RALLYING
Loeb poised for seventh title
Sebastien Loeb of France extended his overall lead over his Citroen teammate Dani Sordo to 42.8 seconds on the second day of the Rally of France on Saturday and looks set for a seventh consecutive world championship title. Loeb won two special stages, while his closest rival in the drivers’ standings, countryman Sebastien Ogier, retired with suspension problems. On treacherous and muddy roads, Loeb outclassed his rivals in the first special stage of the day then drove cautiously in the afternoon. A third-place finish will be enough for Loeb to claim the title if Ogier can’t do better than sixth overall.
VOLLEYBALL
Bulgaria spikes Brazil
Bulgaria ended a five-match losing streak to Brazil by beating the two-time defending champ 25-18, 25-20, 25-20 in the second round of the world volleyball championship in Milan, on Saturday. Host Italy, Serbia, Spain, the Czech Republic and Argentina won on Saturday to advance. Unbeaten Italy, which won the last of its three successive world titles in 1998, eliminated Puerto Rico 25-22, 25-16, 18-25, 25-21. The two-time champion Czechs ended Cameroon’s surprising run 25-17, 25-18, 25-17 to advance the Olympic champion US. Argentina ousted Japan for the first time in five matches 25-22, 16-25, 25-14, 25-19, and Serbia saw off Mexico.
EQUESTRIAN
Jung holds overall lead
Germany’s Michael Jung had a clean ride in the cross-country portion of the eventing competition and retained the overall lead in the contest at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, on Saturday. Eventing, which is one of the three Olympic disciplines featured at the games, is made up of dressage, cross country and show jumping. Jung came into cross country with the lead after posting the best score during dressage. Cross country, which drew 50,818 spectators, is one of the most dangerous competitions of the games. Of the 79 riders who took the course, 19 of them did not complete it for various reasons.
BOXING
Lee grabs WBA title
Japanese-based Korean Lee Retsuri pulled off a unanimous decision over Poonsawat Kratiengdaeng of Thailand to become the new World Boxing Association (WBA) super bantamweight champion in Tokyo on Saturday. Lee, ranked 14th in the WBA, used nimble footwork to avoid receiving short punches off the defending champion. “I poured everything of my life into this match and I won the champion’s belt. My heart is filled with deep emotion,” Lee said. It was Lee’s first attempt at a world title. With the win, Lee improved his record to 17 wins, including eight KOs, against one defeat and one draw.
SOCCER
Eriksson, Leicester deal
Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson watched Leicester City climb off the bottom of the Championship [second division] on Saturday before the expected announcement of his appointment as their new manager yesterday. After watching Leicester beat Scunthorpe United 3-1 at the Walkers Stadium, in Leicester, the club issued a statement announcing a media conference for yesterday morning. Eriksson told reporters he expected the deal to be completed yesterday and said the owners had the ambition to take the Midlands club back to the Premier League for the first time since 2004.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was