MOTORSPORT
Audi, Peugeot duel at dawn
Audi’s sole surviving works car fought a duel at dawn with Peugeot in the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race in France yesterday, with the rivals trading the lead through the pitstops. After a chilly night at the La Sarthe circuit, dawn broke with the No. 2 Audi lapping just a fraction faster than the three Peugeots running in close formation behind. However, there was some concern about the Audi shared by Frenchman Benoit Treluyer, Switzerland’s Marcel Faessler and German Andre Lotterer after smoke was seen coming from the rear of the car after an otherwise routine pitstop. While the Audi diesel was faster, it was also thirstier and requiring more frequent pitstops than the Peugeots.
FORMULA ONE
Vettel bounces back
Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel bounced back from a practice crash to take his sixth pole position in seven races at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on Saturday and maintain Red Bull’s stranglehold on qualifying. The 23-year-old German, winner of five out of six races this season, will be joined on the front row by Ferrari’s Spanish double world champion Fernando Alonso. Vettel’s 21st career pole, and Red Bull’s eighth in succession, also brought him his 12th consecutive front row start. Ferrari’s Brazilian Felipe Massa and Australian Mark Webber in the other Red Bull will line up together on the second row. McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, winner of two of the last three Canadian Grands Prix and on pole in all of them, qualified a disappointing fifth with team mate Jenson Button back in seventh.
HORSE RACING
Ruler On Ice upsets race
Ruler On Ice plowed his way through the mud to score an upset win in the 143rd running of the US$1 million Belmont Stakes in New York on Saturday after Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom almost threw his rider at the start. Perfectly ridden by Peru-born jockey Jose Valdivia, Ruler On Ice defied his generous odds of 24-1 to outstay his more favored rivals to win the 1.5 mile (2.41km) classic and claim the third jewel of American racing’s Triple Crown after missing the first two legs.
SOCCER
Paraguay beat Romania 2-0
Strikers Nelson Haedo and Roque Santa Cruz scored in the opening half hour to give Paraguay a 2-0 home win over Romania at the Defensores del Chaco national stadium in Asuncion on Saturday. The match, a warm-up for Gerardo Martino’s team ahead of next month’s Copa America in Argentina, doubled as a farewell for former Paraguay captain Roberto “Bull” Acuna. Haedo put Paraguay ahead after only two minutes with a low shot across the face of goal and inside the bottom far corner and Santa Cruz headed the second from Miguel Samudio’s cross in the 28th.
CYCLING
Contador to race in Tour
Three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador has confirmed he will ride in next month’s showpiece race, ending speculation the Spaniard might skip the event. “I’ll be at the Tour de France,” Contador, who is awaiting a decision in August by the Court of Arbitration for Sport over a failed dope test last July, said on Saturday after riding in a mass event near his home town of Pinto outside Madrid. “It’s a challenge,” he said, adding that he had thought long and hard about the decision, which was made in consultation with his Saxo Bank-Sungard team and manager Bjarne Riis.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
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
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and