■TAEKWONDO
Armless woman seeks belt
A US woman who was born without arms or kneecaps is preparing to test for her black belt. Sheila Radziewicz is scheduled to take her test next month at Bruce McCorry’s Martial Arts in Peabody, Massachusetts. The 32-year-old brown belt, who was born with TAR syndrome, told the Salem News she’s been training in martial arts for three years. McCorry, her teacher, said he’s never seen a student like Radziewicz. Despite her condition, she can use nunchacku and break boards with her kicks. The Salem, resident, who works as an advocate for victims of domestic violence, said she has never let her disability stop her. At 23, Radziewicz earned her driver’s license and uses a car that she controls with her feet.
■FORMULA ONE
Button puts vroom in Frome
World champion Jenson Button went back to school on Tuesday before receiving the freedom of Frome, the English country town where he was born 30 years ago. Button, who will soon have a footbridge named after him in the Somerset town that rhymes with vroom, visited his three boyhood schools and met teachers and pupils before a public address to locals. “It’s a real privilege to accept this,” the Monaco-based McLaren driver told the BBC. “I visited all the schools I went to here in Frome and that was a great experience. It made me feel like a kid again.” Button, who leads the championship after two wins in four races, was also representing the British Motor Sports Association’s Go Motorsport initiative to help more people into motorsport. “It’s quite an emotional day seeing all these people and hopefully helping these people realize that they can achieve their goals and dreams,” Button said.
■SOCCER
Injuries worry Del Bosque
Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque is concerned by the injuries plaguing several key Spanish internationals like Liverpool striker Fernando Torres ahead of the World Cup in South Africa. “We are worried because it is something that he cannot control,” he said in comments published yesterday in sports daily Marca. Liverpool’s medical chief Peter Brukner said on Tuesday that Torres, who is recovering from a second operation in three months to repair damage to his right knee, may not be fit in time for Spain’s opening World Cup clash with Switzerland on June 16. Fellow current walking wounded include Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas, Barcelona playmaker Andres Iniesta and Villarreal holding midfielder Marcos Senna. Del Bosque said “expectations were good” that the players would recover in time for the June 11 to July 11 World Cup. He also said he was confident that Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola would not put midfielder Xavi Hernandez, who has been playing with a tear in a leg muscle, “at risk.” Del Bosque is scheduled to announce his 23-man World Cup squad on May 20 before the group heads to Austria for a training camp ahead of the start of the tournament.
■GOLF
Bayron takes lead
Filipino Jay Bayron stayed on the birdie train yesterday to take the first round lead in the inaugural Kariza Indonesia Championship. Bayron fired a six-under-par 66 at Gading Raya Golf Club outside Jakarta. Indonesian No. 1 Rory Hie and Wisut Artjanawat from Thailand both carded 67s, while Singapore’s Mardan Mamat returned a 68. Bayron, 30, made seven birdies and one bogey to plant his name at the top of the leader board.
The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso before their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League raised further questions about his future. Arsenal remain perfect in this season’s competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao. The clash between Madrid and City was the standout game of the round amid reports this week that Alonso had lost control of the locker room. Speculation over his position is likely to intensify after the latest
The Olympic flame for the Milan Cortina Winter Games landed in Rome on Thursday following a handover in Greece. The flame was carried in a small lantern aboard an ITA Airways flight between the Greek and Italian capitals. Tennis player Jasmine Paolini — an Olympic gold medalist — and local organizing committee president Giovanni Malago carried the flame off the plane. “I feel honored. It’s an incredible emotion,” Paolini said in brief remarks before the lantern was driven away toward the presidential palace. A 63-day torch relay covering 12,000km is to start in Rome today and wind its way through all 110 Italian provinces
The Kashima Antlers won a record-extending ninth Japanese title on the final day of the J. League season yesterday, holding their nerve to beat the Yokohama F. Marinos 2-1. Watched by Brazilian legend and former player Zico, the Antlers went into the game at their packed home stadium with a one-point lead over Kashiwa Reysol in the table. A goal in either half from Brazilian striker Leo Ceara put the Antlers in control, but Yokohama struck in the first of five minutes of second-half injury time to set up a nail-biting finale, with Reysol winning their game 1-0. The Antlers saw out the
Tony Jefferson intercepted a Jalen Hurts pass in overtime to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 22-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday in an NFL thriller between playoff contenders. Justin Herbert, playing a week after surgery on his broken left (non-throwing) hand, withstood a career-high seven sacks to throw for 139 yards and a touchdown for the Chargers. Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals, including the 54-yard game winner in overtime. The Chargers defenders forced Hurts to throw four interceptions and surrender a fumble for a career-worst five turnovers as the Eagles fell to 8-5 with a third
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