■GOLF
Golf Writers choose Woods
Tiger Woods has been voted male player of the year by the Golf Writers Association of America by an overwhelming margin over Steve Stricker, with most ballots returned after he became embroiled in a sex scandal. It was the 10th time Woods has won the award in his 13 years as a pro. US LPGA Tour rookie Jiyai Shin was voted female player of the year over Lorena Ochoa, while Loren Roberts won the senior player award. Woods, forced out for eight months last year with major knee surgery, returned to win six times on the US PGA Tour. He captured the FedEx Cup, along with the tour money title and the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average. He received 168 votes (84 percent), while Stricker had 20 votes and US PGA champion YE Yang received 13 votes.
■FOOTBALL
Rams home with swine flu
Two confirmed cases of swine flu among players prompted the St Louis Rams to cancel practice on Thursday, with all players being sent home. Quarterback Kyle Boller and center Jason Brown missed practice on Wednesday with undisclosed illnesses, with Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo saying Brown had also been ill on Monday. The swine flu issue adds more problems in a difficult season for the Rams, who take a 1-12 record — matching Tampa Bay for the National Football League’s worst mark — into Sunday’s NFL home game against the Houston Texans (6-7).
■FOOTBALL
Collier shooter sentenced
Tyrone Hartsfield, convicted of attempted first-degree murder last month in the shooting of former NFL blocker Richard Collier, received a life sentence on Thursday. Judge Mallory Cooper handed down the sentence that will keep Hartsfield, 33, behind bars for the rest of his days, state officials said. Collier, a former offensive lineman for the Jacksonville Jaguars, was shot six times last year as he waited for a car outside an apartment building. As a result of his injuries, Collier’s left leg was amputated and he was paralyzed below the waist. Prosecutors said Hartsfield sought vengeance after being knocked out by Collier in a nightclub brawl.
■BASEBALL
Mets sign Igarashi
Hoping they’ve found their setup man on the other side of the globe, the New York Mets agreed to a US$3 million, two-year contract with Japanese reliever Ryota Igarashi on Thursday. The 30-year-old pitcher became the first major addition this offseason for the Mets following a 70-92 season debacle. The Mets think Igarashi could fill the role of eighth-inning setup man for All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez. Igarashi was 47-29 with a 3.25 ERA and 54 saves for the Yakult Swallows in the Japanese Central League from 1999 to last year. He had 630 strikeouts in 570 innings.
■CRICKET
Wickets tumble in Perth
Australia were in a strong position, despite struggling in their second innings, at the end of the third day of the third Test against the West Indies in Perth. The home side had a lead of 345 after reaching 137 for eight at stumps. The not out batsman were Clint McKay (1) and Nathan Hauritz (11). Dwayne Bravo took 3 for 34 and Sulieman Benn 2 for 26 for the Windies. Earlier the tourists had collapsed from their overnight score of 214 for 2 to be dismissed for 312. Doug Bollinger did most of the damage, taking 5 for 70, with support from Hauritz (3 for 66) and Mitchell Johnson (2 for 92).
■WEIGHTLIFTING
Poblete’s baby dies
The week-old baby of Elizabeth Poblete, born prematurely when the Chilean Olympic weightlifter was training, died in the intensive care unit of a Brazil hospital. Poblete gave birth on Dec. 8 at the Sao Paulo sports club Esporte Clube Pinheiros, where she had arrived to train. Officials at the Hospital Sao Luiz said Poblete had not known she was six months pregnant. Poblete, who finished 12th in the Beijing Olympics in the 75kg class, was training in Brazil to prepare for next year’s South American Games in Medellin, Colombia.
■ATHLETICS
Chinese banned for cheating
The Chinese Athletic Association has banned a provincial coach and two athletes for cheating on a doping test. A statement posted on the association’s Web site said coach Zhu Lidong asked sprinter Teng Haina to take a drug test in place of her teammate Ha Xianpin in July. All are from the provincial athletics team from Heilongjiang. “When the inspector asked Ha to have a test, coach Zhu tried to obstruct things by saying Ha was injured,” said Zhao Jian, vice director of China’s anti-doping center.When officials compared photos of the athletes, they discovered the switch, and when they questioned Teng, she gave a false name, Zhao said. The coach has been banned from participating in sporting events for four years, the statement said. Teng was banned for four years and Ha for one year. The coach and Teng have also been fined 20,000 yuan (US$2,900), and Ha was fined 5,000 yuan.
■CYCLING
Mock banned for marijuna
David Mock, a 32-year-old American cyclist, accepted a three-month doping ban after testing positive for a marijuana metabolite in August, the US Anti-Doping Agency announced on Thursday. Mock tested positive for the banned substance Carboxy THC, a cannabis class drug, in a urine sample taken on Aug. 15 after a sixth-place finish in the Yankee Clipper stage race. The sanction could bring a two-year ban, but Mock accepted a three-month period of ineligibility that began on Aug. 11 and was reduced to time served after his completion of a US Anti-Doping education program on Wednesday. Mock’s results in all events from Aug. 15 through Wednesday were forfeited.
■RUGBY UNION
ERC bans Mela for punch
Brive lock Arnaud Mela was banned for seven weeks for punching by a European Rugby Cup (ERC) disciplinary panel on Thursday. Mela was cited for foul play during Brive’s crushing 36-3 European Cup loss at home to London Irish last Saturday for an alleged punch on the Exiles’ replacement hooker Danie Coetzee. Now Mela will miss the return Pool Six fixture between the two clubs today. ERC judicial officer Robert Williams (Wales) found Mela guilty of foul play and, after taking into account two previous offenses, banned the second row for seven weeks for an offense in the “middle range of the level of seriousness” for offenses of this type. Mela, who can appeal, has now been suspended for a period up to and including Jan. 31 and his ban extends across all tournaments.
■BIATHLON
Sumann takes Cup lead
Austria’s Christoph Sumann became the new World Cup leader on Thursday after victory in the men’s 20km individual race. The 33-year-old picked up one penalty point to finish with a time of 52 minutes, 19.8 seconds, ahead of Simon Fourcade, who was 14.2 seconds behind.
Tainan TSG Hawks slugger Steven Moya, who is leading the CPBL in home runs, has withdrawn from this weekend’s All-Star Game after the unexpected death of his wife. Moya’s wife began feeling severely unwell aboard a plane that landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday evening. She was rushed to a hospital, but passed away, the Hawks said in a statement yesterday. The franchise is assisting Moya with funeral arrangements and hopes fans who were looking forward to seeing him at the All-Star Game can understand his decision to withdraw. According to Landseed Medical Clinic, whose staff attempted to save Moya’s wife,
Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday homered for the fifth consecutive game, tying a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record. Yankees star Aaron Judge was the last player to homer in five consecutive games, accomplishing that feat last year. Ohtani, who leads the National League with 37 home runs, homered in the first inning off Minnesota Twins starter Chris Paddack. He hit a slow curveball 134m to center. He carried the bat midway down the first-base line and then did a bat flip. He did not hit a home run later in the game with the Dodgers trailing, but his presence was felt. With two outs
Taiwan’s world No. 6 shuttler Chou Tien-chen yesterday defeated India’s H.S. Prannoy to advance to the quarter-finals of the China Open in Changzhou. It was former world No. 2 Chou’s eighth win in 14 matches against Prannoy, who had earlier this week lamented the age divide between him and up-and-comers, although he is only two years younger than 35-year-old Chou. The Taiwanese, who is seeded sixth at the tournament, rebounded from a close 21-18 loss in game 1 on Court 2 at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium. He bounced back to take the next games 21-15, 21-8 and set up a tough quarter-final
The Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday acquired Taiwanese-American outfielder Stuart Fairchild from the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations to fill the roster after All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe was placed back on the injured list. Fairchild was designated for assignment by the Braves on Monday after hitting .216/.273/.333 in 28 games for Atlanta, with most of his work coming as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. He joins Tampa Bay as a versatile fourth outfielder option. To make room for Fairchild on the 40-man roster, the Rays transferred relief pitcher Manuel Rodriguez (forearm strain) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day
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