SWIMMING
US team named
Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Natalie Coughlin will headline the US swim team at this year’s world championships in Shanghai, the last major international meet before next year’s London Olympics. Phelps and Lochte are set to swim four individual events each. Phelps could qualify for at least two of the three relays, while Lochte is set to swim at least one. Besides Coughlin, the women’s team includes Katie Hoff, who failed to make the 2009 world team; three-time Olympian Amanda Beard, who returns after having a baby; and Teresa Crippen, whose brother Fran, an open water swimmer, died last month at a meet in the Middle East. Eddie Reese of Texas will coach the men’s team, while Frank Busch of Arizona will coach the women.
SOCCER
Alan Smith out for season
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew revealed on Thursday that injury-hit midfielder Alan Smith is likely to miss the rest of the season following a flare-up of an old ankle injury. Smith, 30, suffered a knock in last weekend’s derby draw against Sunderland and underwent a scan on Wednesday that revealed the complaint was linked to a previous ankle injury. “It’s sad news for Alan because it’s an ankle he’s had problems with and we think he’ll probably be out for the rest of the season,” Pardew said. “Because he’s had a dislocation and a break on that ankle before, when you get a heavy blow like he did, it’s a very low recovery rate.” Pardew also revealed that he would be without Andy Carroll for another three weeks, ruling him out of this weekend’s match against Tottenham at St James Park.
SOCCER
AC Milan beats Bari 3-0
AC Milan routed Bari 3-0 in the Italian Cup on Thursday with Antonio Cassano making his first start since joining from Sampdoria. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexander Merkel scored in the first half and Robinho found the net in the second to take Milan into the quarterfinals. Cassano lined up alongside Ibrahimovic and Robinho in attack and created chances for the Swede and fullback Massimo Oddo before he made way for Andrea Pirlo after 65 minutes. Milan’s defense easily contained Bari, though Vitalii Kutuzov and Jose Castillo both had good chances to score.
SOCCER
Roma’s Adriano breaks arm
AS Roma’s Brazilian striker Adriano broke his right arm in Wednesday’s Italian Cup win over city rivals Lazio, the Serie A club said in a statement on Thursday. The statement gave no indication of how long he would be out for, but media reports said he would miss at least a month’s action. Adriano, who also dislocated his shoulder in the same incident, had been linked in the media with a possible move back to Brazil in this month’s transfer window given his lack of playing time, but he now looks set to stay put.
CRICKET
Khawaja joins Derbyshire
Promising Australian batsman Usman Khawaja will hone his skills with Derbyshire in the upcoming English domestic season after signing a deal with the county side. The Pakistan-born Khawaja became the first Muslim to play Test cricket for Australia when he made his debut this month in the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Khawaja, who boasts six first-class centuries an an average of a fraction over 50, made 37 and 21 in Sydney, showing impressive poise under pressure in a match Australia lost by an innings.
HOCKEY
Fleischmann out for season
The Colorado Avalanche will be without Czech left wing Tomas Fleischmann for the rest of the season after he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung. The condition was discovered on Thursday after Fleischmann experienced shortness of breath. Team physician David Mellman said the 26-year-old will be on blood thinners for several months and will be “unable to play hockey during this time.” He has been a steady scoring threat since his arrival from the Washington Capitals on Nov. 30, compiling 21 points in 22 games.
TENNIS
Stosur to lead Aussies
World No. 6 Samantha Stosur will lead the Australian team named yesterday for next month’s Fed Cup World Group tie against Italy in Hobart, Australia. Stosur will be joined by Jarmila Groth (No. 34), Anastasia Rodionova (67) and Rennae Stubbs (No. 9 in doubles) for the Feb. 5 to Feb. 6 tie. Australian Fed Cup captain David Taylor said Stosur, Groth and Rodionova were chosen ahead of Jelena Dokic (137) and Alicia Molik (134) in singles on their year-round performances. “Normally the team picks itself but this year we waited until now because Alicia and Jelena were still in the Australian Open draw,” Taylor said. He said Australia was playing the best team in Fed Cup for the last half decade.
BASKETBALL
Camby has knee surgery
Portland Trail Blazers center Marcus Camby had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Thursday and will miss about three weeks, the team said. Camby is averaging 5.9 points and 11.3 rebounds in 39 games this season. Camby, who is in his 15th NBA season, said via Twitter that the surgery to repair a torn meniscus was successful. Camby’s injury was another blow for Portland. Guard Brandon Roy had arthroscopic surgery on both of his knees on Monday after missing 16 games because of pain in the joints. The Trail Blazers are also without center Greg Oden, who is out for the season after undergoing microfracture knee surgery.
BASKETBALL
DeRozan to dunk again
Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan will replace injured Brandon Jennings of Milwaukee in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest on the eve of next month’s 60th NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, the league announced on Thursday. Jennings, who had been the Bucks’ top scorer, underwent surgery on a broken left foot surgery and is expected to miss another month in rehabilitation ahead of the Feb. 19 contest. DeRozan was last year’s Slam Dunk runner-up and received the only perfect score of the competition in the opening round of the contest. Los Angeles Clippers rookie Blake Griffin, whose dunks have become popular YouTube video fare, will be the favorite in the event, which also includes Washington’s JaVale McGee and Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka.
BASKETBALL
Thomas out eight weeks
Charlotte Bobcats forward Tyrus Thomas will miss eight weeks with a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee that will require surgery, the team said on Thursday. Thomas was a late scratch from Thursday night’s game against Philadelphia. Thomas experienced swelling in his knee following the team’s morning practice and the injury was revealed following an MRI scan, the team said on its Web site. Thomas has averaged 11.1 points and 5.8 rebounds in 34 games this season.
Robinson Cano spent 17 seasons playing in the MLB in front of all kinds of baseball fans, but he said there is something special about his stint with the Mexican Baseball League’s Diablos Rojos. He is not alone. The league last week opened its 100th season, aiming to keep an impressive growth in attendance that began after the national team’s surprise run at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and is already surpassing some first-division soccer clubs. After finishing third in the 2023 tournament, many casual fans, some of them soccer enthusiasts disappointed after Mexico were eliminated in the first round in the 2022
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
Arne Slot has denied that Darwin Nunez was dropped from Liverpool’s win against West Ham because of a training-ground row with a member of his coaching staff. The Liverpool head coach on Sunday last week said that Nunez was absent from the 2-1 victory at Anfield, having felt unwell during training the day before, although the striker sat behind the substitutes throughout the game. Speculation has been rife that the Uruguay international, whom Slot criticized for his work rate against Wolves and Aston Villa in February, was left out for disciplinary reasons. Asked on Friday to clarify the situation, Slot said: “He
CUNNINGHAM CONNECTS: In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons snapped their record 15-game playoff losing streak by beating the Knicks to level their series at 1-1 Kawhi Leonard on Monday scored 39 points on 15-of-19 shooting as the Los Angeles Clippers evened their first-round NBA Playoffs series against the Nuggets with a 105-102 win in Denver. “It feels like he didn’t miss a shot,” James Harden said. “His shot-making ability is elite.” Good thing, too, because his teammates were a combined 26 of 66 for a 39 percent clip. “I made shots tonight,” Leonard said. “I just keep playing, try to stay in the zone no matter if I’m making or missing shots.” The fifth-seeded Clippers needed every bit of his brilliance to snatch the homecourt advantage in the series
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