■ Supercross
Rider dies in crash
A motorcycle rider was killed during a qualifying race, flying over the handlebars and crashing while his parents watched from the stands at Qualcomm Stadium. Jason Ciarletta, 19, died Saturday at the AMA Supercross. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. There will be an autopsy Monday, the medical examiner's office said.
Ciarletta landed headfirst in the dirt and did not move as paramedics worked on him for more than 15 minutes. The death is the first in Supercross, a more compact and technically demanding hybrid of the off-road sport known as motocross. The last recorded death in American motocross was in 1975. Fewer than 2,000 people were in the stands at the time of the accident, delaying the featured event by almost an hour.
■ Soccer
Brazil misses out on berth
Brazil, who have never won an Olympic gold medal in soccer, failed to qualify for this year's Games in Athens after a shock 1-0 defeat to Paraguay on Sunday. Brazil, five times world champions, had needed only to draw against their less illustrious neighbors in their last game of the South American qualifying tournament but were instead sunk by a 32nd-minute goal scored from rival captain Jose de Vaca. Paraguay will thus join Argentina, who qualified with a game to spare, as South America's Olympic representatives. Paraguay finished the four-team final stage with six points alongside Argentina, who were playing their final game against hosts Chile later Sunday. Brazil have three points and Chile none. Brazil have always taken Olympic soccer seriously and see the gold medal as the one item missing from their trophy cupboard.
■ Olympics
Kim questioned again
Prosecutors questioned IOC vice president Kim Un-yong yesterday for a second time over allegations that he collected illicit money from former South Korean Olympic officials and embezzled funds from taekwondo organizations. Prosecutors questioned Kim last month, and initially planned to summon him for more questioning last week, but delayed it after the 72-year-old collapsed and was hospitalized. Kim, wearing a white mask and a navy blue hat, entered the Seoul District Prosecutor's Office yesterday morning. He entered the building without answering reporters' questions. Kim is South Korea's best-known sports official and a longtime member of the International Olympic Committee. He helped taekwondo become a medal sport in the Olympics in 2000. He also played a role in helping South Korea host the 1988 Summer Games. But Kim has been suspended from all Olympic duties amid corruption accusations against him in South Korea. Investigators are focusing on allegations Kim received tens of thousands of dollars from a sports equipment company while picking an official sponsor for the Korea Olympic Committee, which he headed at the time, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said, citing a prosecutor who questioned Kim yesterday.
■ Soccer
Red cards too much for ref
A Turkish league match between leader Besiktas and Samsunspor was stopped in the 85th minute on Sunday when Besiktas star Ilhan Mansiz was given the team's fifth red card. Samsunspor was leading the match 4-1 when it was stopped. The Turkish soccer federation is expected to declare Samsunspor the winner later this week. Besiktas also had Brazilian defender Carlos Antonio Zago, Ibrahim Uzulmez, Ahmet Yildirim and Daniel Pancu sent off.
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
Aaliyah Edwards on Monday pulled off the stunner of the opening round of the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament, beating top-seeded Breanna Stewart 12-0. The tournament to be played over three days featured 23 of the WNBA’s 36 players. A few had other commitments and a couple others were out with injuries. Stewart got the ball first against Edwards and missed a contested layup. Edwards then hit a three-pointer from the corner and a jumper from the elbow to go up 5-0. The player who scores keeps the basketball. Edwards hit two layups and a three-pointer to seal the win. Stewart, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player,
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38