MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2014 SPORTS

Bolt wins 100-meter Malaysian flips out Barca coach hopes race on Rio beach after Asian Games snub Suarez may play KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian gymnast keep improving. But we aren’t given the : Controversial Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez will probably : Usain Bolt won a 100-meter race set up Mohd Hamzaruddin Nordin has hit out at chance to compete internationally to get play his first game for Barcelona in a friendly today, coach Luis Enrique said on a Rio de Janeiro beach with a time of 10.06 seconds the sport’s national governing body after more exposure competing against the yesterday, despite the player’s competitive ban for biting a World Cup yesterday. Bolt cruised to victory on the four-lane track at they opted not to send any male athletes to world’s best.” Hamzaruddin said his last opponent. Suarez, who is banned from competitive matches until October Leme beach, easily beating Mark Lewis-Francis of Great next month’s Asian Games after a poor oversees competition had been the 2011 25 for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini, trained with Barcelona yesterday ahead Britain, Jefferson Liberato Lucindo of Brazil and Wallace showing at the . The Southeast Asian Games and was worried of today’s Joan Gamper Trophy, the traditional curtain-raiser to Barca’s sea- Spearmon of the United States.Bolt said he felt “sluggish” Malaysian Gymnastics Federation (MGF) about his future without top ranking events son, against Mexican side Leon. “I would like him to be able to play for a few and that his final time was compromised by “a poor made the decision after Hamzaruddin and to take part in. “The performance in the minutes tomorrow,” Enrique told a news conference after start.” He said he expects to do better “in a cou- team mate Hairi Zaid Ahmad Saruji failed to Glasgow was not great, but that was my yesterday’s training. “Not many, because he has not played ple of races.” It was Bolt’s first 100-meter race qualify for the Commonwealth apparatus first competition of the year,” added the for some time, but he has worked very well when training on his own.” Barcelona bought Suarez for a reported 95 of the year. Brazilian Rosangela Santos won final in Glasgow, Scotland last month. sports management undergraduate. million euros (£75 million, $127 million) from Liverpool last Hamzaruddin’s best showing came in the “Without these competitions, we won’t the women’s race in 11.33 seconds, beating month. On Thursday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport Jamaican Schillonie Calvert and three-time vault where he finished 17th in the qualify- improve... we’d just stagnate.” Rhythmic relaxed his ban, allowing him to train and play in unofficial Olympic medalist Carmelita Jeter of the ing round, a long way off medal contention. gymnast Wong Poh San is so far the only matches, but upheld his four-month exclusion from compet- United States, who holds the second-fastest “It’s very disappointing. Sometimes, it can’t Malaysian entry for the Asian Games in itive games and his nine-match international suspension. time in history with 10.64. Fellow just all be about medals. Incheon, which starts on Sept. 18. The 17- Suarez will be available to play in competitive matches American Cleo VanBuren finished We need to gain some experience too,” year-old won a silver and two bronze from Saturday, October 25, meaning his official debut fourth. — AP he was quoted as saying by the Malaysian medals in Glasgow on her Commonwealth could come in the first Clasico of the Spanish Star yesterday. “Everyone expects us to Games debut. — Reuters league campaign against Real Madrid. —AFP Europe’s best look for Olympic boost in

BERLIN: A host of Olympic and world champions will compete in the European championships looking to land crucial early blows just two years out from the 2016 Rio Olympics. In recent times, the French team have been very strong, but they will be without Olympic 400m freestyle champion Camille Muffat who has retired. Also out is backstroke specialist , the three-time world champion, who has a hip injury as well as sprint freestyler Frederic Bousquet, the six-time world medallist. But Yannick Agnel will return to Europe from the United States where he trains alongside Michael Phelps, now back in competition, at North Baltimore. The 22-year-old is both Olympic and world champion over in the 200m freestyle ZURICH: (From L) Germany’s Antje Moldner-Schmidt, ’ Sviatlana Kudzelich although he faces home favourite and world and Spain’s Diana Martin (R) compete in the Women’s 3000m steeplechase final dur- record holder Paul Biedermann in Berlin. ing the European Athletics Championships at the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich yes- But whether the French can dominate as they terday.— AFP have done in recent times is debatable. is the reigning Olympic 50m freestyle champion but he will encounter opposition in the form of ’s Ben Proud who won double gold at last month’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The 19-year-old stands atop the world rank- ings in the 50m butterfly-the only man under the 23-second mark-and he is third in Europe over 50m freestyle behind 2013 world silver medallist ZURICH: (L-R) Silver medalist Spain Ona Carbonell Ballestero, Gold medalist Russia Svetlana Vladimir Morozov and Manaudou. Romashina and Bronze medalist Ukraine Anna Voloshyna pose for photgraphers after the syn- chronised solo free final event at the 32nd LEN European swimming championships Dazed in Berlin. — AFP While he is going straight into a second com- where he will come up against the strong British in Britain’s Fran Halsall. petition in the space of a few weeks, for his rivals pairing of and Ross Murdoch. Halsall won the 50m butterfly and 50m the Berlin meet is their major one of the year. Gyurta’s fellow Hungarian Katinka Hosszu is freestyle at the Commonwealth Games and in “They are going to be tapered and ready for it known as the “Iron Lady” because of the gruelling the latter hurtled to the top of the world rank- whereas I’ll still be a bit dazed from Common- multi-event programmes she undertakes in com- ings, 0.02sec ahead of Sjostrom’s speediest effort wealths,” he said. “Going into Commonwealths it petition throughout the year. of the season in 23.96, the fastest in history in a was all about the time-if I could do a good time One of her main rivals for the 200metres indi- textile suit. the medal would come. “If I can move further on vidual medley title, world ranked number one There will be no Ranomi Kromowidjojo, the from that 21.7 or that 22.9, I don’t see why Siobhan-Marie O’Connor, has withdrawn through Olympic 50m and 100m freestyle champion hav- medals aren’t possible but competition in Europe illness. Neither will she face Hannah Miley in the ing withdrawn last month. Another notable is a lot harder than sprinting in Commonwealths. longer individual medley. absentee will be Yuliya Efimova, the Russian dou- “You’ve got Florent Manaudou, Rafael Munoz-so However, she will meet Mireia Belmonte ble world breaststroke champion who is under- ZURICH: (From L) Second-placed Russia’s Yevgeniya Kolodko, winner of Germany’s many people that are sprint focused. But it’s Garcia who, like Hosszu, will no doubt take on a going a 16-months drug ban. Ruta Meilutyte, the Christina Schwanitz and third-placed Hungary’s Anita Marton pose on the podium going to be exciting, it’s going to be another gruelling programme. Sarah Sjostrom took a Olympic 100m breaststroke champion, will con- during the Women’s Shot Put medal ceremony during the European Athletics challenge.” Olympic and world champion Daniel sledgehammer to the 50m butterfly last month, test only the 50m after arriving late at the cham- Championships at the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich yesterday. — AFP Gyurta may not be contesting the 200m breast- lowering it to 24.43sec. She may not replicate pionships following her involvement in the Youth stroke but he will still race over two lengths that but she will face an always-competitive foe Olympics in Nanjing. — AFP Pedrosa wins Czech MotoGP

BRNO: Marc Marquez’s hopes of setting a got off to a poor start from pole position, drop- rowing the gap on the two leaders, he found record 11 straight MotoGP wins ended yesterday ping to sixth place. Lorenzo soon settled down himself under heavy pressure from Rossi. as Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa of Spain won at the front, followed by Pedrosa who overtook Shrugging off a heavy crash in Saturday’s the Czech Republic Moto GP in Brno. him on the sixth lap to nurse his lead with practice in which he injured the little finger on Pedrosa, who also won at Brno in 2012, fin- Lorenzo never really getting close enough to his left hand, Rossi, who has won five premier ished the 22 laps on the dry 5.4-kilometre (3.36- fight back. “I didn’t plan the race in this way but class races in Brno, breezed past Marquez mid- mile) circuit in 42min 47.800sec, ahead of fortunately Jorge... opened a gap immediately way through the race. Yamaha duo Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, so I had to change my plan and then push to the He finished more than five seconds ahead of with Marquez finishing fourth. limit,” said Pedrosa. the championship leader for his 190th podium Marquez was looking to become the first pre- “I kept my rhythm until the end but in the finish in all classes of motorcycling Grand Prix. “I mier class rider ever to win the 11 opening races end I struggled with my rear grip and was not was able to do a good race, I’m happy, I had a of a season. Italian legend Giacomo Agostini able to go out strong in the corners,” added the good pace and it’s another podium,” Rossi won the opening 10 races of the premier class 28-year-old who finished 0.410sec ahead of beamed. “It was a great pleasure to beat Marc season in 1968, 1969 and 1970 at a time when Lorenzo. “Finally we beat Marc, but unfortunate- one time.” Earlier yesterday, Spanish Moto 2 he dominated the sport. ly it wasn’t me, it was Dani this time,” said championship leader Esteve Rabat dominated However, no one has ever won the first Lorenzo. “After two laps I started feeling not as the race in his category ahead of Finnish team- eleven-in part because Agostini’s perfect season well as in the first laps and Dani cut me and mate Mika Kallio and Germany’s Sandro Cortese. in 1968 comprised only 10 events. Marquez, who passed me... and went away.” And in Moto3, Frenchman Alexis Masbou ZURICH: Great Britain’s Mohamed Farah (L) and Azerbaijan’s Hayle Ibrahimov (R) failed to make it to the podium for the first time “The bike wasn’t so bad at the end of the race took his first career victory after beating Italy’s competes on his way to win the Men’s 5000m final during the European Athletics since Australia last year, now tops the champi- so I tried, pushed to the limit to cut him, but it Enea Bastianini and Britain’s Danny Kent in a Championships at the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich yesterday. — AFP onship with 263 points, 77 ahead of Pedrosa and was too late,” added Lorenzo. Marquez moved nerve-wracking finish that saw 16 riders cross Mekhissi redeems himself 90 ahead of Rossi. As often this season, Marquez up to third after a few laps but instead of nar- the finish line within two seconds. — AFP with 1500m title at Euros

ZURICH: Mahiedine Mekhissi won gold fication but took part because he still at the European Championships after wanted to leave the weeklong event as a all, outrunning all opposition in the champion. In celebration, he held up two 1,500 meters yesterday, three days after fingers, for the two titles he thought he the Frenchman was disqualified in the deserved.Unlike Mekhissi, it took the steeple chase for stripping off his shirt French 4x400 team an amazing come- in celebration before crossing the finish back on the finishing straight of the line. Mekhissi left all opponents standing women’s relay race to nip Ukraine at the with 450 meters to go with a devastating line. Britain came in third. On the closing kick for home that left him enough time day with a dozen finals on the program, on the finishing straight to wave to the Dafne Schippers is going for a sprint crowds at the Letzigrund stadium. And, triple with the Dutch 4x100 relay team this time, he kept his shirt on. and Mo Farah of Britain is seeking a long- His burst for home coincided with a distance double in the 5,000. crash in the pack that knocked out some Italy’s Daniele Meucci won the challengers. After Mekhissi coasted marathon title ahead of Yared Shegumo home, Norway’s Henrik Ingebrigtsen took of Poland and Aleksey Reunkov of Russia. silver and Chris O’Hare of Britain bronze. Poland’s Marcin Chabowski, who led for The ease with which he won the steeple most of the race, slumped in the final chase on Thursday was just as impressive, stages and abandoned shortly before the but he stripped to his bare chest, took the finish.The 28-year-old Meucci finished in last hurdle with his shirt between his 2 hours, 11 minutes, 8 seconds for a mar- teeth and was later disqualified for the gin of 52 seconds over Shegumo and 1:07 dress code violation. over Reunkov. Meucci already won silver Mekhissi said he had almost skipped and bronze over 10,000 in the last two BRNO: Spain’s Marc Marquez, right, and Italy’s Valentino Rossi, left, ride during the Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix MotoGP race at the the 1,500 after Thursday’s shock disquali- European championships. — AP Brno Circuit, Czech Republic, yesterday. — AP