FORMULA ONE
Rosberg fastest in practice
Nico Rosberg yesterday posted the fastest time in the first practice session of the Belgian Grand Prix. In unusually hot morning conditions on the Spa track, Rosberg was 0.73 seconds faster than second-placed Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen was third fastest, 0.799 seconds behind Rosberg. Whatever Hamilton goes on to achieve in tomorrow’s qualifying will be made redundant, however, as he is taking a grid penalty for having changed too many engine parts, and is going to start from the back of the grid. Hamilton, last year’s Belgian GP winner, has won six of the past seven races and leads Rosberg by 19 points with eight races remaining after this one. However, his penalty means Rosberg has a good chance to even things out.
BASEBALL
Player, broker sentenced
A South Korean baseball player was convicted of match-fixing yesterday and handed a suspended two-year prison term for deliberately allowing or attempting to allow walks in four games last season. A broker involved in the scheme was also sentenced to one year in prison, according to Cho Janghyun, spokesman for the Changwon District Court in southeastern South Korea. Lee Tae-yang, a starter for NC Dinos in the Korea Baseball Organization, was indicted in July and accused of taking 20 million won (US$17,940) from the broker in return for fixing the games. Prosecutors also indicted another player, Moon Woo-ram, for receiving 10 million won in cash and gifts from the broker in exchange for connecting him with Lee. Moon plays in the second-tier Korean league.
OLYMPICS
Pole auctions medal
Polish discus thrower Piotr Malachowski, who took silver at the Rio Olympics, said that he auctioned off his medal this week to fund treatment for a three-year-old boy struck with cancer. The 33-year-old world champion wrote on his Facebook page that he was moved to auction his prize after receiving a letter from the mother of a boy called Olek, who said he had been battling eye cancer for two years and that treatment in New York was his only hope. “I fought for gold in Rio. Today I am calling on everyone to fight for something even more precious,” Malachowski wrote on Friday to announce the auction. “If you help me, my silver medal might turn out to be more precious than gold for Olek,” he said, adding that he would use the entire sum raised to pay for treatment. “Success,” he later wrote, saying the medal had found takers.
RUGBY UNION
Fiji coach weighs offers
Fiji national rugby coach Ben Ryan says he is weighing almost 20 job offers that have poured in since he guided the country to its first-ever gold medal at the Rio de Janiero Olympics. Ryan’s contract with Fiji Rugby Union ends on Sept. 3 and he has resisted all efforts to keep him in the job he has held since 2013. Fiji sports organizations mounted a major effort to raise money to match rival offers for Ryan, but the English coach said money is not the issue and that he is ready for new challenges. One offer is believed to have come from the Japan national rugby sevens team and others from Super Rugby teams in Australia, Japan and New Zealand.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
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
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping