■ICE HOCKEY
Sweden beats Canada
Erin Holmlov scored two power-play goals to help Sweden beat Canada for the first time in women’s international ice hockey, winning 2-1 in overtime on Friday in the Four Nations Cup. With Canada’s Gillian Apps off the ice for a foul, Holmlov beat goalie Kim St. Pierre with a backhander at 3:41 of overtime. Sweden’s Sara Grahn made 29 saves, allowing only Meaghan Mikkelson’s tying goal in the third period. Canada has earned a spot in the final today, while Sweden will play in the third-place playoff. Canada’s opponent in the final will be the US, which beat Finland 4-1 on Thursday.
■SKATING
Nagashima wins sprint
Keiichiro Nagashima of Japan won the 500m sprint at the opening speedskating World Cup meet on Friday, clocking 34.92 seconds for the second-fastest time ever on the course. Pekka Koskela of Finland was second in 34.99, edging Lee Kyou-hyuk of South Korea, who finished in 35.01. Mike Ireland of Canada crashed heavily and dislocated his shoulder, forcing him to pull out of the remaining races over the weekend. Sven Kramer of the Netherlands won the men’s 5,000 in 6 minutes, 15.74 seconds. Haevard Boekko of Norway prevented a Dutch sweep by finishing second in 6:20.03. Carl Verheijen of the Netherlands was third in 6:20.87 and another Dutchman, Bob de Jong, was fourth.
■ATHLETICS
Runner dies on 61st birthday
Larry James, who won 400m silver and relay gold at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, has died at the age of 61, USA Track and Field announced Friday. James, a two-time medalist at the 1968 Olympics, died on Thursday of cancer in Smithville, New Jersey. It was his 61st birthday. James, nicknamed “The Mighty Burner,” won silver in the 400m behind world record-setting teammate Lee Evans, and won gold running the third leg of the US 4x400m relay team, which set a world record of 2:56.16 seconds that lasted until 1992.
■FOOTBALL
Torain out for season
Denver’s rookie running back Ryan Torain will miss the remainder of the National Football League season with a torn knee ligament, NFL.com reported on Friday. Torain, 22, left Thursday’s 34-30 victory over the Cleveland Browns in the second quarter with a left knee injury. Torain, a fifth-round selection in the NFL draft in April, was hurt on a running play when he was bent awkwardly with 8:21 left in the quarter. Torain will have more tests this weekend but the initial prognosis is not good. Torain is the latest injury blow to a Broncos team that already has running backs Michael Pittman and Andre Hall on injured reserve. Selvin Young is also nursing a groin injury.
■SWIMMING
Mansfield honors champion
Britain’s double Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington has been honored by her hometown following her 400m and 800m freestyle gold medal-winning performances at the Beijing games. She became the most successful British swimmer in the past 100 years — the country’s first Olympic swimming champion since 1988 and the first to win two Olympic golds since 1908. After being awarded the freedom of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, she said: “Thank you to absolutely everybody, to Mansfield. It’s such a great honor to get this — to the family, having to put up with me. It’s been the best time of my life.” Friday’s accolade is the latest in Adlington’s star-studded welcome home, following an open-top bus parade in August.
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