Sun, Mar 23, 2008 page22

• Sports Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■ 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.
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