagined would come along the way.”
■CYCLING
Chavanel takes Vuelta lead
Italian rider Paolo Bettini of Quick Step won the sixth stage of the Tour of Spain on Thursday, a 150.1km course from Ciudad Real to Toledo, while France’s Sylvain Chavanel of Cofidis took the overall lead. Bettini came in ahead of Belgium’s Philippe Gilbert of Francaise des Jeux, while Spain’s Alejandro Valverde of Caisse d’Epargne was third in the sprint. It was the fourth Vuelta stage triumph of Bettini’s career. The 34-year-old said was an encouraging sing for his bid for a third successive win at the world championships in Itlay starting on Sept. 23. Chavanel, who climbed to second place in the overall standings after Wednesday’s individual time trial, collected 12 bonus seconds for winning both intermediate sprints which allowed him to take the leader’s golden jersey from US rider Levi Leipheimer. Leipheimer is now 10 seconds behind Chavanel in the overall standings, while Valverde is third at 26 seconds.
■SOCCER
Club punished over violet
FIFA has ordered Romania’s soccer authorities to deduct six league points from top-division club FC Timisoara for refusing to change its playing colors. Timisoara began the season wearing a violet-colored strip despite a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling last April ordering it to change. The CAS hearing was held to decide which of two rival Romanian clubs had the strongest claim to the historical identity — including the traditional playing colors — of the team associated with the Politehnica student team of Timisoara. The ruling asked FIFA to deduct the points from FC Timisoara if it failed to comply with its legal defeat.
■PARALYMPICS
Aussie not blind enough yet
An Australian athlete in Beijing for the Paralympics has been told she cannot compete because she is not blind enough, a team spokesman said yesterday. Jessica Gallagher, 22, had been due to contest five events, the discus, long jump, shot put and the 100m and 200m sprints, before her hopes were dashed after she failed a classification test in Beijing. Although her right eye met the criteria, her left eye was found to be too good. A spokesman for the Australian team in Beijing said Gallagher was aware before she traveled to China that she was borderline and could fail the classification test. “It hasn’t come as a shock to her,” he said, adding that within 12 months it was likely that the level of deterioration in her left eye would mean she would be eligible to compete. The International Paralympic Committee has allowed Gallagher to stay after the Australian team said her osteopathy skills would be useful, the spokesman said.
EVERY DAY A VICTORY: Players on the women’s team faced pressure from society just getting out onto the field as they prepare for their first Women’s Asian Cup game today Bangladesh’s national soccer team face daunting odds at their first-ever Women’s Asian Cup, but have already scored a major victory by qualifying. In the South Asian nation of 170 million, social stigma, family expectations, poverty and religious hardliners have long relegated women and girls to sports sidelines. The first women’s soccer league matches took place in 2011 and the squad, known to fans as the Red and Green, have kept pressing forward despite deeply embedded prejudices. “Many more girls would have joined us if the community had been even slightly supportive,” captain Afeida Khandaker told AFP ahead of her side’s March 3
Soccer officials yesterday offered “full support and assistance” to the Iranian team in Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after the US and Israel launched massive attacks on their homeland. Iran’s 26-strong squad arrived on the Gold Coast days before the strikes on Saturday killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Washington and Tel Aviv seek to topple the Islamic republic. They are due to open their tournament today against South Korea. The AFC in a statement said it “continues to closely monitor the recent developments in the Middle East during this challenging period.” “The AFC’s foremost priority remains the welfare, safety and
ROAD RASH: Marc Marquez retired after a crash, marking the first time after 88 consecutive races stretching back to 2021 that a Ducati bike failed to make the podium Marco Bezzecchi yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening grand prix in Thailand from pole position as defending world champion Marc Marquez retired late with a buckled wheel. Aprilia’s Bezzecchi led from start to finish to top the podium in Buriram, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta second and Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez third. Ducati’s Marquez is chasing a record-equaling eighth world title this season, but he exited the race in dramatic fashion while in fourth place with five laps to go. The Spaniard, who started from second on the grid, took a corner wide, with the jolt to his bike dislodging the rear tire, badly damaging his
Liverpool on Tuesday suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers as Andre’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the English Premier League’s bottom club. Arne Slot’s side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes’ strike in the closing stages at Molineux. Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November last year. However, Andre’s first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool. It was the first time the Premier League’s bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017. Liverpool
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