FOOTBALL
Frazier new Vikings coach
The Minnesota Vikings have reached an agreement with Leslie Frazier to be their next coach. The Vikings announced on Monday they’re removing the interim tag from Frazier’s title. Frazier took over on Nov. 22 when Brad Childress was fired and the Vikings went 3-3 under him. The defensive coordinator under Childress and a former cornerback for the Chicago Bears, Frazier had a clear command of the locker room as he guided the Vikings through the end of a disappointing, dramatic season. Players have pushed for him to get the job on a permanent basis. Frazier is the eighth coach in the franchise’s 50-year history. Vikings owner Zygi Wilf touted Frazier’s “vast knowledge of the game” and the “great respect” the organization has for the 51-year-old.
SKIING
Heikkinen wins fourth stage
Matti Heikkinen of Finland won the fourth stage of the Tour de Ski in Oberstdorf, Germany, while Anna Haag of Sweden took victory in the women’s race, but the overall event standings did not change. Heikkinen claimed the best time on the second portion of the 20km mixed classic and free pursuit to win in a total time of 49 minutes, 20.1 seconds on Monday. Overall Tour de Ski leader Dario Cologna of Switzerland finished second, a second back from Heikkinen, to extend his advantage to 1 hour, 37 minutes, 51.0 seconds. In the women’s standings, Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland finished fifth to remain in front overall with a time of 1 hour, 1 minute, 52.3 seconds.
CRICKET
Pakistan draw warm-up
Pakistan’s pre-Test warm-up match against a New Zealand XI at Whangarei’s Cobham Oval ended in a tame draw with both sides agreeing to a truce midway through the third and final day yesterday. The New Zealand XI, in reality a shadow Test team, were 111 for four when stumps were pulled, an overall lead of 208. After the hosts posted 384 in their first innings, Pakistan recovered from a woeful start, when they were 39 for four, to be all out for 287. Skipper Misbah ul-Haq, who did not play in the recent Twenty20 series, earned valuable time in the middle with an unbeaten 126 in nearly six hours at the crease. The next best score for Pakistan was 35 by wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal. Seam bowler Umar Gul, who took three wickets in the first innings, continued his good form in the second with the dismissals of Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson in the space of three balls, to end with two for 19. The first Test in the two-Test series between New Zealand and Pakistan starts in Hamilton tomorrow.
BASEBALL
Simon surrenders to police
Baltimore Orioles reliever Alfredo Simon has surrendered to Dominican police for questioning about a fatal shooting on New Year’s Eve. The Dominican pitcher arrived at national police headquarters on Monday. He was accompanied by his mother and lawyer, who gave detectives Simon’s gun as part of the investigation into the killing of a 25-year-old man. Police spokesman Maximo Baez says the 29-year-old player told detectives he fired twice into the air during a celebration in the northeast coastal town of Luperon. Simon is the main suspect in the fatal shooting. The dead man’s teenage brother was shot in the right arm and is hospitalized in the city of Santiago.
The next generation of running talent takes center stage at today’s Berlin Marathon, in the absence of stars including Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopian world record holder Tigist Assefa. With most of the major marathon stars skipping the event in the wake of the Paris Olympics just more than a month ago, the field is wide open in the men’s and women’s races. Since 2015, Kipchoge has won five times in Berlin, Kenenisa Bekele has won twice and Guye Adola once — with all three missing today. Kenyan Kibiwott Kandie and Ethiopian Tadese Takele are among the favourites for the men, while
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
Taiwan’s Tony Wu yesterday beat Mackenzie McDonald of the US to win the Nonthaburi Challenger IV in Thailand, his first challenger victory since 2022. The 26-year-old world No. 315, who won both his qualifiers to advance to the main draw, has been on a hot streak this month, winning his past nine matches, including two that ensured Taiwan’s victory in their Davis Cup World Group I tie. Wu took just more than two hours to top world No. 172 McDonald 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to win his second challenger tournament since the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger in 2022. Wu’s Tallahassee win followed two years of
UP IN SMOKE: More than half a dozen riders crashed out of the race, with Marquez’s title chances in doubt after driving off the track with flames flickering from his bike Jorge Martin yesterday won a crash-filled Indonesia MotoGP to extend his championship lead, while closest rival Francesco Bagnaia limited the damage by claiming the final podium place. The win leaves the Pramac Racing rider 21 points ahead of his Italian Ducati rival, who finished third behind Spaniard Pedro Acosta in sweltering conditions at the Mandalika International Street Circuit on Lombok island. In front of a crowd of 60,000 in motorbike-mad Indonesia, the 26-year-old put his tumble in Saturday’s sprint behind him, canceling out the gains his title rival Bagnaia made after securing victory in that race. “Thank you Indonesia. I am very happy.
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