■OLYMPICS
Twain lights cauldron
Shania Twain carried the Olympic torch the final 350m into Hollinger Park, cheered on by thousands of parka-clad fans who turned out in arctic conditions to see the hometown hero in person in Timmins, Canada, on Friday night. After making her final turn toward the stage, Twain paused, held the torch aloft in her mittened left hand, and waved to the crowd. The country star then bounded the final few yards onto the stage, where she lit the Olympic cauldron. “I feel proud, very proud,” Twain said. “It’s a highlight of my life to be able to carry the flame, to light the cauldron.” At minus 16ºC and windy, it was so cold that when a dozen red beach balls were tossed into the crowd, the balls came apart within seconds. “I know that sounds crazy, but it wouldn’t be Timmins if it wasn’t 40 below with the wind chill factor!” Twain said.
■CYCLING
Contador to race Algarve
Reigning Tour de France champion Alberto Contador confirmed on Friday he will start this season with the Tour of the Algarve cycling race in Portugal next month. “Last year I liked the race and I think it’s ideal to start the season,” said the Spaniard, who is the reigning champion in the Portuguese race. “Then I’ll go to the Paris-Nice [beginning of March] where we’ll be mainly looking to work on a team level, notably on tactical coordination,” he said. Contador, winner of the Tour de France winner in 2007 and last year, added that he was also counting on competing in the Tour of Catalonia from March 22 to March 28 and the Tour of the Basque Country from April 5 to April 10. But he added: “I’m leaving the door open on the classics, we’ll decide on that later.”
■SOCCER
Everton suspend Jo
Premier League club Everton said Friday they have suspended Brazilian striker Jo for a breach of club discipline after he made a trip back to his homeland without permission. Jo joined the struggling Toffees on a season-long loan deal from Manchester City but the ban throws into some doubt his future at Goodison Park. “Jo went back to Brazil without permission from the football club. He is now back but is suspended at the present time,” coach David Moyes said. “I am disappointed. We like Jo, he has been a really good lad and we have enjoyed having him. But there has to be discipline at all football clubs. He left over a busy period when we were short of players. I found it very difficult so he is suspended from the club.” Jo joined City from CSKA Moscow for £18 million (US$28.62 million) in July 2007. The tricky but lightweight forward has struggled this season, failing to score in the Premier League and mustering just two goals in cup competitions.
■SOCCER
Sanchez has heart problems
Sevilla defender Sergio Sanchez has a heart condition that requires him to cease all physical activity for the time being, the La Liga club said on their Web site on Friday. The 23-year-old former Espanyol player has traveled to Barcelona to be with his family and will have further tests there, the club said. Spanish players called for improvements in screening procedures for heart problems following the death of Espanyol defender Dani Jarque in August, two years after Sevilla midfielder Antonio Puerta collapsed during a game and later died after a prolonged cardiac arrest.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set