THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2016 SPORTS US ski jumper Fairall returns to scene of crash a year later BISCHOFSHOFEN: Olympic ski jumper a news conference. “I have been ski though he avoided injuries and dam- an Austrian clinic before flying home Cups since his debut at the traditional Nick Fairall is sitting on top of the 140- jumping since I was six years old. It’s aged only his skis. and starting a two-month rehab at the New Year’s event at Garmisch- meter Paul Asserleitner Schanze in such an amazing sport. It’s a sport that I In qualifying, he landed a routine Kessler Institute in New Jersey. “Each Partenkirchen, Germany, in 2009. Later Bischofshofen, Austria, staring down for want to return to. Even today, I wanted jump of 123 meters, but leaned forward day I am making progress, little by little,” that month he won a competition on a silent moment. Just like he did a year to jump again so badly.” too much, lost balance, and fell awk- he wrote on his Facebook page in June. the lower-ranked FIS Cup circuit in ago. This time, however, the American Visiting Bischofshofen and the ski fly- wardly head-first. “I now have more feeling in my legs and Eisenerz, Austria. doesn’t speed down the hill and fly. ing world championships in nearby “The moment I hit the ground, I just some movement in my thighs. My recov- A year before the crash, Fairall won Instead, he rolls back his wheelchair and Tauplitz next week enables Fairall to per- stuck,” he said. “I kind of knew I was ery is an ongoing process and each day I the American trials to qualify for the takes the lift down. On Tuesday, Fairall sonally thank “our ski jumping communi- going to fall ... I tried to fight the fall but continue to work towards my goal of ski Sochi Olympics, where he placed 35th returned to the venue where a bad crash ty that has been absolutely outstanding” unfortunately the radius pulled me in, jumping again.” on the individual large hill. in qualifying for the final stop of the in financially supporting his rehabilita- and I hit the ground pretty hard. The The following month, Fairall posted a “Now, in this difficult time of my life, 2015 Four Hills Tour severely hurt his tion. “So many people have come out of moment I hit the ground, I knew I hurt video of him taking his first steps with where I had to make a ton of changes, I spine. The main damage was a fractured the woodwork; people I don’t even something.” crutches. In December, he went back on am using the same mental skills I used and dislocated vertebra, which triggered know, fellow jumpers, colleagues, fans of snow on adapted skis for the first time. during that preparation for success,” he paralysis in his legs. the sport,” he said while fighting tears. “I INTERNAL BLEEDING “I’ve been working exhaustingly on my said. Fairall said he’s planning to get his Slowly but steadily recovering, the am so grateful, I can’t say it in words. I Fairall fractured two ribs, punctured rehab,” he said. “But in the meantime, I pilot’s license and to write a book about 26-year-old Andover, New Hampshire, am super excited to be back here, to be his right lung, bruised a kidney, and had still spent time to make sure I was enjoy- his recovery. And his dream of returning native is still hoping to return to ski able to thank everybody.” Fairall remem- mild internal bleeding. The main issue, ing life, seeing my friends, seeing my as a ski jumper wasn’t over yet. “It will jumping one day. bers every detail of that day he crashed. however, was the dislocated teammates, seeing all the people that I always remain a goal of mine,” he said. “I “Being here now is bittersweet, but it Just two hours beforehand, he had a vertebrae.Immediate surgery stabilized love in my life.” will make whatever improvements I can is the environment that I love,” he said at similar crash during trial jumping, him, and he spent nearly four weeks in Fairall has competed in 13 World to reach that goal.” —AP Bonds, Clemens likely to get boost from Hall vote changes NEW YORK: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and other tainted stars of the Steroids Era appear likely to get a boost in Hall of Fame balloting, but not enough to enter Cooperstown this year. Ken Griffey Jr. seems assured of elec- tion on the first try yesterday, possibly with a record vote of close to 100 per- cent. Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines also were strong candidates to gain the 75 percent needed for base- ball’s highest honor. Following the elimination of about 100 retired baseball writers from the electorate, Bonds and Clemens were on track for a 5-10 percentage point increase. After drawing about 37 per- cent of the ballots last year, they were in the 48 percent range this year according to www.bbhoftracker.com which tabulated public votes adding to more than one-third of the total. Last July, the Hall’s board of direc- tors cut eligible voters from approxi- mately 575 to roughly 475 by purging writers who had not been covering the game for more than a decade. Previously, the electorate included peo- ple who had been active members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America for 10 consecutive years at any point. Barry Bonds INDIANAPOLIS: New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin hold up the Vince “We have a somewhat different elec- Lombardi Trophy during a news conference after NFL football’s Super Bowl XLVI in torate,” John Thorn, Major League Indianapolis. Tom Coughlin, who returned the Giants to NFL prominence by winning Baseball’s official historian, said two Super Bowls, resigned Monday, after missing the playoffs for the fourth consec- Tuesday. “I think possibly the current utive year. — AP electorate was not content to keep kicking the PED crowd down into a In Giants’ farewell, Coughlin hole and leaving the Hall of Fame with a crater in its plaque room.” says may not be done coaching Marc Maturo, a reporter covering New York baseball for Gannett in the 1970s and ‘80s, was among those who EAST RUTHERFORD: Tom Coughlin didn’t experiences that I’ve had. I’m better for the lost voting rights. He said he would fade away in his goodbye to the New York people that I’ve had a chance to coach and have voted for Bonds, Clemens, Griffey Giants. The 69-year-old, who led the Giants be with. I’m better for that.” and Raines. to two Super Bowls in a 12-year tenure, was Winning two Super Bowls was his legacy “The whole process I think was done Tom Coughlin to the end. with one of the NFL’s founding franchises, In an emotional and poignant farewell but he said what he will remember most too quickly, wasn’t given enough Tuesday, Coughlin talked about things that will be relationships developed over the thought,” he said. Now a writer for the mattered to him: values, relationships, past 12 years. It showed in the audience in weekly Rockland County Times, Maturo character, loyalty, team, family and love. “I front of him. Eli Manning and fellow current pointed out players who received one can tell you right now it has become the Giants Victor Cruz, Rashad Jennings, Zak or two votes in recent years, such as source of drive for me, is that when our DeOssie and Mark Herzlich sat in front of Armando Benitez, Aaron Boone, Bret players, whether they’re in their career, him, along with former players Shaun Boone, Darin Erstad, Kenny Rogers, J.T. after their career, when they come back to O’Hara, Rich Seubert and Chris Snee, his Snow and B.J. Surhoff. me and they say: ‘Coach, I love you,’ “ son-in-law. Coughlin said. “They follow that up by say- “Winning, losing, playing hard, playing FRIENDSHIP VOTES ing they’ve become better men, better hus- well, doing it for each other, winning the “They call these courtesy votes or bands, better fathers, better friends right way; winning the right way is a very, friendship votes,” he said, “That should because of their experience having been a very important thing to me and all of our eliminate you. They’re not Hall of New York Giant.” coaches,” Coughlin said. “That’s what moti- Famers by anyone’s imagination. But Speaking a day after stepping down as vates and inspires us. Championships are people vote for them. To me, that’s coach after four straight seasons out of the won by teams who love one another, who wrong.” A 13-time All-Star who is sixth playoffs, Coughlin called the Giants’ job a love and respect one another, who play for with 630 homers, Griffey was a lock to dream come true for a youngster from a and support one another.” be inducted at Cooperstown on July small town in upstate New York. He nearly Giants co-owner John Mara lauded 24. The former Cincinnati and Seattle HOUSTON: File photo, Houston Astros pitcher Roger Clemens (22) grits his teeth after New York Mets’ broke into tears thanking his wife, Judy, for Coughlin as everything the organization star appeared on all 166 ballots count- Mike Piazza, right, fouled off a pitch during the second inning of a baseball game in Houston.