ALPINE SKILING
Grugger breathes on his own
Austrian Hans Grugger, in an induced coma since he suffered a crash during training in Kitzbuehel, Austria, two weeks ago, was breathing on his own and increasingly opening his eyes, doctors said on Monday. Grugger’s breathing improved significantly so that he was taken off the ventilator, Alexandra Kofler, neurosurgeon and medical director at Innsbruck hospital, said. “The patient is now breathing on his own, but he is still very exhausted and sleepy. He is increasingly awake and already shows partial reactions. He keeps opening his eyes and can squeeze one’s hand if encouraged to.” Grugger, 29, suffered a crash during training on Jan. 20.
SOCCER
US cancel friendly in Egypt
US soccer authorities said on Monday that the US’ friendly match scheduled in Cairo for Tuesday has been canceled because of political unrest in Egypt. The match between the US and the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions Egypt had been announced on Dec. 13 last year, and would have been the first ever in Egypt for a US side. “Due to the current situation, all parties agreed it was best to cancel the match,” US Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said on Monday. The next game for the US, who are preparing this year for the North American continental championship the Gold Cup in June, will be against Argentina on March 27.
FOOTBALL
Union, league agree to talks
In a bid to “intensify” labor talks, the NFL and the union representing its players have agreed to a series of talks starting on Saturday in the Dallas area. NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith and league commissioner Roger Goodell met in New York on Monday to discuss a range of issues related to a new collective bargaining agreement. “As part of a process to intensify negotiations, they agreed to hold a formal bargaining session with both negotiating teams on Saturday,” a joint statement said. NFL owners and players are trying to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement to replace the one that expires March 4 in an attempt to avert a potential lock-out of players.
ATHLETICS
Liu returns to Europe
Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang will compete in Europe for the first time in three years at next week’s indoor meeting in Duesseldorf, Germany, organizers said on Monday. The 2004 Athens Olympic champion, who has set his sights on reclaiming his title in London next year after limping out injured in front of his home fans in Beijing three years ago, will use the meet in an effort to find his top form. “Liu Xiang’s participation in Duesseldorf proves the world-wide importance of the Duesseldorf PSD Bank Meeting,” Duesseldorf’s Lord Mayor Dirk Elbers said.
TENNIS
Malaysia exits Fed Cup
Malaysia has pulled out of this week’s Fed Cup women’s team tennis event after failing to find any players good enough to compete, an official of the Southeast Asian nation’s tennis body said yesterday. The Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia (LTAM) said they had reviewed some players, but found none suitable to don the national colors. “We had a look at a few players, including two Swedish-based Malaysian-born talents, but they were not good enough,” LTAM executive secretary Ibrahim Abu Bakar told Malaysia’s New Straits Times. “We withdrew from the tournament mainly because we could not get the best players to represent the country.”
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
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two