Russia win their group
Russia unleashed its power-play strength to beat the US 4-1 in the second round of the World Championship on Saturday. The US took an early lead, but paid for too many penalties as Russia rallied to make it 3-1 at the end of the first period. Russia got another power-play goal early in the second and the US never looked close to a comeback in the teams’ first meeting at the Worlds in five years. Defending champions Russia secured a spot in the quarter-finals as a top seed, having won Group E with a game to spare. The US can still seal a No. 2 seeding in the last eight by beating hosts Switzerland today. Belarus upset Finland in a shootout after a 1-1 tie in Zurich and will advance from Group F if unbeaten Canada beat last-place Norway. Latvia and the Czech Republic are on the brink of knockout play after dominating wins. Latvia routed France 7-1 in Bern and the Czechs handed Slovakia an 8-0 thrashing in Zurich.
■FOOTBALL
Roof breaks coach’s back
Dallas Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis broke his back and 11 more were injured when winds just shy of tornado strength ripped through the roof of the team’s indoor practice facility on Saturday. The storm hit while 27 rookie players were going through workouts. There were about 70 people in the facility, counting coaches, other team personnel and media, officials said. Ten of the injured were taken by emergency vehicles, while two others went to hospitals on their own. Former coach Dan Reeves, DeCamillis’ father-in-law, said the first-year Dallas assistant has a couple of broken vertebrae in his lower back.
■HORSE RACING
Borel pulls off shock win
Mine That Bird at 50-1 turned a sloppy Churchill Downs track into his personal playground by winning the 135th Kentucky Derby on Saturday in the second-biggest upset in America’s most celebrated race. Calvin Borel guided the unheralded Kentucky-bred gelding along the rail in a dramatic stretch run to win the US$2 million race by six-and-three-quarter lengths over Pioneerof the Nile. Borel flew past 12 horses by using a move similar to the one he applied aboard Street Sense to win the 2007 Derby. “It was a Street Sense move,” Borel said. “I learnt by Street Sense, being so patient with these three-year-olds. They can only go so fast and so far. So I sat back and had a good trip and when I hollered at him, he just went on.”
■CYCLING
Kreuziger eyes victory
Czech Roman Kreuziger is poised to win the Tour de Romandie after victory in the 157.5km fourth and penultimate stage from Estavayer-le-Lac to Sainte Croix on Saturday. Kreuziger, runner-up in the race last year, surged to the front with 15km to go on the last of four climbs along with Estonian Rein Taaramae and Russian Vladimir Karpets, who he now leads by 18 seconds in the overall standings. The Czech then produced the decisive burst with 2km left to cross the finish line ahead of Taaramae and Karpets.
■BOXING
Soto defends his title
Mexico’s Humberto Soto defended his World Boxing Council super featherweight title on Saturday with a ninth-round stoppage of Canadian challenger Benoit Gaudet. Soto improved to 48-7 with two drawn with his 31st stoppage within the distance, keeping the crown after referee Jay Nady stopped the fight after 2 minutes, 25 seconds of the ninth round. Gaudet fell to 20-2, his 11-fight win streak snapped.
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