BASKETBALL
Warriors sign Bogut
The Golden State Warriors said on Friday they had signed Australian center Andrew Bogut to a multi-year contract extension, reported to be worth US$36 million. USA Today reported that the three-year deal is worth US$36 million, with incentives that could raise its value to US$42 million. “OFFICIAL: The Warriors have signed center Andrew Bogut to a multi-year contract extension,” the NBA club said on Twitter. The Golden State Warriors have reached an agreement with center Andrew Bogut on a three-year, US$36 million extension, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA Today. That would require the oft-injured big man to play at least 65 games in each of the three seasons covered and reach certain performance levels, the newspaper said. Bogut, the top overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, has struggled to stay healthy. He missed a total of 107 games over the past two seasons as he battled injuries to his elbow, wrist and ankle. Bogut enters the 2013-2014 season owning career averages of 12.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.58 blocks and 32.1 minutes over eight seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks and Warriors.
CYCLING
Evans to ride Down Under
Ex-Tour de France champion Cadel Evans will ride his home tour for the first time in three years in January as he begins preparations for his main goal next season: the Giro d’Italia. Evans has ridden the season-opening Tour Down Under eight times, winning king of the mountains titles in 2002 and 2006 and the best young rider jersey in 1999. He last competed in the Australian leg of the ProTour in 2010, the year before his breakthrough victory in the Tour de France. Evans is not riding next year’s Tour de France, leaving room for the Australian race on his schedule.
TENNIS
Cilic doping ban reduced
Former world No. 9 Marin Cilic is free to play on the tennis circuit again after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) cut his ban for doping by more than half on Friday. “The player’s ban will … end at midnight on 25 October 2013,” the CAS said on its Web site. The Croatian was originally banned for nine months by the International Tennis Federation last month for taking the banned stimulant nikethamide. The 25-year-old, who said he had inadvertently taken the substance in glucose tablets, appealed to the CAS, who ruled on Friday that the punishment had been too severe. Cilic, who spent 11 weeks in the world’s top 10 in 2010, tested positive for the substance at the BMW Open in Munich in April. He has dropped to 47th.
FORMULA ONE
Williams fined for wheel nut
Formula One team Williams have been fined 60,000 euros (US$83,000) for the second race in a row after a wheel nut came off Pastor Maldonado’s car during practice at the Indian Grand Prix, the FIA said yesterday. Maldonado was forced to pull off the circuit after his right-front wheel shed a nut during the second free practice at the Buddh International Circuit on Friday. Williams were punished in Suzuka, Japan for a similar offense two weeks ago. “The stewards decide that a fine of 60,000 euros is the most appropriate penalty in this case taking into account that this was the second offense, but on this occasion the wheel was retained,” unlike in Suzuka, the FIA said. “Whilst the stewards accept that improvements to the wheel retaining system had been implemented, the team need to ensure that both the wheel and its fastener are fully retained on the car,” it said.
‘AWFUL PERFORMANCE’: Golden State were always chasing the game after failing to threaten from long range, making just eight of 33 three-point attempts Aaron Gordon on Monday scored 38 points as the Denver Nuggets shrugged off the absence of Nikola Jokic to halt the Golden State Warriors’ seven-game winning streak with a 114-105 victory over their Western Conference rivals. A dazzling display from Gordon inspired what was ultimately a comfortable win for Denver, who were missing regular starters Jokic and Jamal Murray from their lineup. The absentees were barely felt by Denver, who startled the Warriors early at San Francisco’s Chase Center and led for most of the game. The Warriors threatened to stage a late rally after slashing the Nuggets’ fourth-quarter lead from 15 points
The US’ bid for a fourth consecutive CONCACAF Nations League title came to a stunning end as they fell 1-0 to Panama after a stoppage-time goal from Cecilio Waterman on Thursday in Inglewood, California. Despite dominating possession, the US struggled to break down a resilient Panama side for long periods. Panama spent the bulk of the match defending, but pounced on a giveaway by the US before substitute forward Waterman sent a shot from the right side of the area to the bottom left corner late in stoppage time. Up next for Panama in tomorrow’s final is to be Mexico, who beat
DOMINATION: McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris took the first two spots as Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen followed them Australian Oscar Piastri yesterday roared back from season-opening disappointment in his home race by winning the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix from pole position in a McLaren one-two with championship-leading teammate Lando Norris. George Russell finished third for Mercedes, ahead of Red Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Saturday’s sprint winner Lewis Hamilton fifth and sixth respectively. Piastri’s win denied Norris a third victory in a row, including last year’s Abu Dhabi season-ender, but left champions McLaren unbeaten in two races so far this year. “Mega job guys. The car was very, very lovely,” Piastri said
Armand Duplantis will be among the reigning Olympic champions adding star power to the world indoor championships this weekend when the Chinese city of Nanjing hosts the first major global athletics meet since the Paris Games last year. The three-day event was originally slated for 2020 and faced multiple postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Nanjing’s Sports Training Center would finally welcome more than 570 athletes for the start of the showpiece today. One of the main attractions would be pole vaulter “Mondo” Duplantis, who soared 6.27m to break the world record for a staggering 11th time in Clermont-Ferrand last
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