Tue, Apr 28, 2009 page18

• Sports Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■NASCAR

  Fans injured in Talladega

  Seven fans were injured by debris when Carl Edwards’ car went airborne into the safety fence on the final lap at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on Sunday. Track medical director Bobby Lewis said none of the injuries was life-threatening but two women were airlifted to Birmingham hospitals. He said one likely had a broken jaw and the other was not injured but was taken because of a medical condition. Lewis said they were airlifted because of traffic, not the severity of the injuries. The other six were treated and released. Edwards was trying to block a move from winner Brad Keselowski, and contact sent his spinning car over Ryan Newman’s hood and into the fence. The fence held and Edwards’ car landed on the track.

  ■ATHLETICS

  Wanjiru and Mikitenko win

  Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru lived up to his favorite billing as the Kenyan won the men’s London Marathon on Sunday, while Irina Mikitenko of Germany claimed a second successive women’s crown. Wanjiru secured victory in a course record and personal best time of two hours, five minutes and 10 seconds, finishing 10 seconds ahead of Beijing bronze-medalist Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia. Two-time world champion Jaouad Gharib of Morocco was third, 17 seconds adrift of the winner. Mikitenko secured victory in the women’s race with a time of 2:22.11, finishing one minute, one second ahead of Great Britain’s Mara Yamauchi. Russian Liliya Shobukhova finished in third place.

  ■SOCCER

  Wembley manager sacked

  The row over the state of Wembley’s pitch has claimed a high-profile victim in the shape of the national stadium’s ground manager Steve Welch, who was sacked on Saturday. The Sunday Times said Welch has been made to pay with his job for the pitch that Arsene Wenger labeled “a disaster” after Arsenal’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea last weekend. Manchester United boss sir Alex Ferguson was equally dismissive 24 hours later when he said his team selection in the penalty shootout defeat to Everton had been influenced by fears the likes of Wayne Rooney could be injured on the “spongy and dead” turf. As Welch was being shown the door the pitch was being dug up at a cost of £80,000 (US$116,700) for the sixth time since the stadium opened in time for the FA Vase on May 9, the paper reported.

  ■SWIMMING

  Bousquet sets 50m record

  French swimmer Frederick Bousquet has set a world record in the 50m freestyle, becoming the first person to break the 21-second barrier. Bousquet set the record on Sunday at the French championships in Montpellier by finishing in 20.94 seconds.

  ■SOCCER

  Fans banned in ethnic rivalry

  Fear of ethnic fan violence prompted officials to hold a match between two teams in a near-empty stadium, with most spectators locked out and trying to watch from the street. The New South Wales Premier League ordered that the match between Bonnyrigg White Eagles and Sydney United be an invitation-only event on Sunday in a bid to prevent fan violence between Serbs and Croatians — the heated club rivalry goes back 45 years. Police and a heavy security presence ensured only accredited Bonnyrigg club members and private box holders at the Bonnyrigg Sports Centre were allowed to attend. Parents, partners and relatives of the players were barred. The match ended 1-1.
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