■ SWIMMING
Leveaux sets third record
Three world records were set at the European short-course championships on Saturday, with Amaury Leveaux of France setting his third in a meet marked by a total of 10 world records in three days. Leveaux bettered a men’s 100m freestyle record he had set a day earlier, Sanja Jovanovic of Croatia broke her own mark in the women’s 50 backstroke and Russia’s Nikolay Skvortsov eclipsed the oldest short-course record in the men’s 200 butterfly. In the women’s 400 freestyle, Coralie Balmy of France won gold with 3:56.39, just 0.30 seconds short of matching the world record held by compatriot Laure Manaudou.
■ SKELETON
Rommel wins again
Frank Rommel of Germany won his second straight skeleton World Cup race on Saturday. Rommel trailed Russia’s Alexander Tretiakov by 0.05 seconds after the opening heat, but posted the fastest time in the second to finish in an aggregate time of 1 minute, 46.01 seconds. Tretiakov took second, 0.25 behind Rommel, while Martins Dukurs of Latvia finished third with a 0.37-second deficit. Jeff Pain of Canada was fourth, another 0.17 behind. The 24-year-old Rommel had his maiden victory in Altenberg, Germany, last week.
■ CURLING
David Murdoch dazzles
Scotland’s David Murdoch made a great comeback to defend the men’s title and Mirjam Ott of Switzerland won the women’s gold medal at the European Curling Championships on Saturday. Murdoch made a dazzling double-takeout to tie the game in the final end, then saw skip Thomas Ulsrud’s last shot in the extra-end slipping two inches too far for a wild 7-6 victory over Norway. Ott’s crew edged defending Olympic and European champion Anette Norberg of Sweden 5-4 in the women’s final.
■ ALPINE SKIING
lsson wins 15km classic
Johan Olsson of Sweden won the 15km classic event in a World Cup cross-country meet on Saturday to lead the overall standings. The 28-year-old Olsson finished in 40 minutes, 10 seconds in Fluela Valley for his first individual World Cup victory and first podium finish, 10.5 seconds ahead of Axel Teichmann of Germany. Early leader Sami Jauhojaervi of Finland was 28.5 seconds back to place third for his third career podium finish. In the women’s 10km classic, Virpi Kuitunen won in 29 minutes, 51 seconds, 18 seconds clear of fellow Finn Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, who was fastest at halfway. Marit Bjoergen of Norway, the Olympic 10km silver medalist, was 46.7 seconds back in third. Kuitunen, the two-time defending World Cup champion, was winning at Davos for the third straight season. It was her 19th career World Cup victory.
■ COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Bradford wins Heisman
Oklahoma University quarterback Sam Bradford won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday for guiding the highest-scoring team in major college football history to the national championship game. A year after Tim Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman for college football’s best player, Bradford became the second and kept the University of Florida quarterback from joining Archie Griffin as the only two-time winners. Bradford, who leads the US in touchdown passes with 48, received 1,726 points. University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was second with 1,604 and Tebow — who received the most first-place votes — was third with 1,575 points.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely