■ATHLETICS
Bolt honored in Kingston
The world’s fastest man received one of his Caribbean homeland’s highest honors on Monday. Sprint superstar Usain Bolt received the Order of Jamaica award during heritage celebrations in Kingston. At 23, Bolt is the youngest person to ever receive the honor. In recent weeks Jamaica has also renamed a highway after the Olympic and world 100m and 200m champion and record-holder.
■RUGBY UNION
Mortlock out with calf injury
Former Australia captain Stirling Mortlock was yesterday ruled out of upcoming Tests against New Zealand and England because of a torn calf muscle, officials said. The Wallabies will play their first Test under new skipper Rocky Elsom against New Zealand in Tokyo on Oct. 31 and face England at Twickenham on Nov. 7. Mortlock, who said he had a “decent size tear in the muscle,” was hoping to rejoin the 35-man squad ahead of the Test against Ireland on Nov. 15. “I think realistically we’re targeting being 100 percent right by that week leading into the Ireland match,” he told reporters. “I’ll be ready to go, don’t worry about that.” Mortlock has just recovered from a knee injury that sidelined him for much of this year’s Tri-Nations series.
■FOOTBALL
Wesley suspended for hit
Carolina Panthers defensive back Dante Wesley has been suspended for one game for a hit on Clifton Smith of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Wesley “launched himself” and hit the “neck and head area” of Smith during a punt return, NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson said in a statement on Monday. Anderson said Smith, who had not touched the ball, was in a “defenseless posture.” The hit ignited an on-field scuffle between the two teams. Smith sustained a concussion and did not return to the game, won by Carolina, 28-21, on Sunday at Tampa Bay. Wesley will sit out the Panthers’ game this Sunday against Buffalo.
■BASEBALL
Tigers pursue Johjima
Japan’s Hanshin Tigers are keen to sign catcher Kenji Johjima after his decision to leave the Seattle Mariners and return home. The 33-year-old, who helped Japan retain the World Baseball Classic title earlier this year, opted out of the final two years of his contract with Seattle earlier this week. Johjima had signed a three-year, US$24 million contract extension with the Mariners during the 2008 season. “As a right-hander who can be a clean-up hitter he is a player we very much covet,” Tigers president Nobuo Minami told Japanese media yesterday. Johjima batted .268 during four seasons in Seattle, hitting 48 home runs with 198 RBI.
■TENNIS
Roddick books finals berth
American Andy Roddick has booked his place at the World Tour Finals with four weeks of the season remaining, the ATP said yesterday. The world No. 7 seven will join Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro at the end-of-season tournament. “The reaction I received from fans after the Wimbledon final was something I will never forget,” the 27-year-old Roddick told the ATP Web site. “I’ve always had great support in London and I’m looking forward to being back there in November.” Roddick, who reached the semi-finals in 2003 and 2004, has qualified for the season-ending event seven years in a row. Two places are still up for grabs with Russian Nikolay Davydenko and Spaniard Fernando Verdasco leading the chase.
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
Before Tuesday’s 7-2 win at the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested “most people couldn’t tell you five players on our team.” A look at the standings would indicate more Brewers players soon will be recognized by more fans. After all, it is difficult to overlook a team that not only continues to extend their lead in the National League Central, but also boasts the best record in the majors. “What we’re doing in here right now is special,” right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta said after allowing only four hits and one run in five innings, while setting a career high with
Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday fought through a second-set slump to post a roller-coaster 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 victory over Damir Dzumhur in his opening match at the Cincinnati Open. The Spaniard, playing his first tournament since losing to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final, raced through the first set, but completely lost his way in the second, dropping his serve twice against the 33-year-old Bosnian. Alcaraz regained his intensity and cut down his errors in the third set as a seventh ace took him to a match point that was converted when Dzumhur fired wide. “It was just a roller coaster,” said the second
A baseball team from New Taipei City won the US Pony Palomino Division World Series yesterday in Laredo, Texas, defeating the US West representative team from Azusa, California, 2-1. Ku-Pao Home Economics and Commercial High School earned the right to represent Taiwan in the Pony Palomino (17 to 18 age group) World Series after winning this year's Wang Chen-chih Cup, a competition named after Taiwanese-Japanese baseball legend Wang Chen-chih (王貞治), also known as Sadaharu Oh. In the championship game against Azusa, Ku-Pao's starting pitcher Luo Yu-yan (羅于晏) was erratic early, giving up two hits in the bottom of the first inning, followed
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