■ SKATING
French pair take gold
Years of hard work finally paid off for French ice dancing veterans Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder on Friday when they claimed their first gold in Gothenburg, Sweden, at the world figure skating championships. The six-time French national champions, who have skated together for 18 years, had never made it to the podium at worlds before. They led the dance sections earlier in the week and sealed victory with a routine to the soundtrack from The Piano, which included sign language. Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir took silver with Russians Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski taking bronze after the free dance final.
■ CYCLING
Anti-doping official sued
Cycling's governing body is suing former World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president Dick Pound. The International Cycling Union (UCI) and its former president Hein Verbruggen have lodged a complaint in a Swiss court over what they call Pound's "continual injurious and biased comments." The dispute centers on comments by Pound criticizing the role of UCI and Verbruggen in fighting doping in cycling. Pound stepped down this year after heading WADA for eight years. He has regularly clashed with Verbruggen and the UCI over the doping scandals that have rocked the sport. In explaining its course of action, the UCI said that "Pound has publicly questioned the extent of the UCI's efforts in the fight against doping." Pound did not immediately respond on Friday to a message. The Canadian is currently running for the presidency of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, which has settled a number of high-profile doping cases in cycling.
■ RUGBY UNION
White keen on England job
Jake White, the coach who led South Africa to World Cup glory last year, has reiterated his desire to replace Brian Ashton as England head coach if the job were to become available. White, speaking to the Guardian newspaper, also made it clear that the England job was the only one that interested him in world rugby and that he would rule out any chance to step into the vacancy left by Eddie O'Sullivan with Ireland. "I've made no secret of the fact that the job has always appealed to me," White said. "But England have their own review process under way and must decide what's right for them." The English Rugby Football Union are due to decide on the future of Brian Ashton next week and there is speculation that he will either step down voluntarily or be asked to leave.
■ SOCCER
Ancelotti dismisses rumors
AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has dismissed speculation he is set to take over as Italy coach from Roberto Donadoni after Euro 2008. "It pleases me to hear my name linked to the Azzurri bench, but I believe it is impossible," Ancelotti told a news conference on Friday. "I could only train the national team after 2010 [when my contract with Milan expires]. Donadoni deserves to stay, he is doing well and I hope he faces the European Championship with the utmost calm and takes the national team to the 2010 World Cup." Thursday's Italian Soccer Federation statement that Donadoni's future would not be decided until after Euro 2008 in June had fuelled media speculation linking Ancelotti to the job.
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
THRILLER: Raphinha gave Barca a 3-2 lead with two minutes remaining of regular time, but Francesco Acerbi equalized the game in the second minute of added time Davide Frattesi on Tuesday fired Inter into the UEFA Champions League final with an extra-time winner that gave the Italians a stunning 4-3 triumph over Barcelona, 7-6 on aggregate. Italy midfielder Frattesi won a tie for the ages under a downpour in Milan when he lashed home in the 99th minute, sending a packed and rocking San Siro wild with joy. Simone Inzaghi’s team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month in Munich, Germany, where they would feel they have a great chance to be crowned kings of Europe for a fourth time after
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