ATHLETICS
UK body charged
The governing body for track and field in the UK and a sports official have been charged with manslaughter over the death of a Paralympic athlete who was hit on the head by a metal pole during training in 2017. The 36-year-old thrower Abdullah Hayayei, who represented the United Arab Emirates, was injured at Newham Leisure Center in east London on July 11, 2017, and was pronounced dead at the scene. He was training in preparation to represent his country in the F34 class discus, javelin and shot put at the World Para Athletics Championships in London when part of a throwing cage fell on him. On Wednesday, police and Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service said that Keith Davies, who the police said was “head of sport for the 2017 World Paralympic Athletics Championships,” had been charged with gross negligence manslaughter and a health and safety offense. UK Athletics Limited, the national governing body for athletics, has been charged with corporate manslaughter and a health and safety offense. Police and prosecutors said that UK Athletics and Davies are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Jan. 31.
SWIMMING
‘Iron Lady’ retires
Hungary’s “Iron Lady” Katinka Hosszu has retired from swimming at the age of 35, with the three-time Olympic champion saying she is looking forward to helping young athletes follow their dreams in the sport. Hosszu competed at five editions of the Games, winning gold in the 200m and 400m individual medley and 100m backstroke, as well as a silver in the 200m backstroke, at Rio de Janeiro in 2016. “For 30 years, the water has been my home, a sanctuary where I found solace and strength,” she wrote on Instagram on Wednesday. “From the moment I first stepped into the pool as a child, I knew I had discovered something magical. In the coming years, I hope to share this passion with others — teaching young swimmers the magic I’ve found in the water and encouraging them to follow their dreams.” Hosszu, who gave birth to her daughter in 2023, made her Olympic debut as a teenager in Athens in 2004 and went on to compete at the Games in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2021. She won nine world championships golds and her 200m medley world record at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan still stands.
SOCCER
Irons hire Potter
Former Chelsea boss Graham Potter was named West Ham United’s new head coach yesterday on a two-and-a-half-year contract, the club said, a day after sacking Julen Lopetegui. Potter, 49, has been out of management since he was sacked by Chelsea in April 2023, just seven months into a five-year contract. He won 12 of his 31 matches in charge. The Irons are 14th in the English Premier League, seven points above the relegation zone, after six wins in 20 league matches during former Spain and Real Madrid coach Lopetegui’s ill-fated tenure. A 4-1 hammering at champions Manchester City on Saturday was the final straw for the London club. “It was important to me that I waited until a job came along that I felt was right for me, and equally that I was the right fit for the club I am joining,” Potter said. His first match is to be when West Ham face Aston Villa in the English FA Cup third round today.
Juventus on Sunday stopped Inter from replacing SSC Napoli at the top of Serie A by beating their fierce rivals 1-0 and moving into the UEFA Champions League positions. Francisco Conceicao made sure that Napoli would stay two points ahead of reigning champions Inter by classily tucking home the winning goal 16 minutes before the end of an entertaining contest in Turin. Portugal attacker Conceicao netted his fourth goal of the season in all competitions after brilliant work from Randal Kolo Muani to give Juve a third straight league win. Juve are in fourth place on 46 points, ahead on goal-difference from SS
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) is considering reducing its pitch clock by two seconds to help players better adjust to the rules applied at the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The proposal aims to shorten the pitch timer from 25 seconds to 23 seconds with the bases empty, and from 20 seconds to 18 seconds with runners on base. Currently, the WBC mandates that pitchers deliver a pitch every 18 seconds with the bases empty and 15 seconds with runners on base. The issue was raised during a pre-season CPBL managers’ meeting on Tuesday by Rakuten Monkeys bench and batting
‘SETTING THE TONE’: Donovan Mitchell said that their determination to dominate had nothing to do with past results, but was about a potential post-season clash The Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday boosted their NBA-best record with a 142-105 romp past the New York Knicks, tightening their grip on the Eastern Conference lead with an all-around dominant display. Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points to lead six Cavs players to score in double figures, connecting on five of seven three-pointers as Cleveland drilled 19 from beyond the arc. “I think the biggest thing was just try to set the tone early,” Mitchell said, adding that the determination to dominate had nothing to do with the Knicks’ first-round playoff win over the Cavs two seasons ago and everything to do with
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