SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2013 SPORTS Blackhawks Mayers Bremen boss orders West Ham regrets hangs up skates 4 am training Carroll signing CHICAGO: Jamal Mayers, who won a Stanley Cup title last season with the Chicago LONDON: West Ham United would not have signed striker Andy Carroll had they Blackhawks, announced his retirement from the National Hockey League on Friday. The BERLIN: Werder Bremen coach Robin Dutt has admitted his side are known he would have been out through injury for so long, co-owner David 39-year-old Canadian played the final two of his 14 seasons with the Blackhawks. He already battling to avoid relegation having gone five games without a Sullivan said yesterday. West Ham splashed a club record 15 million pounds also played for the St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary win to drop further down the Bundesliga table. Having been routed 7-0 ($24.42 million) to sign the burly target man from Liverpool on a permanent deal in Flames and San Jose Sharks. at home by European champions Bayern Munich last Saturday, Werder’s June after he spent the previous season on loan at Upton “It really has been an amazing experience to have had 3-2 defeat at Hertha Berlin on Friday left them 14th in the table. Park. the chance to play 14 seasons in the NHL, and finish it A disgruntled Dutt ordered a 4am training session in the gym on He has yet to make an appearance since com- all off last season as a part of the Chicago Blackhawks their return to Bremen as punishment for another defeat. Hertha’s Brazilian midfielder Ronny hit Berlin’s winner early in the second-half pleting the move, however, and is still at least winning the Stanley Cup,” said Mayers. Mayers won a three weeks away from fitness as he recovers gold medal at the 2007 IIHF World Championships and inflicting Bremen’s fourth defeat in their last five games. “It won’t help the team to hear this, but we are in the relegation battle,” said Dutt, from a fractured foot. “Had we known he with Canada, who beat Finland 4-2 in the final. would be out for this long, we would not Mayers starred with Western Michigan University who took charge at the start of the season and whose side are home to second-placed Bayer Leverkusen next Saturday. have signed him,” Sullivan told the BBC’s before being chosen 89th overall by St. Louis in the Football Focus. 1993 NHL entry draft. His best season came in 2005-06 “There aren’t many teams below us in the table.” Director of sport Thomas Eichin was just as blunt. “I don’t like talking about it, but yes, if “We are not a rich enough club to deal with the Blues when he finished with 15 goals, 26 with that. You know any player can get points and 129 penalty minutes. In 915 you want to put it like that, we are in the relegation battle,” he said. “As soon as an opponent comes into our penalty area, there seems to be a injured but we can’t buy a player knowing he career NHL games, Mayers scored 90 is going to be out for half the season. “When goals and earned 1,200 penalty min- grave danger,” said Eichin. Veteran midfielder Aaron Hunt, who was making his 200th Bundesliga appearance, pointed the finger of blame we signed him we were assured by the med- utes. In 63 playoff games, he scored five ical staff that the very, very latest he would be squarely at the defence. —AFP goals and added eight assists. — AFP back was Sept. 1. —Reuters Wilkinson Hirscher overcomes hands Toulon crucial bonus deficit to win W Cup point win PARIS: Former England great Jonny Wilkinson guaran- VAL D’ISERE: Two-time defending World teed holders Toulon what could be a crucial bonus Cup champion Marcel Hirscher won the point as he scored their fourth try in a 32-20 win over giant slalom yesterday, while favorite Ted English side Exeter on Saturday in their Pool 2 clash. Ligety and Bode Miller didn’t finish their The 34-year-old former England fly-half came on first runs. with just over 20 minutes remaining and the match Ligety took a gate too wide halfway evenly-balanced at 18-13 in Toulon’s favour, but took down and went off course. Miller tripped the game away from his compatriots creating a try and over his skis near the bottom. “Just a little then scoring one himself. bit (of) bad luck on my part,” said Ligety, Toulon had got off to a good start. A swift passing who failed to qualify for the second run for movement down the blindside involving Matt Giteau, the first time in nearly five years. Alexis Palisson and Maxime Mermoz released David Ligety had won the first two giant Smith down the left wing and he finished it off in style slaloms of the season, but was undone by for their first try in the 12th minute. Exter, though, an uncharacteristic technical error. struck back as they won a Toulon line-out and got the Hirscher earned his second win of the sea- ball out to the left wing where Tom James beat son after his slalom victory in Levi, Finland. Palisson’s high tackle and then broke Drew Mitchell’s Hirscher was third after the first run, tackle before handing off to Don Armand, who brushed 0.41 seconds behind Frenchman Alexis aside Sebastien Tillous-Borde to touch down-Henry Pinturault. But he improved the second Slade converted for a 7-5 lead in the 19th minute. time down the tricky Stade Olympique de Palisson had to go off with what looked like a dislo- Bellevarde course to finish 0.76 seconds cated left shoulder, team-mate Chris Masoe had depart- ahead of Thomas Fanara of France. Stefan ed a few minutes earlier, and was replaced by Delon Luitz of Germany was third. Armitage. Giteau-who was selected ahead of Wilkinson- Pinturault made an error on the top sec- subsequently missed a relatively easy penalty but tion and finished fourth. Miller got his skis redeemed himself by creating Smith’s second try, tangled near the bottom and tumbled although there was a suspicion of his decisive pass over. US men’s head coach Sasha Rearick being forward. said Miller also was unlucky. “He got his outside ski caught right at the initiation of Extra points the turn in the flat light. Those things can Nevertheless the try was awarded after a video kind of happen,” Rearick said. “I was proud review and Giteau landed his first kick of the day for 12- of the effort he put in today and the way 7. He added a penalty shortly before half-time but he approached the hill.” Both Miller and Slade replied for Exeter with one of his own to leave the Ligety will take part in the slalom today. visitors only 15-10 down at the break-alarmingly for “Looking forward to it,” Rearick said. Toulon the boos rang out as they walked off. “Get some revenge on Val d’Isere.” The 29- Giteau and Slade exchanged penalties in the open- year-old Ligety entered the race looking VAL D’ISERE: Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, center, winner of a men’s World Cup giant slalom, celebrates on the podium with second placed ing 16 minutes of the second-half to leave the game for his fifth straight World Cup win in giant Thomas Fanara of France, left, and third place Stefan Luitz, of Germany, in Val D’Isere, France, yesterday. — AP finely-balanced but to the home supporters’ relief slalom dating to last year. Ligety won the Wilkinson was sent on by Bernard Laporte just before final two GS races last season and the Ligety, the four-time defending the hour mark. opening two this year at Soelden, Austria, World Cup GS champion, doesn’t con- That paid off almost immediately as he produced a and Beaver Creek, Colo. But he missed a sider the Bellevarde among his favorite Pinturault posts fastest great offload to Mitchell to set up their third try with 15 gate turning in from the left side, went courses. minutes remaining, the Australian fullback breaking down on his hip and out of a first run for “It’s always super, super bumpy and Slade’s tackle before coming to ground five metres out- the first time since February 2009 at miserable to ski, so I wasn’t surprised by time in first run of GS but the ball was worked out to replacement prop Sestriere, Italy. that at all,” Ligety said. “It’s not ideal. It’s Xavier Chiocci who crashed over. “It’s been a few years. But I’ve had a the kind of hill where anything can real- VAL D’ISERE: Frenchman Alexis where second runs I went out,” Ligety Giteau added the extra points to give Toulon a 25-13 bunch of races where (on) second runs I ly happen, because it’s such a tough Pinturault posted the fastest time in said. “It’s not ideal. It’s the kind of hill went out,” Ligety said. “You just have to lead. Toulon supporters showered the ground with and rough and bumpy hill.” the first run of a World Cup giant where anything can really happen, paper in celebration when Wilkinson touched down fight.” Hirscher said he’d prefer to measure Svindal, an Olympic bronze medalist slalom race yesterday, while favorite because it’s such a tough and rough under the posts to give the hosts a bonus point and his performance against Ligety’s to see in the discipline, can testify to that.