Mon, Feb 17, 2025 page6

• SPORTS BRIEFS

  • Agencies
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  TENNIS

  Sinner accepts 3-month ban

  Jannik Sinner’s long doping saga came to an end on Saturday after he agreed to a three-month ban from tennis, with the world No. 1 admitting “partial responsibility” for team mistakes which led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year. The Feb. 9 to May 4 suspension means Sinner would be free to play in the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the season, which begins on May 25 at Roland Garros. In a statement, Sinner said that the World Anti-Doping Agency accepted that he “had no intent and did not derive any competitive advantage from the two positive tests” of the banned substance. Australian Open champion Sinner has always said that clostebol entered his system when his physiotherapist used a spray containing it to treat a cut before providing a massage and sports therapy. “Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist,” Australian player Nick Kyrgios wrote on X of the ruling.

  

  Photo: EPA-EFE

  SOCCER

  Amorim reflects on layoffs

  Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim said his team’s faltering fortunes on the pitch are partly responsible for the job cuts which have swept through Old Trafford. Co-owner Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos company came under fire for shedding about one-quarter of United’s staff over the summer, with more redundancies planned as they seek to reduce losses that totaled ￡300 million (US$377.85 million) over the past three years. Ticket prices have also gone up and Amorim, whose team are languishing in 14th place in the English Premier League, said the first team cannot shy away from their part in the problems. “I think it’s really important for us in the first team, coaches and players, not to ignore that,” the United head coach said. “People are losing their jobs, so we have to acknowledge that, and the biggest problem is the football team because we spend the money, we are not winning, we are not in Champions League, so the revenues are not the same.”

  

  Photo: Reuters

  BIATHLON

  Thingnes Boe breaks record

  Johannes Thingnes Boe’s blistering win in the men’s 10km sprint on Saturday made him the most successful biathlete at the World Championships as he eclipsed Norwegian compatriot Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, and he might not be done yet. The 31-year-old was tied with Bjoerndalen on 20 gold medals before his latest victory, and although he has said he would retire at the end of the season, there are still plenty of races left for him at the current championships to add to his tally before he skis off into the sunset as one of the sport’s greats. “It feels amazing. What a fantastic day, one of my best sprints ever. Getting the 21st victory in the World Championships to make history in my last championships here is unbelievably good. I don’t think I could have had a more perfect competition, and I could not be happier today,” he said. “Being able to pass Ole Einar Bjoerndalen himself is a big milestone, in my book at least.” Thingnes Boe hit all of his 10 shots and was more than 27 seconds faster than New Zealand-born American silver medalist Campbell Wright to pass Bjoerndalen, who was known as the “King of Biathlon,” in terms of gold medals.

  

  Photo: AP
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