BIATHLON
Domracheva wins 15km
Darya Domracheva of Belarus used a strong finish to win the women’s 15km individual race on Thursday at the season-opening biathlon World Cup meet in Ostersund, Sweden. The 25-year-old Domracheva missed two targets, but overtook leader and double Olympic gold medalist Magdalena Neuner of Germany after the fourth shooting to finish in 47 minutes, 15.6 seconds. Sweden’s Anna Maria Nilsson also raced passed Neuner to finish second, 1 minute, 8.5 seconds behind after missing one target. Neuner missed three shots to end third, 1 minute, 41.7 seconds back. Last season’s overall World Cup winner Kaisa Makarainen of Finland missed four shots to finish fourth.
Photo: EPA
GOLF
Parry charges at NZ Open
Two-time USPGA Tour winner Craig Parry finished with three birdies in a three-under 69 to grab a share of a three-way lead after two rounds of the New Zealand Open golf tournament. The 45-year-old Australian followed his first-round 70 with a second round which included five birdies and two bogeys to join compatriot and overnight leader Brad Kennedy and New Zealand’s Josh Geary in the lead at five-under. Kennedy had four birdies and three bogeys in a 71, finishing with a bogey which let slip the outright lead. Geary had six birdies and two bogeys in a 68. Australian amateur Jake Higginbotham shot a 68 after an early tee-off to briefly share the outright lead with Kennedy. He fell back into a three-way tie for fourth with compatriot Leigh McKechnie New Zealand’s Doug Holloway.
NASCAR
Busch seeing psychologist
Kurt Busch says he is seeing a sports psychologist to address “personal issues.” Busch was fined US$50,000 by NASCAR last week for verbally abusing an ESPN reporter and making an obscene gesture in his race car during the season finale at Homestead. NASCAR also cited a pattern of previous incidents with reporters for fining Busch. Now in his hometown of Las Vegas for the season-ending awards ceremony, Busch said on Thursday he has been seeing a psychologist for two months and needs to work on improving his behavior. Busch also said his actions at Homestead were inappropriate. He was angry because a transmission issue sent him into the garage early in the race and he knew he was guaranteed to finish 11th in the 12-car Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
FOOTBALL
Packers to sell more shares
The Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers will sell shares of stock next week offering no dividend, no chance for appreciation, practically no transfer rights and not even a shot at a highly prized season ticket. However, the offering announced on Thursday by the Packers does give fans the opportunity to own a piece of the defending NFL champions, who are undefeated through 11 games this season. The Packers were founded in 1919 and became a publicly owned nonprofit four years later. It is the only franchise permitted by the NFL to have that structure. The team plans to offer 250,000 shares initially at US$250 each on Tuesday, which would raise about US$62.5 million toward a US$143 million expansion of Lambeau Field announced last summer.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care