■FORMULA ONE
Lotus ready to start tests
The new Malaysian-backed Lotus F1 team are ready to start wind tunnel tests on a scale model of their car only a month after they were handed a place on next year’s starting grid. “The start of any wind-tunnel testing is an important step in the development of a new Formula One car, but it is particularly exciting for us as we continue preparations for our first season,” chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne said in a statement on Wednesday. “We had been working on the entry for several months, so we already had aspects of the team infrastructure in place — the finances, the factory and the top management. Once our entry was confirmed in mid-September, we were able to accelerate our recruitment and car development process.”
■GYMNASTICS
He, Hong push for gold
Olympic champions He Kexin of China and North Korea’s Hong Un-jong made their push for gold at the world gymnastics championships on Wednesday. He, the gold medalist in Beijing in the uneven bars, topped qualification with 15.975 points ahead of promising US talent Rebecca Bross (15.050) and North Korea’s Cha Hong-gwa (15.025). Hong, gold medalist in the pommel horse at the Olympics, was second after qualifying with 14.787 points, just behind Kayla Williams of the US with 14.812. Britain’s Beth Tweddle blew her chance of a medal on the uneven bars, but the 2007 world champion did secure a place in the floor final. Tweddle slipped during her uneven bar performance while trying to execute the “Tweddle” — the move named after her.
■BASEBALL
Clubs chase young pitcher
The Boston Red Sox are among several major league teams lining up to woo Japanese high school pitcher Yusei Kikuchi. The 18-year-old left-hander, who throws a fastball that has been clocked as high as 155kph, is the latest Japanese amateur pitcher to draw interest from major leagues teams. Kikuchi will hold talks with the Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants on Monday, Nikkan Sports newspaper reported. The New York Yankees, New York Mets and Seattle Mariners are to meet with him on Tuesday.
■TENNIS
Minar handed doping ban
The Czech Republic’s Ivo Minar was handed an eight-month doping ban on Wednesday that will rule the 25-year-old out of December’s Davis Cup final against Spain, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced. Minar tested positive for a banned stimulant, methyl-hexanamine, during the Davis Cup quarter-final victory over Argentina in July. The player said that the substance had entered his body through a nutritional supplement called “Tight! Xtreme,” claiming he had taken it on professional advice unaware that it was on the banned list. “The ITF accepted Minar’s explanation, but it is the responsibility of each player to be aware that a banned substance does not penetrate his body,” a Czech tennis federation statement said.
■SOCCER
French Muslim club banned
Amateur soccer club Creteil Bebel were permanently banned from the French amateur league on Wednesday after refusing to play a match against a gay team. Last week, Paris Foot Gay said its members were victims of homophobia when Creteil, a team of Muslim players, refused to play them earlier this month. The league said it had excluded Creteil for “refusing the match on discriminatory grounds.”
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or