SKIING
Second downhill canceled
Organizers yesterday called off the second downhill at Kitzbuehel because of bad weather and the state of the course a day after two gruesome crashes. The International Ski Federation (FIS) was to decide later in the day about today’s scheduled super-G. The FIS blamed “weather conditions and the state of the course” for yesterday’s cancelation. Friday’s World Cup downhill saw Swiss Urs Kryenbuehl sustain a concussion, a fractured collar bone and knee ligament damage, while in-form American Ryan Cochran-Siegle sustained a “minor cervical ‘spine’ fracture.” The 3.3km-long Streif course at Austria’s Kitzbuehel resort left French veteran Johan Clarey feeling “angry”after demands to shave a dangerous bump were ignored. Wind and crashes interrupted the race, which took nearly three hours and was called off after top 30 had finished. “I’m angry at the organizers and the FIS,” Clarey said. Clarey himself crashed in Thursday’s training, but still finished fourth. Swiss skier Beat Feuz won Friday’s race.
OLYMPICS
IOC insists Games are on
The entire Olympic movement is united in its determination to ensure the Tokyo Games happen in July and August, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said in a video message yesterday. Britain’s Times newspaper on Friday reported that Tokyo was looking to get out of hosting the Games, drawing sharp criticism and flat denials. The Japanese government dismissed the report, while Japan Olympic Committee head Yasuhiro Yamashita told reporters that it was a “fabrication” and “wrong.” Bach did not directly address the Times report, nor mention by name the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the postponement of the Games from last year, but said he was confident that they would go ahead from July 23 to Aug. 8. “Six months ahead of the Games, the entire Olympic movement is looking forward to the opening ceremony on July 23,” Bach said. “I had the opportunity today to speak with all the 206 National Olympic Committees of the world and they are all fully committed and looking forward to the Games. We are enjoying the full support of the Japanese government. We had another consultation with all the IOC members yesterday, everybody is really determined to make these Olympic Games the light at the end of the tunnel.”
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
White backs Nurmagomedov
Despite repeated claims by Khabib Nurmagomedov that he intends to remain retired, UFC president Dana White on Friday said that he believes the undefeated UFC lightweight champion — who stunned the sport by tearfully retiring after his previous match — “still wants to fight.” White was interviewed by CBS Sports in the wake of Nurmagomedov’s denial this week that he intends to come back to fighting nearly three months after suddenly stepping down. White said that a return could still happen. “He’s coming out to [Las] Vegas and he and I are going to go to dinner,” White said, according to MMAJunkie. “He said: ‘The one thing I won’t do [is] I will never hold up the division. So if I decide that I’m not gonna fight one of these guys, I’m retired [and] the belt can move on.’ I just feel like he decided to retire under a ton of pressure. His dad just died, he didn’t spend time with his family because he was in camp. He got injured and had a hard time cutting weight because of the injury. He goes in, fights the fight and I think he made an emotional decision.So we’ll see how this thing plays out this weekend.”
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was