■ SWIMMING
Klochkova retires at 26
Ukraine’s Yana Klochkova, winner of four swimming Olympic
gold medals, announced her retirement from competitive sport on Thursday at the age of 26. “It wasn’t easy for me to take this decision,” Klochkova told reporters in Kiev. “I believe that there is life beyond sport, and that it, too will be interesting, though perhaps a little different. I achieved all I could. Now I want to be a success in ordinary life too.” Klochkova won gold in the 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley at the 2000 Games in Sydney and repeated the feat four years later in Athens. She also picked up a silver in the 800m freestyle in Sydney. She made way for her younger teammates for last year’s Games in Beijing. She said she would continue to work with a foundation set up last year to develop and popularize swimming in Ukraine.
■ RACE WALKING
Yurin avoided urine tests
Ukrainian race walker Andriy Yurin was suspended from competition for one year after missing three doping tests. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said in a statement on Thursday that Yurin was banned by the Ukrainian Athletic Federation. The IAAF said he was found guilty of a doping violation after missing three out-of-competition tests between May 2007 and May last year. Yurin, who finished 11th in the 20km walk at the 2005 world championships in Helsinki, will be banned until Feb. 16 next year, and his results from May 24 last year have been disqualified, according to the IAAF.
■ BOXING
Pacquiao dumps TV station
Philippine boxing superstar Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao faces a potential scrap with two local television stations after he abruptly dumped one of them ahead of his May 2 showdown with Ricky Hatton. Listed GMA Network said in a statement it was “very disappointed” with his decision to transfer to rival ABS-CBN after ending a broadcast contract with cable television outfit Solar Sports, which buys air time from GMA. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, GMA said Pacquiao switched to the rival network after it allegedly offered him “full media support” in next year’s elections. The boxer is expected to launch a second bid for a congressional seat in the polls. GMA said offering him such an option would be against the law. Spokesmen for Pacquiao and ABS-CBN could not be reached for comment.
■ GYMNASTICS
US pioneer dies aged 87
Glenn Marlin Sundby, an acrobat who co-founded USA Gymnastics and the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, has died. He was 87. Sundby had been in failing health the past year and was admitted last week to Tri-City Hospital in Vista, California, USA Gymnastics said. He died on Wednesday. “The US gymnastics family has lost one of its pioneers,” USA Gymnastics president Steve Penny said on Thursday. “He was an original, and his lifelong love and passion for gymnastics helped transform the sport into what it is today.” As a high school gymnast, Sundby created a traveling acrobatic act with George Wayne Long that became the Wayne-Marlin Trio when Sundby’s sister, Dolores, joined in 1945. Four years later, Sundby drew national attention by walking down the steps of the Washington Monument on his hands. In 1962, Sundby helped found the US Gymnastics Federation — now USA Gymnastics — and served as its vice president. He also co-founded the US Sports Acrobatics Federation and the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
■ CYCLING
Schleck out after crash
Saxo Bank’s Frank Schleck has been sidelined with several injuries from a training ride crash, compromising the Luxembourg ace’s chances of being in prime condition for next month’s spring classics. Schleck, the older brother of Tour de France white jersey winner Andy, skidded with his front wheels during a training ride and crashed in a curve going downhill, a team statement said. “Seven stitches on the chin and a heavy contusion on his left wrist was the immediate damage, but further examinations were needed yesterday afternoon at a clinic in Luxembourg to rule out any fractures,” it said. Schleck, who would normally be aiming to be fit for one-day classics such as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege-Bastogne-Liege, is now scheduled to return to action at the two-day Criterium International in France at the end of this month. “This doesn’t come at a convenient time, since I’m in really good shape after Paris-Nice and I hope to get back into racing as soon as possible,” Schleck said.
■ SOCCER
Gerrard’s charges dropped
Prosecutors dropped accusations of assault against England and Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard yesterday but the player will still face a charge of affray over a bar brawl. The Liverpool captain was arrested in the early hours of Dec. 29 after police were called to the Lounge Bar nightclub in Southport, England. Company director Marcus McGee, 34, required hospital treatment after receiving facial injuries in the incident. At Sefton magistrates court yesterday, Gerrard, 28, was told he would no longer face a charge of assault occasioning bodily harm. The incident occurred following Gerrard’s man-of-the-match performance in a 5-1 win over Newcastle United, in which he had scored twice. Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has said the club are fully behind Gerrard.
■ BASEBALL
Kawakami’s start delayed
Atlanta Braves right-hander Kenshin Kawakami was scratched from his scheduled spring training start on Thursday because of arm fatigue. Kawakami, the first Japanese player signed by the Braves, is expected to be Atlanta’s No. 2 or No. 3 starter in the rotation behind Derek Lowe when the season begins. “The regular season isn’t here yet, so I wanted to take it easy,” Kawakami said through an interpreter. “Yesterday [Wednesday] something just didn’t feel right. Today, it’s usual. I’m not concerned at all.” Kawakami has pitched in four games this spring, allowing seven runs and 14 hits in 13-and-two-thirds innings. He has a 1.86 ERA in three starts. “He could have pitched today,” Cox said. “So I’m not concerned at all.” Cox said he expected Kawakami to make his next start on Tuesday.
■ HOCKEY
Court rules against Brodeur
Days after breaking the NHL record for wins by a goalie, the Devils’ Martin Brodeur has been dealt an alimony setback by a New Jersey appeals court. The court ruled that Brodeur must pay his ex-wife US$500,000 a year until 2020. A lower court originally awarded Brodeur’s ex-wife, Melanie DuBois, limited alimony. Brodeur appealed, asking that he only be required to pay alimony until he retires, which he estimated to be in 2012. DuBois asked for alimony payments until 2024, when their youngest is anticipated to graduate from college. The court ordered Brodeur to pay alimony until 2020, the year the youngest child graduates from high school.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to