THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2014 SPORTS

NEW DELHI: Runners pass by the India Gate monument during the Delhi half marathon in New Delhi in this file BOSTON: In this April 21, 2014 file photo, runners restat Boston Common after completing in the118th Boston photo. Ethiopian runner Guye Adola won the annual half marathon. — AFP Marathon in Boston. — AP Blood, sweat and tears yield ultramarathon joy

LOS ANGELES: Running 135 miles through the enced ultramarathoner Shannon Farar-Griefer, “It’s the innate human desire to push our lim- burning desire to be the best they can be while ning with supplies strapped to her back. searing summer heat of Death Valley in California who has five times raced the gruelling Badwater its,” Holland told Reuters. “I believe many people often competing well outside their comfort zones. Farar-Griefer, a 53-year-old mother of three before ending the route with a cumulative gain of 135 across Death Valley, told Reuters. find incredible personal satisfaction in achieving “The people who finish are not the most physical- who lives in Hidden Hills, California and took up 17,000 feet to reach the slopes of Mount Whitney? “They might say, ‘What’s wrong with you that these challenging goals. “They run a marathon or ly fit but the ones that are mentally strong, those long-distance running at the age of 39, has no Slogging across four desert courses, each 150 you want to run 100 miles? Were you abused or three and then have a need to push their bodies who don’t entertain the possibility of not finish- doubt about her most brutal ultra experience. miles long, in Chile, China, Egypt and Antarctica in were you a drug addict?’ We just love to run. It’s all even further, both physically as well as mentally. ing,” she said. “The 292-mile Death Valley Badwater double, what is known as the Four Deserts Grand Slam? about passion in this sport. Pushing through periods of incredible discomfort Gash, who is featured in the 2013 documen- by far,” she said, referring to her feat in becoming Racing against the clock through 75 control “You know you’re going to hurt, you know and coming out on the other side is extremely tary “Desert Runners” which chronicles the Four the first female to complete the ‘double’ by finish- points in the footsteps of ancient Athenian mes- you’re going to have a long day. That’s why people empowering.” Deserts Grand Slam, gained a massive jolt of self- ing the 135 ultra, then summiting Mount Whitney senger Pheidippidis, with a cut-off of 36 hours to think that we are a little different from the rest belief after her pioneering accomplishments in before returning to the race’s original start. complete the 153-mile Spartathlon? because we keep pushing our bodies. Ultras are A METAPHOR FOR LIFE Chile, China, Egypt and Antarctica. “All the other runners finished at the portals of Risking dehydration, exhaustion, broken all about learning how to be able to accept pain.” Holland is a veteran of several ultras, including “Being (previously) a nobody in the world of Mount Whitney but I continued on and I summit- ankles, kidney failure or the need to throw in the An ultramarathon involves a combination of the Run to the Sun, a 36-mile journey to the ultra running, if I could do something of this size ed Mount Whitney and then I ran back. It was 130 towel and give up-all possible reasons for an ath- running and walking further than the traditional 10,023-foot summit of Haleakala on the island of and scale, it makes you feel that anything’s possi- degrees on the way back. lete to abort the gruelling challenge of an ultra- marathon of 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometres). Though Maui, and he regards the ultra challenge as a ble,” she said of her success in the Four Deserts “At mile 270, I got an edema really bad. I was marathon? For the uninitiated, all of the above most ultras cover distances of either 50 or 100 metaphor for life. “You realize that no matter how Grand Slam. “There were moments when I won- swollen, I couldn’t pee. It was scary because you scenarios suggest a twinning of sadism with sheer miles, many are much longer. bad you think things are at the time, you are dered what I was doing, when I was so dehydrat- could go into total renal failure at that point. lunacy. For the ultramarathoner, however, it is all For Connecticut-based running coach Tom strong enough to push through them and things ed it hurt. I felt new depths of pain. Thank God I had a very experienced crew. about running for joy, setting personal goals and Holland, an exercise physiologist and certified will always get better,” he said. “But I really never let myself contemplate giv- “It’s a sport where you have to be able to trying to overcome every obstacle faced. sports nutritionist who has competed in over 60 Australian Samantha Gash, the first woman to ing up,” said Gash, who had to contend with heat, endure pain and you have to be comfortable step- “People are intrigued by the thought of some- marathons and 21 ironman triathlons, ultras are all complete the Four Deserts Grand Slam in a calen- cold, dehydration and extreme fatigue in some of ping out of your comfort zone. It’s a constant one wanting to run 100 miles, or more,” experi- about achieving objectives. dar year, believes that ultramarathoners share a the world’s most hostile environments while run- mind battle. I love it.” — Reuters British trio on brink of knockout phase Europa League

PARIS: Everton, Tottenham and Celtic can wrap up their places in the Europa League knockout stage in today’s penultimate batch of group matches. Red Bull Salzburg, Dinamo Moscow, Fiorentina and Legia Warsaw are already guaranteed their place in the last-32. That leaves 20 places still up for grabs from the group phase with eight third-place finishers from the Champions League also set to parachute into the draw. Roberto Martinez’s Everton side are enjoying a fine return to European foot- ball since their glory days of 1985 when they won the now defunct Cup Winners’ Cup, the same year they became English champions. The Toffees, on eight points, face a daunting trip to Wolfsburg carrying a one point lead over their Bundesliga hosts with French side Lille on three and tackling Turkish side Krasnodar who prop up the group with two draws from four matches. ST. PETERSBURG: Zenit’s Javi Garcia (left) and Benfica’s Nicolas Gaitan struggle for One player Everton will have to keep an eye on is Wolfsburg’s dynamic mid- the ball during the Champions League Group C soccer match. — AP fielder who has three goals and three assists in the competition so far. The 23-year-old Belgian has been revelation both in the league and on Zenit send Benfica packing the continent since his 20 million euro transfer from Chelsea in the summer. “Surely one of the best players Wolfsburg have ever had,” said his defensive SAINT PETERSBURG: A late goal by Portuguese be a forlorn hope if Monaco win against teammate Marcel Schafer. “Maybe things are going a bit better for me than last international winger Danny gave Russian league Leverkusen. In a game of few chances, the season, but that is the same with other players,” said De Bruyne who came up leaders Zenit St Petersburg a crucial 1-0 win Portuguese champions had the best opening of through the Genk system before a loan spell at Werder Bremen and then finally against Benfica in the Champions League yester- the first half when Nicolas Gaitan concluded a signing with Wolfsburg. “I am young, I can still improve. When I play football, I day. Danny, formerly of Sporting Lisbon, struck great run down the left by crossing to the back always enjoy myself. I am a winner - I am here to win every game,” he added. 11 minutes from the end of a hard-fought post for Eduardo Salvio, whose shot was well The two teams can advance with Everton needing a win to top the pool while encounter to keep the Russian side in the run- saved by Yuri Lodygin. Zenit created little of note a draw could see both sides move forward if Lille fail to win in Turkey. Everton’s ning to qualify for the last 16 for the second sea- and lost both Nicolas Lombaerts and Javi Garcia veteran defender Sylvain Distin says the team are in good spirits and ready for son in succession and end Benfica’s hopes of to injury but Andre Villas-Boas’s side never gave the challenge in Germany. advancing from Group C. up and were rewarded with the winning goal in “We’re full of confidence at the moment. We always have been to be honest. Regardless of the outcome of Wednesday’s the 79th minute. Brazilian forward Hulk, who like Even if things were a bit difficult at the beginning of the season, we were aware other Group C game between Bayer Leverkusen his coach Villas-Boas is formerly of Porto, deliv- of our qualities and knew that things were going to get back on track,” said and Monaco in Germany, Zenit know that a win ered a cross from the right to the near post for Distin. “At the moment, things are going well but it’s going to be a tough game. in Monaco in their final game next month will his captain Danny, who followed up a superb run Wolfsburg are a really, really good team and I’m sure after the game we had here take them through to the knock-out stage. with a fine volleyed finish past Julio Cesar. they’re going to try to reverse that.” Celtic have bounced back following their The best Benfica can now aim for, though, is A disappointing night for Benfica ended in third place and qualification for the Europa miserable fashion as captain Luisao was sent off Champions League exit at the qualifying stage and can join already qualifed League, in which they have reached the final in in stoppage time after being shown a second Salzburg from Group D if they beat their Austrian visitors at Celtic Park. each of the last two seasons. But even that will yellow card. — AFP Tottenham, who won the then UEFA Cup for the second time in 1984, host eliminated Serbian club Partizan Belgrade sharing the Group C lead on eight points with Istanbul’s Besiktas. The White Hart Lane outfit will definitely qualify with a win, while a draw will also be enough if Asteras Tripoli fail to defeat Leicester desperately Besiktas in the Peloponnese region of Greece. In other eye-catching match-ups, Feyenoord on six points and Sevilla on eight meet in a battle of former champions in Rotterdam. need a fox in the box The winner is assured their last-32 place while a draw will also carry the two LONDON: What Leicester City manager what fans look back on as a ‘golden era’ clubs through if HNK Rijeka and Belgian side Standard Liege finish level in Croatia. Sparta Prague and Napoli meet in a top of the table clash in Group I with BELGIUM: Lokeren’s players Gregory Mertens, Killian Overmeire and Nigel Pearson would give for a Tony Cottee, under Martin O’Neill. At 36, age should cer- Koen Persoons attend a training session at the Daknam stadium on Steve Claridge or right now- tainly be no concern to Pearson, who both teams on nine points and on the brink of qualification. Swiss club Young Boys are their only threat on six points and in action on the road in Slovakia at the eve of an UEFA Europa League football match against Legia the club’s strikers of yore signed 40-year-old frontman Kevin Phillips Warsaw. — AFP with a predatory eye for goal. in January and who played a part in eliminated Slovan Bratislava. —AFP When Leicester put five goals past a star- Leicester’s run to the second tier title. tled Manchester United on a heady Sunday Former England international Heskey, in late September, mounting a barnstorm- who is playing an ambassadorial role for Female challenge to WCup ing comeback from 3-1 down for an unlikely City since leaving Australia’s Newcastle Jets, 5-3 home triumph, the Foxes looked like said he would be ready should Pearson call. they belonged back in the elite. “It goes without saying, I’d love to come,” But their first season back in England’s Heskey told BBC Radio Leicester this week. stars for goal of the year top flight since demotion in 2004 has since “It is a great club that allowed me to get turned sour. They are mired in the relega- to the platform that I got to. I was an ALBI: There was hardly anyone in the tiny October 20 last year when Peamount United played have until December 1 to vote on FIFA’s website for tion zone with 10 points from 12 games, a England international when I was with Peamount United stadium to see Stephanie Roche Wexford Youths in the Dublin suburbs-far from the the best of the 10 goals nominated-including van point from the safety zone and only two Leicester so that was a great achievement.” score the spectacular goal that now sees her chal- packed stadiums that Rodriguez and the like made Persie’s diving header for the Netherlands at the above bottom side Queens Park Rangers For now, the Leicester management are lenging James Rodriguez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and their mark. The two sides, coaches and substitutes World Cup and Rodriguez’s volleyed goal for who they visit this weekend. likely to keep faith with big-money signing Robin van Persie for the Goal of the Year award. were the main witnesses when a cross came from Colombia against Uruugay. The top three will be You do not have to look to hard to see Leonardo Ulloa, the Argentine who scored The 25-year-old blonde centrepiece of Ireland’s the right, Roche flicked the ball up with the right put to a new online vote. “It’s just a great honour to why-the goals have dried up. Since giving five goals in his first five games but has fired women’s attack still cannot believe the strike and foot, then the left, turned and blasted the ball in be named among those players and be the only United’s backline nightmares at the King blanks since. the fuss it has caused. The 800 euro ($1,000) a from 25 metres. “It happened so fast it was probably woman as well,” said Roche. “I’m happy and I’m hop- Power Stadium, City have scored twice in If Ulloa has cooled since his flying start, month professional with Albi in the French women’s just instinct,” said Roche, who now is repeatedly ing maybe people will vote and I’ll get to the seven winless games-both coming in the 2- Leicester’s other frontmen have fared league is now dreaming of maybe meeting $80 mil- asked to recreate the strike for television crews. awards. The dream will come true.” Roche, who 2 draw against Burnley. worse, the trio of David Nugent, Jamie lion a year at the award ceremo- “It was my first goal of the season so I was just learned her football playing against boys in the Tellingly, neither was scored by a striker Vardy and Chris Wood contributing three ny. “It has just been crazy,” Roche said in an inter- happy to score,” she added.But after the game the streets of Dublin, moved this year to ASPTT Albi, and, while the goals flowed in City’s march goals so far this term. After defeats by view with AFP at her new club in southern France Wexford Youths manager came up and showed newly promoted to the French women’s first divi- to the Championship (second tier)title, the Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, Swansea yesterday. The goal has been viewed on the inter- Roche a film of the goal on his laptop. sion. She says she wants to meet Ronaldo at the lack of firepower has given Pearson a big City, West Bromwich Albion and net millions of times. That could help her beat the awards ceremony. Roche’s goal is also bringing new headache. Southampton, City were again punchless in big name World Cup stars to the Puskas Award GOAL GOES VIRAL attention for women’s football, just ahead of its own Such are Leicester’s striking woes that he a 0-0 stalemate with Sunderland on when it is announced on January 12. Previous win- “And I thought that was quite special. My team- World Cup in Canada next June. “The film has been could be tempted to call on veteran Heskey, Saturday. Pearson will hope that miserable ners of the prestigious honour include Ronaldo, mates actually joked and said I should put it online seen a lot and now people are saying that a girl can who made 196 appearances and scored 46 run ends when City travel to fellow strug- Brazil star Neymar, and last year Paris Saint- ‘It’s going to be viral you will be a superstar!” do as well as a boy. Maybe now they will be more goals for City between 1995 and 2000 in glers QPR on Saturday. — Reuters Germain’s Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic. In the end her coach put the film online interested in women’s football,” said Kimberley The Roche legend has been growing since (http://youtu.be/c0L0WIK2Ync). Football fans now Cazeau, Albi’s attacking midfielder. —AFP