OLYMPICS
IOC rejects criticism
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday rejected fierce criticism from Ukrainian officials, who have accused it of promoting war after the body said Russians could potentially be given the opportunity to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak at the weekend described the Lausanne-based body as promoting “violence, mass murders, destruction,” and on Monday said that a Russian presence at the Games would give the country “a platform to promote genocide.” “The IOC rejects in the strongest possible terms this and other defamatory statements,” the IOC said in a statement. “They cannot serve as a basis for any constructive discussion.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who last week called for a campaign to keep Russian athletes from competing in Paris, asked Denmark’s visiting prime minister for support on Monday.
ICE HOCKEY
Bobby Hull dies at 84
Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull, the first NHL player to score more than 50 goals in a season, has died at the age of 84, the Chicago Blackhawks said on Monday. Hull, a Canadian who had a feared slapshot and was known as the “Golden Jet” because of his blonde hair and speed on the ice, helped lead the Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup championship in 1961 that ended a 23-year title drought for the franchise. “Hull is part of an elite group of players who made a historic impact on our hockey club,” the Blackhawks said in a statement. “Generations of Chicagoans were dazzled by Bobby’s shooting prowess, skating skill and overall team leadership.”
SOCCER
Fans to be punished: CSD
Spain’s High Council for Sport (CSD) on Monday said that more than 10 Real Valladolid fans who racially insulted Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior in a La Liga game last month would be punished. Some home fans hurled abuse at the Brazilian winger during Madrid’s 2-0 win at Valladolid on Dec. 30 last year, prompting La Liga to file a complaint to the local courts. The CSD said in a statement that its commission against violence, racism and xenophobia in sport has “initiated proceedings for the proposed punishment of more than 10 supporters” over the incidents. Police are collecting data before recommending punishments, which could include fines of 4,000 euros (US$4,3336) and a one-year ban from sports stadiums for any person identified, the statement added.
TENNIS
Australian Open sets record
The Australian Open set a Grand Slam attendance record with more than 900,000 spectators visiting over three weeks, organizers said yesterday, despite the absence of some big-name players and schedule disruptions due to rain. A record 839,192 fans flocked to Melbourne Park from Jan. 16 to Sunday for the first tournament in two years free of COVID-19 restrictions, beating the previous mark of 812,174 set in January 2020. The figures eclipse last year’s attendance numbers at other Grand Slam main draws — 515,164 visited Wimbledon, 613,500 were at the French Open and 776,120 went to the US Open. More than 60,000 also watched the qualifying events in Melbourne, bringing the total up to 902,312.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
HSIEH MAKES QUARTERS: Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens of Belgium won in the women’s doubles and face Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin of the US Top-ranked Iga Swiatek and US Open champion Coco Gauff were knocked out of the women’s singles at the Miami Open on Monday, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced in the women’s doubles. Swiatek lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-2, hours after third seed Gauff fell in three sets to No. 23 Caroline Garcia 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. Alexandrova beat a top-ranked player for the first time and advanced to face Jessica Pegula, a 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 winner over Emma Navarro, in the quarter-finals. Alexandrova recorded her second win over Swiatek, following a 2021 victory in Melbourne. Swiatek had won their three matches since. “We played quite