Briefs | Schild captures World Cup slalom event in B.C.
Skiing
Schild defeats world champion Zahrobska: Austria’s Marlies Schild raced to her second consecutive slalom World Cup victory of the season Sunday, beating world champion Sarka Zahrobska of the Czech Republic by 0.68 seconds at Panorama Mountain Village in British Columbia.
“Not perfect today, but fast enough,” Schild said.
Schild had a two-run time of 1 minute, 39.95 seconds. Zahrobska finished in 1:40.63 and Croatia’s Ana Jelusic was third in 1:40.64. Austria’s Nicole Hosp, the defending overall World Cup champion, was fifth.
Schild also won the season-opening slalom Nov. 10 in Reiteralm, Austria. Including last season, she has won six of her last seven slaloms.
Svindal takes Super-G: Defending overall champion Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won the season-opening men’s super-giant slalom, his second victory of the World Cup season.
Svindal, the winner of the season-opening giant slalom in Austria, finished in 1 minute, 29.19 seconds in the Super-G in Lake Louise, Alberta.
Austria’s Benjamin Raich was second in 1:29.63 and Switzerland’s Didier Cuche was third in 1:29.79.
Scott Macartney of Kirkland placed 17th.
Figure skating
Russians win in ice dancing: Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin of Russia waltzed effortlessly to gold medals in ice dancing at the Cup of Russia in Moscow, protecting the strong lead they had maintained throughout the competition.
Track and field
Gay, Defar are IAAF athletes of the year: American sprinter Tyson Gay and Ethiopian distance runner Meseret Defar were named the top athletes of 2007 by the International Association of Athletics Federations, the sport’s governing body.
Gay, 25, won the 100-meter, 200-meter and sprint-relay titles at this year’s world championships. Defar, 24, won the 5,000-meter title in Japan after setting the world record of 14 minutes, 16.63 seconds in June.
Ohuruogu plans appeal: Britain’s Christine Ohuruogu, who won the world title in the 400 meters Aug. 29, accepted blame for missing three doping tests that led to her one-year suspension but plans to appeal the decision that keeps her out of next year’s Beijing Olympics.
Ohuruogu, 23, won the world title weeks after completing her ban. The 12-month ban, which was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, means Ohuruogu cannot be considered for the Olympics under British rules.
Canadian Football
Roughriders beat Winnipeg: James Johnson set a Grey Cup record with three interceptions to help the Saskatchewan Roughriders beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23-19 in Toronto for their first CFL title in 18 years.
Johnson was voted the game’s most valuable player.
Baseball
Lara injured in wreck: Cleveland reliever Juan Lara, 26, was involved in a serious car accident in the Dominican Republic that left him hospitalized with unknown injuries, a team spokesman said. His vehicle reportedly was struck by a motorcycle, and the two people on the motorcycle died.
Boxing
Arslan takes title from Hill: Firat Arslan, 37, took away Virgil Hill’s WBA cruiserweight title in Dresden, Germany, battering the 43-year-old American with lefts in a unanimous decision.
Horse racing
Precious Kitten, Daytona triumph at Hollywood Park: Precious Kitten defeated Wait a While by 1-¼ lengths in the $500,000 Matriarch, giving trainer Bobby Frankel his record eighth win in the Grade I race at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif.
Precious Kitten, a 4-year-old filly ridden by Rafael Bejarano, ran a mile on turf in a stakes-record 1 minute, 33-3/5 seconds and paid $7.60 to win.
Daytona ($13.20 to win) led all the way in the $500,000 Hollywood Derby, beating Medici Code by a half-length in the Grade I race. Daytona, a gelding trained by Dan Hendricks and ridden by Mike Smith, ran 1-¼ miles on turf in 1:59-3/5.
Admire Moon prevails: Admire Moon, an 11-1 shot, took the $4.6 million Japan Cup on turf. The 4-year-old colt beat Pop Rock by a head as 103,545 watched at Tokyo Racecourse.
Admire Moon, ridden by Yasunari Iwata, is trained by Hiroyoshi Matsuda.
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