FOOTBALL
Health firm drops Rodgers
A Wisconsin healthcare organization on Saturday ended a nine-year partnership with Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers after the quarterback detailed his reasoning for avoiding the three COVID-19 vaccinations endorsed by the NFL. A statement posted on Twitter by Prevea Health said the company and Rodgers mutually agreed to end their partnership. The move came a day after Rodgers told The Pat McAfee Show he had sought alternative treatments to COVID-19 vaccination because he is allergic to an ingredient in two of the FDA-approved shots. Rodgers did not say what ingredient he was allergic to, or how he knows he is allergic. Rodgers found out he contracted COVID-19 on Wednesday, and cannot rejoin the Packers for 10 days. The reigning NFL MVP, whose endorsement deals include starring in commercials for insurance company State Farm, hinted that his stance on vaccination could have consequences when he on Friday described himself as a victim of “cancel culture.”
TENNIS
Djokovic breaks record
Novak Djokovic on Saturday gained some consolation for missing out on a Grand Slam sweep this year when he was crowned season-ending world No. 1 for a record seventh time. The 34-year-old Serbian had jointly held the record of six with Pete Sampras, but took sole possession when he beat Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7/5) to reach the Paris Masters final. Djokovic had taken a seven-week break after his dreams of a Grand Slam were dashed by Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final in September. The 20-time Grand Slam champion on Friday said the main reason for his return this week was to seal the No. 1 spot and break the record. “It is a dream for me, as Pete was my idol when I was a young boy,” he said.
RUGBY UNION
Haylett-Petty retires
Wallabies fullback Dane Haylett-Petty yesterday announced his retirement after failing to fully recover from the effects of a concussion he suffered last year in a match against the All Blacks. The concussion, in a collision during a Bledisloe Cup match in October last year, left Haylett-Petty with lingering headaches. It ruled him out of the Super Rugby season with the Melbourne Rebels, where he was the team’s skipper. The 32-year-old, who has not played for the Wallabies since the injury, finishes his career with 38 test caps. “After 14 years, it’s time to hang up the boots,” Haylett-Petty wrote on Instagram. “It’s not the way I wanted to finish. I would have loved to run out just one more time, but it wasn’t to be. Rugby has given me so much and for that I am forever grateful.”
CYCLING
Lavreysen lights up opener
Flying Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen on Saturday maintained his stranglehold on men’s sprinting, as he lit up the opening round of the inaugural UCI Track Champions League in Mallorca, Spain. The reigning Olympic and world champion claimed victory and maximum points in the sprint event, although he was unable to follow that with victory in the keirin final, as Germany’s Stefan Botticher triumphed. It was an encouraging opening night for the new series that the UCI, in conjunction with broadcast partner Discovery Sports Events, believe would boost the appeal of velodrome racing.
The Taoyuan Pauian Pilots on Sunday fell short in their bid for a first East Asia Super League (EASL) title after a 90-81 loss to Japan’s Utsunomiya Brex in Macau. The defeat marked the second straight year the defending P.League+ champions missed out on the EASL crown, but they remain the first team to reach back-to-back championship games in the league’s three-year history. The outcome was largely decided by long-range shooting. The Pilots struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just five of 20 attempts, while the Brex converted 19 three-pointers, shooting 46.3 percent from long range. Seven of the eight Brex players
Taiwanese boxer and Olympic gold medalist Lin Yu-ting has been approved to compete in the Asian Boxing Elite Championships, the Chinese Taipei Boxing Association (CTBA) said yesterday. The championships start on Saturday next week in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Lin became entangled in a gender controversy, despite the International Olympic Committee confirming her eligibility to compete as a female boxer. In August last year, World Boxing mandated a new regulation that required all athletes to undergo a polymerase chain reaction. genetic test to determine their sex at birth and their eligibility. Since the introduction of the test, Lin has missed several
ONE MORE CHANCE: While North Korea denied Taiwan in Australia, Taiwan, who last played in the World Cup in 1991, could still qualify via inter-confederation playoffs Taiwan yesterday lost 4-0 to a dominant North Korea in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup playoffs, closing off an avenue to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Hong Song-ok scored a hat-trick in the match to determine the last of the confederation’s qualifiers from the tournament for next year’s World Cup in Brazil. With their victory over Taiwan, North Korea has qualified for the first time since a doping saga in 2011 led to their long absence from top-tier international tournaments. Angela Beard and Jaclyn Sawicki scored in a six-minute span to help the Philippines secure a World Cup spot with a
Audi, who are just two races into their Formula One journey, have parted company with team principal Jonathan Wheatley “with immediate effect,” the German team said on Friday. The 58-year-old Briton, who spent almost two decades with Red Bull, joined Sauber in April last year. Sauber were subsequently taken over by Audi. “Due to personal reasons, Jonathan Wheatley will depart the team with immediate effect,” Audi said in a statement. “The team thanks Jonathan for his contribution to the project and wishes him the best for his future endeavors. “Mattia Binotto, head of Audi F1 Project, will continue leading the team while taking over
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