■ Swimming
Kevin Berry dies
Kevin Berry, who won a swimming gold for Australia at the 1964 Olympics and set 10 world records during his career, died yesterday at the age of 61 after a fall in a nursing home, Swimming Australia said in a statement. Berry's gold at Tokyo came in the 200m butterfly and followed his three gold medals at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia. Barry, who had become ill in recent years with an undisclosed illness, was picture editor of the Sydney Morning Herald after he retired from swimming and later became head of Australian Broadcasting Corp sport. Glenn Tasker, the head of Swimming Australia, said the Australian swimming community was shocked by Berry's death.
■ Boxing
Scott Harrison vacates title
Scott Harrison pulled out of his WBO featherweight defense and vacated his title on Wednesday, his trainer and father told Britain's Press Association. Harrison was scheduled to fight Nicky Cook on Saturday in London but Peter Harrison said his son is unable to make weight. The 29-year-old Scottish fighter was arrested for assault in southern Spain on Oct. 6 while training for the bout. He was released on Nov. 13 after paying 28,000 euros (US$37,000) bail and initial medical reports cleared him to fight. "Scott was unable to get under [60kg] and, on medical advice, was advised not to take the fight," Peter Harrison said.
■ Basketball
Pachulia, Taylor suspended
Atlanta's Zaza Pachulia was suspended for one game by the NBA on Wednesday night for an incident involving Seattle center Johan Petro. The 21-year old center from Georgia elbowed Petro of France in the neck and head late in the third quarter in Atlanta's 102-87 loss to the SuperSonics on Tuesday night. Sacramento Kings forward Maurice Taylor, meanwhile, was suspended for five games for violating terms of the anti-doping program. Taylor has been suspended twice previously for substance abuse violations.
■ Soccer
Premiership teams charged
Premiership sides Tottenham and Middlesbrough have been charged by the Football Association (FA) over a brawl which marred Spurs' 2-1 win at White Hart Lane on Tuesday night. The clubs have until Dec. 21 to respond and face a large fine if found guilty. The fracas was triggered by a tackle from 'Boro midfielder George Boateng on Aaron Lennon and involved almost a dozen players. Both Boateng and Tottenham's Didier Zokora were red-carded by referee Mark Halsey.
■ Sevens Rugby
Fiji says tournament still on
Fiji's rugby union chiefs promised yesterday to press ahead with an international sevens rugby tournament next month, despite mounting pressure to isolate the country following the military coup. "Our plans have not changed," Fiji Rugby chief executive Timoci Tavanavanua said. "We are in the process of writing to all the invited teams to reassure them that this tournament will continue as planned and that the safety of players and officials would not be in danger," he said. Fiji, the reigning world sevens champions, has not hosted an international sevens tournament since a previous coup attempt by George Speight in 2000. The New Zealand government, one of the first to impose sanctions on Fiji after Tuesday's coup, said it will hold discussions with sporting organizations.
SS Lazio on Monday fired the far-right sympathizer who handles their eagle mascot after he posted online a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis. Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olimpia the eagle since the 2010-2011 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance. Lazio said that they had “terminated, with immediate effect” their relationship with Bernabe “due to the seriousness of his conduct,” adding that they were “shocked” by the images. The Serie A club added that Bernabe’s dismissal
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
HARD TO SAY GOODBYE: After Coco Gauff dispatched Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, she wrote ‘RIP TikTok USA’ and drew a broken heart on a television camera lens Defending champion Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while compatriot Chan Hao-ching on Saturday dominated her opponents in the second round, as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia toppled Hungary’s Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US 6-4, 6-3, hitting 24 winners and converting three of seven break points in 1 hour, 18 minutes at 1573 Arena. Although rivals at last year’s Australian Open — where Hsieh and Belgium’s Elise Mertens beat Ostapenko and Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-1, 7-5
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