ICE HOCKEY
Pens extend Crosby 12 years
Sidney Crosby, who led the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup title in 2009, agreed to a 12-year, US$104 million contract extension with the NHL club. The deal will keep the Penguins’ first-overall draft pick in 2005 with the club for the remainder of his hockey career, Penguins co-owner Mario Lemieux said. “This is a great day for hockey and tremendous news for the Pittsburgh Penguins and our fans,” Lemieux said on Thursday. Crosby, who was Canada’s overtime gold medal hero in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, will make US$7.5 million next season under the terms of his old contract. The new deal does not kick in until the beginning of the 2013-2014 season. Crosby, 24, played just 22 regular-season games last season because of the lingering effects of a concussion, which started when he was hit in a game against the Washington Capitals last year. In 434 career regular-season NHL games, Crosby has 223 goals and 609 points.
WRESTLING
Athlete banned for marijuana
Stephany Lee has been slapped with a one-year ban and will not compete for the US at the London Olympics after testing positive for marijuana. It was the second time Lee tested positive for marijuana. She also failed a drug test in 2009. The US Anti-Doping Agency said Lee tested positive at the Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City on April 21.
ICE HOCKEY
MVP Quick extended
Reigning Stanley Cup finals MVP Jonathan Quick agreed to a long-term contract extension with the Los Angeles Kings. The 26-year-old American backstopped the Kings through an improbable playoff run, which culminated in the franchise’s first NHL championship. The Kings rewarded Quick with a 10-year contract extension offer on Thursday, which he is expected to officially sign tomorrow, the first day of free agency. In 20 playoff games, Quick finished with 16 wins and just four losses as he led all goalies in the postseason with a superb 1.41 goals against average. He also had three shutouts. The Kings were the eighth and last seed in the playoffs.
BASKETBALL
Mavs to play in Germany
The Dallas Mavericks will face eight-time German champions Alba Berlin and 17-time Spanish champions FC Barcelona Basquet during the NBA Europe Live tour in early October. The NBA said on Thursday that Dallas would join the Boston Celtics in Europe for four exhibition games as part of the interleague series between NBA and Euroleague teams. The Mavericks’ first stop will be Dirk Nowitzki’s homeland, where they will play Alba Berlin on Oct. 6. Dallas will face Barcelona on Oct. 9 at Palau Sant Jordi Arena. Boston will play in Istanbul against Fenerbahce SK and in Milan against Olimpia Milano.
BASKETBALL
Wade out of London Games
Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, the leading scorer on the US Olympic basketball team that won gold four years ago, will miss the London Games because of knee surgery. Wade will need surgery after playing with his bad left knee during the Heat’s NBA championship run. “As many people may know, throughout the season, I struggled with a recurring knee issue,” Wade said. “After the championship game, I visited with my doctors for a round of comprehensive medical tests, and the recent results dictate the need for surgery.” Wade’s departure leaves 17 players in the mix for a dozen spots on the US team.
SOCCER
Drogba in China ‘soon’
Ivorian star Didier Drogba will arrive in China on July 13 “at the latest” to join Shanghai Shenhua, the team’s coach said yesterday, amid huge anticipation he will help turn the club’s season around. Shenhua has made a poor start to their Chinese Super League campaign this year despite former France forward Nicolas Anelka joining the team to much fanfare, winning just three games and ranking 12th in the 16-club league. If Drogba joins the team as soon as he arrives, one of his first games will be against old rivals Manchester United, who will play Shanghai Shenhua on July 25th as part of their pre-season tour.
ATHLETICS
Bolt, Blake win 100m heats
Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake easily won their heats on Thursday night to qualify for the 100m semi-finals at the Jamaican Olympic Athletic Trials. Reigning world champion Blake was the fastest of the quarter-finalists with a time of 10.00 seconds. Bolt, the Olympic champion and world record holder in the 100m, also won his quarter-final by easing to a 10.06. Nesta Carter and Asafa Powell were the fastest finishers in the third quarter-final as both were credited with a time of 10.19. The last quarter-final was won by Michael Frater who finished in 10.09. The semi-finals and finals are scheduled for Friday at the sold-out National Stadium. The top three finishers in the final will punch their tickets to the London Games.
CRICKET
England, Australia in ODI
It is England versus Australia, yet both teams say their five-match one-day series will have nothing to do with next year’s Ashes. England ODI captain Alastair Cook says future games are “irrelevant” while Aussie skipper Michael Clarke says for his team “it’s all about the one-day series,” which was due to start at Lord’s yesterday. However, the latest battle between cricket’s oldest rivals starting at the home of the game will still likely give some clues to how the Ashes might pan out next summer. In-form England wants to convert recent winning form in ODIs into some form of advantage over Australia. Top-ranked one-day team Australia has a chance to give a group of young players experience of conditions ahead of their return to England for the Ashes in almost exactly a year.
RUGBY UNION
Hodgson, Mears retire
Flyhalf Charlie Hodgson and hooker Lee Mears retired from England duty on Thursday so the team could blood young contenders for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Coach Stuart Lancaster told both players during the tour of South Africa that they would not be picked again for the elite squad, and Hodgson and Mears agreed it was time to step aside. Hodgson played 38 times for England in an 11-year career, and Mears received 41 caps plus one for the 2009 British and Irish Lions in South Africa.
OLYMPICS
Indian tennis star upset
Indian tennis player Leander Paes said he is disheartened by the furore surrounding the country’s controversial team selection for the London Olympics. Paes will play mixed doubles with India’s No. 1 women’s player, Sania Mirza, who on Tuesday said she was being used as “bait” to pacify Paes after he was paired with little-known Vishnu Vardhan in the men’s doubles. Paes refused to say whether the row had tarnished relations with Mirza, who has described Paes as a “disgruntled stalwart” of Indian tennis.
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