■ FOOTBALL
No comment on Brady injury
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady skipped part of practice on Thursday, but coach Bill Belichick would not comment on whether it was because of a possible ankle injury. The National Football League Most Valuable Player, who is preparing to lead the Patriots into Super Bowl XXXXII against the New York Giants on Feb. 3, was photographed on Monday wearing a cast-like walking boot while outside the New York apartment of his supermodel girlfriend, Gisele Bundchen. He was then seen on Monday night and Tuesday walking without the boot. Various reports have said the injury is a mild high ankle sprain, but Belichick declined to confirm that. "I don't have any comment on it," he said. Brady himself said on his weekly radio show on Monday morning that he would "have to be on a stretcher" to miss the Super Bowl.
■ RALLYING
Loeb leads in Monte Carlo
Four-time world champion Sebastien Loeb of France took the lead on Thursday at the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally. Loeb, who is looking for a record fifth Monte Carlo title, won the second stage and moved to a 12.7 second lead over Citroen teammate Dani Sordo. The Frenchman, quoted on the World Rally Championship's Web site, said he gingerly negotiated icy conditions in the first stage that was won by Sordo. Sordo's car lost two light pods when it hit a hay bale in the first stage and he struggled to see without his headlights during the second. "It was very difficult for me to get a good feeling in there," Sordo said. "The visibility was bad and the cars ahead had pulled some dirt onto the road, making it very slippery in places."
■ CYCLING
Greipel wins fourth stage
Germany's Andre Greipel won the fourth stage of the Tour Down Under cycling race when he overpowered the field in oppressive conditions at the end of the 134km route yesterday. Australian Mark Renshaw (Credit Agricole) finished second to retain the ochre leader's jersey on an eventful stage from Mannum to Strathalbyn in South Australia. Italian Elio Rigotto (Team Milram) was disqualified after he brought down Mathew Hayman in the finishing sprint. The Australian crashed heavily and fractured his left collar bone after Rigotto lifted his head into the Rabobank rider's elbow and knocked him off his bike.
■ SOCCER
Barca held, Racing win
Barcelona were held to a 0-0 stalemate by Villarreal in their Spanish Cup quarter-final first leg clash on Thursday. Barca, who trail bitter rivals Real Madrid by seven points in the race for La Liga title, have not won the Spanish Cup for 10 years and will need to score in the return leg next week if they are to keep up their hopes of ending that streak. Racing Santander put one foot in the semi-finals after beating Athletic Bilbao 2-0 with goals coming from Congo striker Mohammed Tchite and Ebi Smolarek in a three-minute period late in the second half.
■ SOCCER
Lazio win first leg of tie
Lazio scored two quick goals and beat Fiorentina 2-1 on Thursday in the first leg of the Italian Cup quarter-finals. Aleksander Kolarov and Valon Behrami scored within a minute of each other to put Lazio up 2-0 by the 21st minute and Giampaolo Pazzini replied for Fiorentina in the 40th minute.
Santiago Castro on Tuesday had an immediate impact off the bench as he scored the goal to send Bologna into the Coppa Italia semi-finals for the first time in 26 years. Bologna won 1-0 against last year’s runners-up, Atalanta BC, and are to play either holders Juventus or Empoli in the final four. Juventus are to host Empoli in their quarter-final on Feb. 26. The last time Bologna reached the semi-finals was in 1999, when they lost 4-2 to ACF Fiorentina. There were chances for both sides in a high-tempo match in Bergamo, but it was Bologna who broke the deadlock 10 minutes from
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
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