■ FORMULA ONE
Alsonso mourns victims
Fernando Alonso is to wear a black armband as a sign of respect for the dead following Wednesday’s air crash in Madrid at tomorrow’s European Grand Prix in Valencia. “It will definitely change the weekend for me, because it’s a tragedy — what has happened. All the Spanish people are in shock and I am too. It’s probably the saddest approach to a weekend I have had. I will wear a black armband and I will talk with the [other] drivers tomorrow. Maybe we can do something before starting — maybe one minute’s silence in the pit-lane.” The European race was set up as the event that would complete Spain’s sporting celebrations following successes in soccer, cycling and tennis. Instead, the country has begun a three day period of national mourning.
■ SOCCER
Irish legend in hospital
Ireland assistant manager Liam Brady was taken to a hospital in Dublin early on Thursday with back and chest pains. The Irish soccer association said Brady was “in a stable and comfortable condition in the coronary care unit of Beaumont hospital. Liam will remain under observation overnight,” the association said. “We all wish Liam a full and speedy recovery.” The 52-year-old former Arsenal and Juventus midfielder had just returned to Dublin from Oslo following Ireland’s friendly with Norway on Wednesday.
■ CRICKET
Harmison un-retires
England fast bowler Steve Harmison was set to play in the one-day series against South Africa, which started yesterday, reversing a decision of two years ago to retire from one-day internationals. The 29-year-old quit one-day cricket following the 2006-20007 Ashes series to spend more time with his family. But the Northumberland born player has agreed to come out of retirement following an approach by England staff including new skipper Kevin Pietersen. Harmison will replace Ryan Sidebottom, who has failed to recover from a hip injury. England remain hopeful Sidebottom will be fit for the second match in the series at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, but for the time being they are welcoming the return of Harmison.
■ SOCCER
Defender undergoing tests
Valenciennes defender David Sommeil was undergoing hospital tests after collapsing following a training session this week, a news report said on Thursday. A defibrillator was used on the 34-year-old at the team’s training center on Wednesday, but the team insisted his heart never stopped, L’Equipe sports daily said on its Internet site. He was then moved to a cardiac care unit and was under sedation. Marc Chasselat, the team’s doctor, was quoted as saying that tests on Thursday found no problems in Sommeil’s heart and arteries. He added that neurological tests were ongoing, but that “for the moment, there is no sign of any spot in his brain having especially suffered.”
■ BASEBALL
Mariners pitcher suspended
Seattle Mariners minor league player Jorge Sosa was suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball on Thursday after testing positive for an amphetamine. The pitcher violated the minor league drug prevention and treatment program, the baseball commissioner’s office said in a statement. The right-hander was 4-1 with a 7.06 ERA in 20 games for the New York Mets this season before being released in May. He signed with the Mariners on July 25 and was assigned to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League.
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
Zhang Shuai yesterday said that she nearly quit after losing 24 matches in a row — now the world No. 595 is into the quarter-finals of her home China Open. The 35-year-old is to face Spain’s Paula Badosa as the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage in the history of the tournament after Badosa reeled off 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over US Open finalist Jessica Pegula. Zhang went into Beijing on a barren run lasting more than 600 days and her string of singles defeats was the second-longest on the WTA Tour Open era, which
Francesco Bagnaia yesterday profited from a mistake by rookie Pedro Acosta to win the Japan MotoGP sprint and close the gap on overall championship leader, Jorge Martin. Spaniard Acosta crashed with four laps to go while leading the field at Motegi, allowing defending world champion Bagnaia to take first ahead of Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez. Spain’s Martin finished fourth and saw his overall lead over Italian Bagnaia in the championship standings cut to 15 points. “I am very happy because with these conditions, it’s not very easy to win and gain points,” Bagnaia said after a sprint race that took place under
Naomi Osaka is braced for a “battle” after yesterday setting up a clash with Coco Gauff in the round-of-16 of the China Open, while top seed Aryna Sabalenka also marched on. Osaka defeated 60th-ranked American Katie Volynets 6-3, 6-2 and next faces Gauff in a showdown of former US Open champions in Beijing. World No. 2 Sabalenka swatted aside Ashlyn Krueger 6-2, 6-2 for her 14th consecutive victory and plays another American in 24th-ranked Madison Keys. Looking ahead to the Gauff meeting, four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka said: “She’s very athletic, obviously.” “For me, my strongest traits are being aggressive and also my serve,
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