ICE HOCKEY
Steen out with concussion
St Louis Blues center Alexander Steen, who ranks second in the NHL this season with 24 goals, has a concussion and was placed on injured reserve on Saturday. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said that Steen, a strong candidate for Sweden’s Sochi Winter Olympic squad, is able to exercise with the club, but no timetable has been set for his return. Armstrong said the injury was likely a result of several hits the 29-year-old sharpshooter received in recent games. Steen, the Blues’ top scorer this season, has already matched his career-best total for goals in a season from the 2009 to 2010 campaign, his first full season in St Louis after moving there in a trade from Toronto.
RUGBY UNION
Ioane set for French debut
Australia winger Digby Ioane was set to make his much-anticipated Stade Francais debut against Perpignan yesterday, his club said on Saturday. The Wallaby, who has not played since injuring his shoulder during the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia in June was named in the starting line-up for the match at the Jean-Bouin stadium. He joined the Parisians last month, at the end of the southern hemisphere Rugby Championship and a previous debut on Dec. 20 against Grenoble had to be postponed due to persistent pain in his shoulder.
BASEBALL
Puig charged over driving
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig was arrested on a reckless driving charge for the second time this year after officers clocked him going 177kph in a 110kph zone. A news release from the Florida Highway Patrol said a white Mercedes driven by the 23-year-old Cuban defector was pulled over at 9:30am on Saturday. Authorities said Puig was arrested and charged with reckless driving and taken to the Collier County Jail for processing. Puig lives in the Miami area during the off-season. Dodgers spokesman Joe Jareck declined to comment on Puig’s latest arrest. In April, when he was still in the minors, Puig was charged with reckless driving and speeding in Tennessee. The charges were dismissed last month after Puig completed community service in Los Angeles.
RUGBY UNION
Saracens win at Worcester
English Premiership leaders Saracens made it 10 wins from 11 games with a 26-8 success against bottom-of-the-table Worcester on Saturday that nudged their opponents closer to relegation. Wing David Strettle, hooker Schalk Brits, fullback Alex Goode and flyhalf Charlie Hodgson each claimed a try, with Hodgson adding three conversions at Sixways Stadium. Worcester scored first through an Ignacio Mieres penalty and saw Leonardo Senatore cross for a 37th-minute try, but they could make no inroads on the visitors’ lead in a scoreless second period. The defeat left Worcester nine points adrift at the foot of the table. Northampton remain Saracens’ closest rivals, three points back in second pace, after running in six tries in a 43-25 success at home to third-place Bath that reasserted their title credentials. George Pisi, Jamie Elliott, Samu Manoa and George North added to a brace of tries by lock Christian Day, with Stephen Myler adding 13 points from the boot. Bath had been chasing a 12th consecutive victory in all competitions, but they left Franklin’s Gardens without even the consolation of a losing bonus point and now trail Saints by nine points. Harlequinstightened their grip on fourth place with a 22-6 win at home to Exeter.
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
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
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two