SOCCER
Hertha lose their appeal
Hertha BSC Berlin have lost their appeal for a replay of their relegation playoff match at Fortuna Duesseldorf 1895 last week, which was twice interrupted by crowd trouble and ended with them being relegated from the top tier. The German football federation’s sporting tribunal said it could find no justification for ordering a replay of the relegation playoff second-leg that ended 2-2, giving Fortuna a 4-3 aggregate win. The club, who went straight down after only one season in the top flight, said the decision was “totally incomprehensible” and that they would appeal to the highest tribunal, the Bundesgericht. “The appeal was not successful because no reasons for objection could be found,” said Hans Lorenz, head of the tribunal. “The referee at all times acted according to the rules and Hertha’s claim that the team was weakened by the interruption could not be proved.”
BASEBALL
Feliz put on disabled list
The division-leading Texas Rangers face a nervous wait for Neftali Feliz to recover fitness after placing the starting pitcher on the disabled list on Monday. The 24-year-old Feliz has a sprained ligament in his right elbow that is likely to keep him out at least through the All-Star break and possibly longer. Feliz, who spent the past two years as the team’s closer before joining the starting rotation this season, is 3-1 with a 3.16 ERA. The Rangers entered Monday night with a five-game lead in the American League West, but they now have to look for ways to compensate for their loss. Texas general manager Jon Daniels indicated the team may even consider signing a free agent.
BASKETBALL
Magic fire Van Gundy
The Orlando Magic fired head coach Stan Van Gundy following a season where he clashed with All-Star center Dwight Howard, the NBA team said on Monday. Van Gundy, who said in March that Howard wanted him fired, was named head coach of the Magic in 2007 and led the team to the NBA Finals in 2009. The Magic, who were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers two weeks ago, also said general manager Otis Smith and the team had mutually agreed to part ways. “These are the days you dread in this business, but we feel it’s time for new leadership and new voices,” Orlando chief executive Alex Martins said in a statement. “The disappointment of getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs these past two seasons played a primary role in our decision, as we feel our momentum towards winning a championship has paused.” Van Gundy had a 259-135 record with the Magic and led the team to the post-season in each of his five seasons in charge, including three Southeast Division titles.
GOLF
Woods’ niece eyes LPGA
Cheyenne Woods, the 21-year-old niece of 14-time major winner Tiger Woods, has signed with her uncle’s agent, Mark Steinberg, and is set to start playing in LPGA Tour events this year. In a statement posted on the Excel agency Web site on Monday, Cheyenne Woods said she plans to play in LPGA events this year on sponsor exemptions and seek a full-time spot on the women’s tour through the qualifying tournament. “I am really looking forward to pursuing my goals and dreams to compete on the highest level,” she said. “As I begin my professional career, I am confident and excited about working with Excel as they help shape my future.” She posted the lowest scoring average at Wake Forest University.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
If all goes well when the biggest marathon field ever gathered in Australia races 42km through the streets of Sydney on Sunday, World Marathon Majors (WMM) will soon add a seventh race to the elite series. The Sydney Marathon is to become the first race since Tokyo in 2013 to join long-established majors in New York, London, Boston, Berlin and Chicago if it passes the WMM assessment criteria for the second straight year. “We’re really excited for Sunday to arrive,” race director Wayne Larden told a news conference in Sydney yesterday. “We’re prepared, we’re ready. All of our plans look good on
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
When details from a scientific experiment that could have helped clear Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva landed at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the leader of the organization’s reaction was unequivocal: “We have to stop that urgently,” he wrote. No mention of the test ever became public and Valieva’s defense at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) went on without it. What effect the information could have had on Valieva’s case is unclear, but without it, the skater, then 15 years old, was eventually disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics after testing positive for a banned heart medication that would later
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