WEIGHTLIFTING
Muslim woman lifts barrier
Kulsoom Abdullah did not win, but she notched a victory for diversity at the US weightlifting championships on Friday as she competed in clothing that covered her legs, arms and head. Abdullah was cleared to compete in clothing that met the standards for modesty of her Muslim faith after the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) ruled two weeks ago that competitors could wear a full-body “unitard” under the customary weightlifting uniform. IWF rules previously stated that a weightlifter’s knees and elbows had to be visible so officials could confirm a lift was properly executed. Abdullah, a 35-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia, competed before a small crowd of fellow lifters, their families and friends. Wearing a black hijab and a black, short-sleeved shirt with a tan, long-sleeved undershirt and long black socks, Abdullah cleared a snatch of 41kg and a clean and jerk of 57kg. Abdullah finished fifth out of six competitors in the 48kg senior women’s weight class.
ICE HOCKEY
Crosby resumes on-ice work
Sidney Crosby has resumed on-ice workouts in his comeback from a serious concussion, giving the Pittsburgh Penguins and NHL a boost of optimism about his return for next season. Crosby, who has not played since Jan. 5, is training near his home in Halifax, Nova Scotia, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, which said it confirmed the development with the Penguins and Crosby’s agent. Crosby last tried some on-ice workouts in April during the Penguins’ first-round series in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but was shut down because of headaches.
FRANCHISES
Red Devils top value list
English Premier League champions Manchester United have retained their title as the world’s most valuable sports team, according to Forbes magazine’s annual top-50 list. The Red Devils, who have an estimated 333 million fans around the world, topped the list with a worth of US$1.86 billion, just ahead of the Dallas Cowboys (US$1.81 billion). The top-50 included seven soccer teams, with Real Madrid coming in fifth and Arsenal seventh. Barcelona, considered the world’s best team, came in at a relatively low 26th despite their on-field success. All 32 franchises in the NFL made the top-50 with six in the top-10. The only US team in the top 10 that did not play football was MLB’s New York Yankees, who were third overall. Ferrari was the top motor racing team, listed at 13th, while the New York Knicks (47th) were the leading basketball franchise.
CYCLING
Top team looks to keep HTC
HTC-Highroad manager Bob Stapleton said he would not rule out merging with another team if he fails to find a major sponsor before the end of the year. Smartphone giant HTC’s contract with Stapleton’s world No. 1 team expires at the end of this year. While still in discussions with Taiwan’s HTC, Stapleton has been actively courting companies who he hopes would sign a multi-year deal worth at least 10 million euros (US$14 million) a year. Stapleton said he is still hoping to persuade HTC not to abandon ship. He believes that in marketing terms, his cycling team has given the firm untold value. “We’re still talking with HTC. Our top focus is for them to recognize the value they have in continuing to sponsor this team. We estimate they’ve had 400 million euros of measured media value during the deal,” he said.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
If all goes well when the biggest marathon field ever gathered in Australia races 42km through the streets of Sydney on Sunday, World Marathon Majors (WMM) will soon add a seventh race to the elite series. The Sydney Marathon is to become the first race since Tokyo in 2013 to join long-established majors in New York, London, Boston, Berlin and Chicago if it passes the WMM assessment criteria for the second straight year. “We’re really excited for Sunday to arrive,” race director Wayne Larden told a news conference in Sydney yesterday. “We’re prepared, we’re ready. All of our plans look good on
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
When details from a scientific experiment that could have helped clear Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva landed at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the leader of the organization’s reaction was unequivocal: “We have to stop that urgently,” he wrote. No mention of the test ever became public and Valieva’s defense at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) went on without it. What effect the information could have had on Valieva’s case is unclear, but without it, the skater, then 15 years old, was eventually disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics after testing positive for a banned heart medication that would later