■RUGBY UNION
‘Chunk’ facing long lay off
Scotland prop Allan Jacobsen could be out for four months after tests revealed he needs surgery on his shoulder, the team doctor said on Sunday. Jacobsen, 30, damaged his right shoulder during Scotland’s 26-6 win over Italy at Murrayfield in the Six Nations Championship on Saturday. “‘Chunk’ has damaged the pectoralis major muscle adjacent to his right shoulder,” James Robson said. “It will require repair and the operation will be carried out later this week by surgeon Richard Nutton at the Spire Murrayfield Hospital.” The news will be a major blow for Scotland head coach Frank Hadden, as the forward played in all 10 internationals last year and has featured in all three Six Nations games this season.
■SKIING
Lizeroux claims slalom win
France’s Julien Lizeroux produced a blistering second run to win a slalom in Kranjska Gora on Sunday and secure his second World Cup victory. Lizeroux jumped from fourth after the first run to take top spot in an overall time of one minute 40.11 seconds. It was Lizeroux’s second victory this season after his success in Kitzbuehel in January. Italian Giuliano Razzoli was the fastest in the morning but had to settle for second place, 0.34 seconds adrift. It was his best result in a World Cup slalom, bettering his third place in Zagreb in January. Germany’s Felix Neureuther took advantage of another collective failure by the Austrians to steal third place, 0.56 off the pace. Austria had to be content with four men in the top eight after their top slalom specialist, Reinfried Herbst, straddled a gate on the second run having clocked the second fastest time in the opening run. Benjamin Raich missed a podium placing by 0.04 seconds but his fourth place moved the Austrian to within two points of Croat Ivica Kostelic in the World Cup overall standings. A disastrous 25th after the first leg, Kostelic clocked the fastest second run time to finish 11th. Next weekend’s program in Kvitfjell, Norway, with a downhill and a super-G on the schedule, will favour speed specialists like Swiss Didier Cuche and local hope Aksel Lund Svindal, who are still within reach of the overall crystal globe. The slalom World Cup title will be decided in the last race in Are. Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Grange leads on 481 points, 49 points ahead of Kostelic while Austrian world champion Manfred Pranger is the only other contender on 389 points.
■BOBSLED
US earns rare gold medal
American Steven Holcomb has won the four-man bobsled title at the world championships, the first gold medal for the US at the worlds in 50 years. Holcomb finished with a four-run time of three minutes, 36.61 seconds to beat defending champion Andre Lange of Germany by 0.97 seconds. Janis Minins of Latvia took the bronze, a full second behind Holcomb.
■HORSE RACING
Midshipman to miss Derby
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Midshipman injured his left front leg and will miss the Kentucky Derby and the rest of the Triple Crown races. The three-year-old colt owned by Dubai’s Sheik Mohammed sustained a “minor soft tissue injury” during a routine exercise at Godolphin’s al Quoz Stables on Saturday, Godolpin Racing said on its Web site on Sunday. Midshipman, the two-year-old champion colt and an early Derby favorite, was purchased by Sheik Mohammed late last year and sent to Dubai to train for the race. The injury is not considered serious, and it is hoped that Midshipman could return to racing for the second half of the year.
■ICE HOCKEY
Eye-gouging Ott suspended
Dallas Stars forward Steve Ott has been suspended indefinitely for trying to injure Anaheim’s Travis Moen, the NHL said on Sunday. Ott received a match penalty, given for deliberately trying to injure an opponent, for his actions during a fight with Moen following Saturday’s 4-3 victory by visiting Anaheim. The 26-year-old Ott was suspended for gouging Moen’s eye during the altercation, which occurred seconds after the final horn sounded. Ott sat out Sunday’s 4-1 loss to visiting Pittsburgh and will not play until he has a hearing with NHL officials, who will determine the length of his suspension.
■BASEBALL
A-Rod talks roids with MLB
Alex Rodriguez met with officials from Major League Baseball’s Department of Investigations and Labor Relations Department on Sunday to discuss his past steroid use. Rodriguez was deemed “cooperative” during the two-hour session, a statement released by Major League Baseball said. The league declined to comment further, but US media had previously reported that Rodriguez likely would bring two lawyers with him — personal attorney Jay Reisinger, who has represented Andy Pettitte and Sammy Sosa, and a lawyer from the players’ union. It was expected that the only questions Rodriguez would be compelled to answer were whether he procured performance-enhancing drugs on MLB grounds, such as the clubhouse or team plane. One thing not expected to happen to Rodriguez is a suspension, since he tested positive before MLB had an official drug policy.
■BASEBALL
Nats manager resigns
Washington Nationals general manager Jim Bowden resigned on Sunday, saying an investigation into the skimming of bonus money given to prospects from Latin America had become a distraction for the club. The team on Thursday fired longtime Bowden assistant Jose Rijo, who ran the Nationals’ operations in the Dominican Republic. Rijo was a key figure in the signing of 16-year-old prospect Esmailyn Gonzalez, who turned out in fact to be a 20-year-old called Carlos Daniel Alvarez Lugo.
■CYCLING
Boonen wins in Belgium
Belgian star Tom Boonen claimed his first big spring classics win of the season at the Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne semi-classic on Sunday. The 2005 world champion, who rides for Quick Step, finished ahead of Columbia sprinter Bernhard Eisel of Austria and Britain’s Jeremy Hunt, who was third in a bunch sprint for the line. In Sunday’s race, held over 194km, the 194-strong field stopped to pay tribute to stricken Belgian racer Frederiek Nolf, 21, who died in his sleep at the Tour of Qatar on Feb. 5.
■FOOTBALL
Players missing at sea
NFL players Corey Smith and Marquis Cooper are among four people missing off the coast of Florida after their boat failed to return from a fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico, the US Coast Guard said. Cooper, Smith and two of their friends were on a 6.5m fishing craft that left Seminole Boat Ramp in Clearwater Pass, Florida, on Saturday at 6:30am. They were reported overdue on Sunday at 1:30am, the Coast Guard said in a news release. Coast Guard helicopters, airplanes and boats yesterday began searching a 2,000km² area about 80km west of Clearwater Pass. Smith, 29, played defensive end for the Detroit Lions last season and is a free agent. Cooper, 26, is a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care