SWIMMING
Thorpe disappoints again
Ian Thorpe failed to reach the 100m butterfly final at the Beijing World Cup short-course meet yesterday as the second stop of his hotly anticipated comeback came crashing to a halt. The 29-year-old Australian was 13th overall in the heats with 54.35 seconds, 2.22 seconds off Japanese leader Kosuke Hagino, after also missing the 100m freestyle and 100m individual medley finals on Tuesday. It follows a disappointing return to action for the five-time Olympic champion last weekend in Singapore, when he finished way out of the medals in his first competition in five years. “Thorpedo” is also scheduled to compete in Tokyo this weekend as he builds toward Australia’s Olympic trials in March.
SOCCER
Former Juve boss jailed
Former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi was sentenced to five years and four months in jail on Tuesday for his role in the 2006 Calciopoli match-fixing scandal. Fiorentina owners Andrea and Diego Della Valle and SS Lazio president Claudio Lotito received sentences of 15 months, though they will not have to serve them as under Italian law sentences under two years do not require the guilty party to serve time. Paolo Bergamo, the former referees’ selector, was sentenced to three years and eight months in jail. Moggi was judged to be the man chiefly to blame for the scandal and was found guilty on two counts, including sporting fraud.
OLYMPICS
Aussies face medal drought
Australia is facing its lowest overall summer Olympics medal haul in two decades at next year’s London Games, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) forecast yesterday. Based on the latest benchmark results Australia will be struggling to hang on to a top-five finish in the medals tally, a position it has held since 1996, AOC chief John Coates said. Coates said based on the results, which track Australia’s performance in international competitions, Australia would win 35 or 36 medals in London. As an overall medal tally, that would represent the lowest haul since Barcelona in 1992 when Australia finished 10th with 27 medals.
SOCCER
Alcaraz banned for spitting
Wigan Athletic captain Antolin Alcaraz was banned for three matches on Tuesday after admitting a charge of spitting at an opponent during an English Premier League match, the Football Association said in a statement on its Web site. The 19-year-old Paraguayan defender was caught by television cameras spitting at Wolverhampton Wanderers player Richard Stearman in an incident missed by the match officials on Sunday. The Latics are bottom of the table following eight successive defeats and Alcaraz will miss the games against Blackburn Rovers, Sunderland and Arsenal.
SOCCER
Messi to get ‘caganer’
Barcelona star Lionel Messi, a rock ‘n’ roll legend and British royalty will be honored this year by Spain’s “caganer” figurines, a Christmas tradition that shows celebrities in unflattering poses. The figurines have been sold in the Catalonia region around Christmas since the 18th century, when they were placed in nativity scenes in the hope of bringing good luck and a rich harvest, but now they show famous personalities with their bottoms bared in the act of defecating. Customers inclined toward rock music or royal romance can choose between Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger or Britain’s Prince William and his wife, Catherine.
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their
Arminia Bielefeld on Tuesday pulled off a major upset in the DFB-Pokal by defeating defending champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-1 in their semi-final. The third-division team came from behind after Jonathan Tah gave the visitors a 17th-minute lead. Marius Worl replied three minutes later and Maximilian Groser scored Bielefeld’s second goal just before the break. The home team looked more likely to add to that tally as the Leverkusen players looked jaded. “I’m just proud of this team,” Bielefeld coach Mitch Kniat said as most of the fans the small stadium sang around him. “No one will sleep in the city tonight.” Patrik Schick went
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that
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