MOTOR RACING
Williams, Ferrari dominate
Williams and Ferrari are poised to make a good start to the Formula One season after both finished winter testing with another strong showing on Sunday. Valtteri Bottas steered his Williams to the fastest time on the final of 12 days of pre-season tests, with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel right behind him at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit. Whether they can challenge champions Mercedes is another issue. Nico Rosberg might have had a subdued final turn behind his Mercedes, but the German team has given no indication of slippage after dominating last season when Rosberg was Lewis Hamilton’s only challenger for the title. McLaren’s Jenson Button toiled to another session-low 30 laps. The season-opening Australian Grand Prix is on March 15.
GOLF
Sullivan wins Joburg Open
Andy Sullivan won his second European Tour title in South Africa in just over a month after closing with a 6-under 66 for a 17-under total and a two-shot victory at the Joburg Open on Sunday. Sullivan’s second European win came in the same city as his first after he won the South African Open in Johannesburg in January. The Englishman began Sunday three shots behind leader Wallie Coetsee at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club, but went top after five birdies in his front nine on the East Course. He only made two birdies on the second nine, but that was enough to hold off a big group of chasers down the home stretch. Sullivan finished two clear of a five-way tie for second made up of Kevin Phelan, Jaco van Zyl, Anthony Wall, David Howell and Coetsee. Sullivan and fellow Englishmen Wall and Howell also claimed the three places at the British Open at St Andrews that were on offer.
CYCLING
Cavendish fastest in Belgium
Britain’s former world champion Mark Cavendish won a sprint finish to claim the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne semi-classic one-day race in Belgium on Sunday. The Etixx-Quick Step rider made up for his teammates’ stunning defeat at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad the previous day when three riders were outsmarted by Team Sky’s Ian Stannard at the finish. Cavendish, who also won this race in 2012, beat Norwegian Alexander Kristoff and Sky’s Italian sprinter Elia Viviani at the finish. It was the Manxman’s sixth victory already this season. The Spring Classics season began with Saturday’s Het Nieuwsblad, when Tom Boonen, Paris-Nice champion Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh rode a poor tactical race to be outsmarted by Briton Stannard.
ATHLETICS
Carter throws shot put record
Michelle Carter unleashed the season’s longest women’s shot put throw at the US indoor championships in Boston on Sunday, her mark of 19.45m on her final attempt capping a solid series that included two other throws over 19m. “Any time you can have your top three throws of a competition be the best three throws in the world, you can’t complain about that,” the 2012 world indoor bronze medalist said. In the women’s 60m hurdles, Jasmin Stowers, just a year out of college, missed the season’s lead by one-hundredth of a second as she sped to victory in 7.84 seconds, while veteran sprinter-long jumper Tianna Bartoletta was close to the fastest 60m, clocking 7.08 seconds. With no world championships this year, many top US athletes skipped the meeting, giving younger performers a chance to grab national titles.
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
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is 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