SOCCER
Brazil to keep protests at bay
Brazilian authorities say they have learned from demonstrations during the Confederations Cup not to let protesters get too close to stadiums at the upcoming World Cup. Andrei Augusto Rodrigues, security head for major events at the Brazilian Ministry of Justice, acknowledged that police misjudged the threat to public safety at Rio de Janeiro in June at the final of the Confederations Cup, a World Cup warm-up. Police under attack from violent protesters fired clouds of tear gas as the game began. Some wafted toward the Maracana Stadium, causing vendors at refreshment and souvenir stands to cough and tear up. Protesters got within 200m of the stadium, packed with 70,000 spectators for the Brazil-Spain final. Rodrigues said Brazil will work with foreign police forces as South Africa did in 2010.
SKIING
Vonn resumes training
Olympic downhill champion Lindsey Vonn, who has not competed since suffering a knee injury in February, completed her first World Cup training run at Lake Louise, Canada, on Wednesday, but was undecided about entering today’s race. Vonn tore knee ligaments at the world championships in Schladming. Vonn, who has 14 World Cup race wins at Lake Louise, clocked the 19th-fastest time in Wednesday’s first practice session, 2.13 behind Spain’s Carolina Ruiz-Castillo. A training crash in the middle of last month interrupted Vonn’s comeback and she was forced out of last weekend’s racing on home snow in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Vonn insisted several times this season that she would be ready to defend her downhill Olympic title in Sochi in February next year.
FOOTBALL
Tomlin fined US$100,000
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has been fined US$100,000 for interfering with a play against the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving. The NFL also said Wednesday that it would consider docking Pittsburgh a draft pick “because the conduct affected a play on the field.” In the third quarter of the Ravens’ 22-20 win last Thursday, Tomlin was standing on the restricted white border between the sideline and field during Jacoby Jones’ kickoff return. Jones had to swerve to avoid colliding with the coach and was tackled after a 73-yard return that might have gone for a touchdown if not for the obstruction. Tomlin briefly stepped onto the field before he jumped back. Tomlin said on Tuesday he was “mesmerized” by watching the return on the video board and would accept any punishment.
SOCCER
No place for women: Gattuso
Former AC Milan and Italy midfielder Gennaro Gattuso cannot see a place for women in soccer, he said on Wednesday. The hard-tackling midfielder was commenting on the recent turmoil at AC Milan, where Adriano Galliani has agreed to share his chief executive role with Barbara Berlusconi, the daughter of club president Silvio Berlusconi. “I think that for someone like Galliani, there should be more respect,” he told the Radio Radio station in an interview. “I can’t really see women in football, I don’t like to say it, but that’s how it is.” Galliani, who has been at the club for 27 years, threatened to resign last week, apparently unhappy at comments by Barbara Berlusconi that the club needed a new philosophy. World Cup winner Gattuso ended his playing days last season with FC Sion in Switzerland. He had a spell as player-coach, but was relieved of his coaching duties after only 11 league games. He was appointed coach of Serie B side Palermo this season, but was fired after only six matches.
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
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
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
RSS