CYCLING
Gesink, Mellema lead team
Robert Gesink and Bauke Mellema will spearhead Dutch cycling team Rabobank, as they attempt to carry their recent success into the Vuelta a Espana, which starts with a time-trial in Pamplona, Spain, on Saturday and runs until Sept. 9 and the finale in Madrid. The 26-year-old Gesink, who finished sixth on the Tour of Spain in 2009 and seventh in 2009, has recovered from a crash in this year’s Tour de France and will line up alongside 25-year-old Mellema, who had a career-best fourth place on last year’s Vuelta. Mellema also won the points race on last year’s race to become the first Dutchman to win a major classification on a grand Tour since 1992. The team have had a victory-laden campaign, with stage wins for Matti Breschel and Paul Martens on the Tour of Burgos, while Lars Boom picked up a stage win on the Tour of Benelux and Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez won Tuesday’s San Sebastian classic.
SOCCER
Ecuador thrash Chile 3-0
Ecuador, looking like a South American powerhouse, thrashed Chile 3-0 in a friendly on Wednesday, with goals from Narciso Mina, Jaime Ayovi and Jefferson Montero. Using four attackers for much of the match, Ecuador toyed with the early leader of their continent in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. It was the third soccer match at Citi Field, home of baseball’s New York Mets, and certainly the wettest. The elements reduced the crowd to 31,901 soaked soccer aficionados whose enthusiasm was not dampened by the pounding rain that lasted through the first half. The fans tooted their horns and chanted for their nations throughout in what seemed like a home game for Ecuador. More than 100,000 Ecuadorans live in Queens, the most in any county in the US.
CRICKET
McDermott follows father
Alister McDermott is set to follow his father, Craig McDermott, into international cricket after being added to Australia’s squad for the one-day series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates. The 21-year-old McDermott, who was the leading wicket-taker in Australia’s domestic one-day competition last season, replaces Clint McKay in the squad for the three-match series after the bowler pulled a hamstring during a practice match in Darwin. “Alister was impressive in all formats last summer and bowled very well for Australia A against Durham last week,” national selector John Inverarity said. “He is a very fit and disciplined young man who bowls with good sense and good control.”
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB