WINTER OLYMPICS
Vonn return possible: expert
Lindsey Vonn’s bid to race downhill at the Milano-Cortina Olympics days after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) would be extraordinary, but not impossible, a US musculoskeletal scientist said on Tuesday, as elite conditioning and external knee support could allow her to compete. Douglas van Citters, a scientist and expert on artificial joints at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire said athletes were capable of functioning without an ACL if surrounding structures are strong enough to stabilize the knee. “There are some individuals who are capable of using their knee in the absence of the ACL,” Van Citters said, adding that Vonn’s ability to attempt a return so quickly was truly remarkable. The 41-year-old American on Tuesday revealed that she had completely ruptured her ACL in a crash at Crans Montana, Switzerland, on Friday last week, along with bone bruising and meniscal damage, but said she felt stable and strong after treatment and planned to ski with a brace.
Photo: AFP
SOCCER
Morocco appeals CAF ruling
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation on Tuesday said it would appeal the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) disciplinary rulings over last month’s chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal, which the hosts lost 1-0 in extra-time. The federation criticized the sanctions as disproportionate to the “seriousness and gravity” of the incidents during the Jan. 18 match, which was overshadowed by a 14-minute interruption after Senegalese players staged a walk-off, a pitch invasion by their fans, and confrontations involving players and staff. CAF handed Senegal’s coach Pape Thiaw a five-match ban and fined him US$100,000 after he instructed his team to leave the pitch following a video assistant referee decision to disallow a goal late in regular time. The Senegalese Football Federation was fined US$615,000, with Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr receiving two-match bans for unsporting actions directed at the referee. Morocco, whose appeal to have the match result overturned was rejected by CAF, were also hit with sanctions totaling US$315,000.
ICE HOCKEY
Fans criticize charity event
The NHL has received backlash after slashing a donation to cancer research by US$800,000 after a missed shot during a charity promotion. The incident came during Sunday’s game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins, when Rob Higgins, a cancer survivor, was brought on to the ice to attempt a shot through a small opening in an empty goal. If Higgins made the shot, the NHL said it would donate US$500,000 to cancer charities; if he missed, the donation would be US$100,000. After he missed the shot, he was then given another chance, with a guaranteed donation of US$200,000 if he missed, which would increase to US$1 million if he scored. He missed again. Many on social media attacked the league for leaving US$800,000 on the table that could have gone to charity. One account said the move was “classless,” adding that “the NHL should’ve built the widest net and asked dozens of survivors to score symbolically.” Another user called the event “dystopian.” Higgins was a little more upbeat. “And with that, my hockey career (which thankfully only lasted two shots) is now officially over,” he wrote on X.
Yu Yao-hsing on Tuesday nabbed Taiwan’s only goal in the final round of qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, as they fell 3-1 to Sri Lanka at Taipei Municipal Stadium. Early goals from Sri Lanka in the first half left Taiwan struggling to get on the board, and Christopher Tiao’s own goal at 53 minutes sealed the team’s fate in the third round of qualifiers. While acknowledging that the defeat, Taiwan’s sixth in Group D, was disappointing, head coach Matt Ross said he saw reasons to stay positive about the team’s development. “There were lots of positive signs in terms of the
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli yesterday vowed to “keep raising the bar” after winning the Japanese Grand Prix to become the youngest driver in Formula One history to lead the championship standings. The 19-year-old Italian took advantage of a mid-race safety car to jump into the lead after a dreadful start from pole position, crossing the line ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Antonelli’s Suzuka victory came two weeks after the first grand prix win of his career in China, and sent him top of the championship standings after three races, nine points ahead of team-mate George Russell. Mercedes are struggling to
INDIGESTION: Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time after a 4-1 defeat to Bosnia on penalties in a loss Gattuso said was ‘difficult to digest’ Coach Graham Arnold on Tuesday challenged his players to “shock the world” after Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup with a nerve-shredding 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico, as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) also secured their places at the finals. Iraq, whose preparations were disrupted by the war in the Middle East, sealed their first appearance at the finals in 40 years and are to play in Group I against France, Senegal and Norway. Goals from Ali al-Hamadi
Teng Kai-wei, the only Taiwanese player on an opening-day roster in this year’s Major League Baseball (MLB) season, took his first win of the year with the Houston Astros in his season debut. Teng entered in relief in the top of the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, with the Astros trailing 5-0. He pitched 2-1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, as Houston scored 11 runs during his outing to snatch an 11-9 comeback victory. The win is the Astros’ first of the season and the third of Teng’s MLB career. “It’s my first time pitching for the Astros, so
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