■ CYCLING
Petacchi wins sprint finish
Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi, of the Milram team, won the 11th stage of the Tour of Spain on Wednesday, a 191km race from Oropesa to Algemesi which ended in a bunch sprint. Russian Denis Menchov, of Rabobank, retained the race leader's yellow jersey. Petacchi came over the finish line a bike length ahead of fellow Italian and world champion Paolo Bettini, of Quick Step, with his teammate Erik Zabel finishing in third place.
■ FOOTBALL
Coach sorry for spying row
Patriots coach Bill Belichick apologized on Wednesday for the commotion surrounding his team following accusations that his club spied on the Jets during New England's season-opening victory in New York. Belichick said he spoke with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell this week about a "videotaping procedure" during last Sunday's game and "my interpretation of the rules." "At this point, we have not been notified of the league's ruling," Belichick said in a statement. "Although it remains a league matter, I want to apologize to everyone who has been affected, most of all ownership, staff and players. Following the league's decision, I will have further comment."
■ FORMULA ONE
McLaren facing sanctions
The FIA World Motor Sports Council was expected to decide late yesterday whether to sanction the McLaren team over the Formula One spy scandal. In a hearing before the Paris-based organization, McLaren was to face new evidence in the investigation into the team's alleged use of secret technical documents belonging to F1 rival Ferrari. If found guilty, McLaren could face a stiff punishment, ranging from expulsion from the championship this season and next, to deduction of points from the team or drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
■ ATHLETICS
Gibilisco wins appeal
Former world champion pole vaulter Giuseppe Gibilisco on Wednesday won an appeal against a two-year ban for his involvement in a doping scandal. The 28-year-old was found guilty by the Italian Athletics Federation of having worked with Carlo Santuccione, an Italian doctor under investigation for supplying several high-profile sportsmen with doping products. Gibilisco, a bronze medalist at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, was accused of having taken or having attempted to take performance-enhancing drugs. However the Italian always protested his innocence and said Santuccione had only prescribed him substances which are legal.
■ ICE HOCKEY
Bell banned for 15 games
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mark Bell was suspended for 15 games without pay on Wednesday by the National Hockey League (NHL) after his plea last month of no contest to drunken driving and hit-and-run charges. "Playing in the National Hockey League is a privilege, and with that privilege comes a corresponding responsibility for exemplary conduct off the ice as well as on it," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. "Yeah I think the length of the suspension was a surprise," Bell said at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto after the announcement. "I haven't been in contact with the league until about 48 hours ago, but I respect the decision the commissioner made and I look forward to moving on in a positive manner."
Taiwan’s men’s table tennis team won bronze on Saturday at this year’s International Table Tennis Federation World Team Table Tennis Championships in London, matching the country’s best-ever finish at the regular tournament. Consisting of Lin Yun-ju, Taiwan’s top-ranked player at world No. 7, Feng Yi-hsin, Kuo Guan-hong, Hong Jing-kai and Hsu Hsien-chia, the team won bronze after losing 0-3 to Japan in the semifinals. In the opening match, 24-year-old Lin played the first game against world No. 3 Tomokazu Harimoto 11-5, but ultimately lost the next three closely contested games 9-11, 10-12 and 10-12. Feng then faced world No. 8 Sora Matsushima in
Lin Yun-ju on Thursday handed Taiwan two key victories as they advanced to the semi-finals of the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London. The Taiwan men’s table tennis team beat Sweden 3-2 in five singles matches. The 24-year-old Lin, Taiwan’s top-ranked player at world No. 7 and nicknamed the “Silent Assassin,” opened the tie by defeating world No. 2 Truls Moregard 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 13-11) before clinching the deciding fifth match with a 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-5) win over Anton Kallberg to hand his team the overall victory. Kuo Guan-hong put Taiwan up 2-0 with a 3-2 (4-11, 11-8, 8-11,
Taiwanese fire dancer Yang Li-wei advanced to the final of Britain’s Got Talent this weekend after receiving a Golden Buzzer during her live semi-final performance. Yang, a member of Taiwan’s Coming True Fire Group, awed judges and audiences with a high-intensity fire performance featuring flaming umbrellas, fire swallowing and spinning metal structures balanced with her legs. Judge Simon Cowell praised Yang as a star, while guest judge KSI reacted with amazement before pressing the Golden Buzzer, sending her to the finals. The dance group wrote on social media that the Golden Buzzer was “the highest honor” on the talent show, adding: “Twenty-three years
As Super Rugby fast approaches its playoff season it finds itself racing toward a reckoning with many issues that threaten the southern hemisphere tournament. A group of stakeholders met in the New Zealand city of Christchurch late last month to address problems that are making the future of the 31-year-old competition increasingly tenuous. The discussion was made more urgent by the decision by the owners of Moana Pasifika to fold the Auckland-based club for financial reasons. That followed the closure of the Melbourne Rebels at the end of the 2024 season, likewise because of financial difficulties. Problems addressed included player retention as more
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