■ AUTO RACIN
Latvala leads Swedish Rally
Jari-Matti Latvala of Finland retained the lead in the Swedish Rally on Saturday, taking a 49.8-second advantage over Ford Focus teammate Mikko Hirvonen into the final day. Latvala, who finished out of the points in the season opener in Monte Carlo last month, had a total time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 53.7 seconds after 14 stages. The 22-year-old Latvala won six of seven stages on Friday, but was winless on the penultimate day of the world championship event. "It was difficult being first on the road through the opening stage because there was a lot of slush for the first 3km and we did a lot of moving from snowbank to snowbank," Latvala said.
■ FIELD HOCKEY
N Zealand headed to Beijing
New Zealand will play in the men's field hockey tournament at August's Beijing Olympics after beating Argentina 3-2 in double overtime in the final of a six-nation qualifying tournament yesterday. Brad Shaw scored the winning goal eight seconds from the end of extra time after New Zealand had twice come from behind in regulation to tie the game 2-2. "It's an unbelievable moment," coach Shane McLeod said. "It's very difficult to describe when you understand all the effort the guys have put in." Argentinian players slumped on the field in tears as Shaw slammed home a rebound in the dying moments of the second overtime.
■ FOOTBALL
Redskins hire Zorn as coach
The Washington Redskins hired Jim Zorn as their coach on Saturday, a surprise ending to a monthlong search for a replacement for Joe Gibbs. "I've always dreamed of being a head coach with a franchise rich in tradition like the Redskins," Zorn said in a team news release. "As a player who had to fight Redskins teams at RFK [stadium] as well as at our home field, I know about the history of this franchise as well as the passion of its fans. I won't let you down." The Redskins said the 54-year-old Zorn agreed to a five-year contract. He was scheduled to be introduced at a news conference yesterday.
■ SKIING
Vonn wins milestone victory
Lindsey Vonn has joined Picabo Street and Daron Rahlves as the most successful US downhill skiers. Among current competitors, she has no equal. Vonn blew away the field in Sestriere, Italy, on Saturday for her fourth win in seven downhills this season. It was the ninth downhill victory of her career, matching Street and Rahlves. "Lindsey is pretty much unbeatable now," US downhill coach Alex Hoedlmoser said. "The only thing that could have beaten her here was herself." Using a much straighter line than any other skier, Vonn covered the 2.965km Kandahar Banchetta course in 1 minute, 38.86 seconds. The race announcer yelled, "She's a speed train!"
■ SKIING
Reinfried Herbst returns
The Austrian put together the fastest times in both runs to win a men's slalom on Saturday to cap his comeback from a serious knee injury. Herbst beat Manfred Moelgg of Italy by 0.65 seconds on a sun-drenched Gudiberg course in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Although he led by nearly half a second after the first run, the 29-year-old Austrian did not hold back in the second heat and attacked the course all the way to post his second World Cup victory. "What happened today is exactly what I had in mind at the start of the season: to show what I can do," Herbst said. "The feeling is simply great.
Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen yesterday exited at the BWF World Tour Finals in China, losing in the semi-finals to China’s world No. 1 Shi Yuqi. Shi, who was named the BWF Men’s Singles Player of the Year, had a 9-4 record against Chou going into the match. He extended that record to 9-5 with a 21-14, 21-18 victory. Chou advanced to the men’s singles semi-finals on Friday by upsetting top-seeded Anders Antonsen of Denmark in a must-win match at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium. The 16-21, 21-18, 21-15 victory saw Chou secure his second semi-finals appearance at the tournament, despite his relatively older
‘REMARKABLE’: Gaelic football is a traditional Irish sport that blends the skills of soccer and rugby, and hurling is an ancient sport played with a wooden stick and ‘sliotar’ The Taiwan Celts Gaelic Football Club marked a milestone achievement at the Asian Gaelic Games in Bangkok on Nov. 23 and 24, with two sides advancing to the knockout stages and competing at hurling for the first time. The event brought together 68 teams from 16 clubs across Asia, with more than 800 players in men’s and women’s tournaments. Gaelic football is a traditional Irish team sport that blends the skills of soccer, rugby union and basketball. Hurling is an ancient Irish sport played with a wooden stick, called a hurley, and a small ball, or sliotar. The Taiwan Celts’ women’s team reached
India’s chess star Gukesh Dommaraju returned to a hero’s welcome in his home city yesterday after becoming the youngest world champion aged only 18. Hundreds of fans crowded the arrivals area of Chennai International Airport, cheering alongside banks of television cameras as Gukesh made his way out of the airport after victory in taking the World Chess Championship title. “It means a lot to bring back the trophy to India,” Gukesh told reporters, with garlands of flowers draped around his neck, brandishing the glittering trophy in his hand. “I can see the support and what it means to India, I
LIVERPOOL WIN: The 50th Champions League goal by Mohamed Salah helped the leaders of the Premier League to keep their perfect record intact Real Madrid’s big stars on Tuesday turned on the style to revive the Spanish giant’s faltering UEFA Champions League title defense. Galacticos Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham all scored in a thrilling 3-2 win against Serie A leaders Atalanta BC. However, Madrid still had to ride their luck as Mateo Retegui fired over from in front of goal in stoppage-time when handed a golden chance to level the game. It was only Madrid’s third win in the competition’s revamped league phase and leaves the 15-time champions in the unseeded playoff positions in 18th place. “It’s a very important win. Not everyone wins
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