Sun, Dec 28, 2008 page19

• Sport Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■DRAG RACING

  Street caused crash: report

  The final state report into a car show crash last year that killed six spectators and wounded 22 others blamed the design of the street where the event was staged. The report by the Tennessee Highway Patrol found the street was peaked slightly to aid drainage and it began to curve so it “differed vastly from the flat, straight surface of a drag strip in which the car was designed to be operated on.” The car’s driver, Troy Critchley, an Australian living in Texas, pleaded guilty in August to 28 charges of reckless assault. He was sentenced to 18 months probation. The 3,000 horse power dragster reached 148kph in 3.56 seconds before swerving into spectators standing six deep on the side of the street, the report found. The burnout was part of an annual car show and parade put on by Cars for Kids Southern Style Inc, a local charity that raises money for children’s hospitals.

  ■ALPINE SKIING

  Lanning to miss race

  American skier T.J. Lanning crashed at high speed in a World Cup downhill training session on Friday and was ruled out of racing this weekend. Lanning had cuts on his face and a possible bruise to his knee after losing control and slamming into the safety netting lining the Stelvio course. “He’s getting checked out. We’re still in the evaluation process,” US Ski Team head coach Sasha Rearick said. “He was able to ski down.” Lanning was not taken to a hospital, but team doctors advised him against racing. Rearick said the crash occurred at “very high speed.” The race is scheduled for today.

  ■BASEBALL

  Giants sign ‘Big Unit’

  Five-time Cy Young winner Randy Johnson signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants on Friday. The 45-year-old Johnson signed a deal worth US$8 million, US media reported. He is five wins shy of becoming the 24th pitcher in MLB history to reach 300 in his career. A 10-time all-star, Johnson is second on the career strikeout list with 4,789. His 295 career victories currently rank sixth among lefthanders. A 21-year major league veteran, Johnson owns a 295-160 record with a 3.26 ERA in 596 games — 586 starts — with Montreal, Seattle, Houston, Arizona and the New York Yankees.

  ■TENNIS

  Amritaj may be barred

  A government order unveiled on Friday that prevents non-natives from representing India could deny Prakash Amritraj a place on India’s Davis Cup squad. The sports ministry release said: “Players who are Indian citizens only can avail themselves of government assistance to represent the country in the national teams representing the country.” It effectively rules out Amritraj, 25, a US citizen who was born in Encino, California, from starting a sixth year on India’s Davis Cup team or in the Olympics or the Asian Games. Three women tennis players, Sunitha Rao, Shikha Uberoi and her sister Neha, will also be barred because they are all US citizens.

  ■ATHLETICS

  Bolt’s choreographer killed

  The dancer and choreographer who created the dance used by Jamaica sprinter Usain Bolt to celebrate his victories at the Beijing Olympics was shot to death at a Kingston nightclub on Friday, police said. David Alexander Smith, known in entertainment circles as “Ice,” was shot in the head and chest during an argument with two men. They then took his keys and fled in his car, police said. Smith created the “Gully Creeper” that Bolt danced each time he won a race at the Olympics last August.
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