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.
Ademola Lookman on Thursday scored on his Atletico Madrid debut in a 5-0 rout of Real Betis Balompie that sent Diego Simeone’s team to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. David Hancko, Giuliano Simeone, Antoine Griezmann and Thiago Almada also scored for Atletico as they advanced to the last four for the third straight season. Atletico are trying to reach their first Copa final since winning the competition in 2012-2013. Hancko opened the scoring for the visitors in the 12th minute and Giuliano Simeone added to the lead in the 30th, before Lookman got his first goal for Atletico on a fast
GUNNING FOR A WIN: The victory sending Arsenal to the final for the first time in six years was cathartic for a team who had lost their previous four semi-finals Arsenal on Tuesday reached the League Cup final for the first time in eight years as Kai Havertz sealed a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the semi-final second leg. Mikel Arteta’s side had put themselves in pole position in the first leg and Havertz came off the bench to finish the 4-2 aggregate victory in the closing moments at the Emirates Stadium. It was a cathartic triumph for the Gunners, who had lost their previous four semi-finals in last year’s UEFA Champions League and League Cup, the 2022 League Cup and the 2021 UEFA Europa League. In their first final for six years,
SUPERSTAR DELIVERS: Victor Wembanyama scored 29 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to propel the Spurs to a 135-123 victory over the Dallas Mavericks The Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday shook off the early exit of injured star Luka Doncic, rallying without him in the second half for a 119-115 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Austin Reaves, again coming off the bench in his second game back from a 19-game injury absence, scored 13 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, drilling a pair of back-to-back three-pointers to give the Lakers their first lead of the game early in the final frame. “Losing Luka, you know nothing’s going to be easy after that because he does so much for us, but we bonded together,” said
France head coach Fabien Galthie on Thursday lauded his team’s attacking performance after their dazzling 36-14 victory over Ireland in their Six Nations opener. A brace of tries from Louis Bielley-Biarrey and one from mercurial flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert helped France storm into a 29-0 lead before taking their foot off the gas and allowing Ireland back into the match, before winger Theo Attissogbe put some gloss on the victory late on. “In an attacking sense, with the ball, the team played with great accuracy,” Galthie said. “It was one of the most accurate attacking performances in a long time, despite the weather
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