MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2017 SPORTS

Barca’s Vidal to Swiss canton rejects Former All Black miss rest of season funds to mount 2026 bid Lauaki dies aged 35

ST MORITZ: Voters in the Swiss canton of Graubunden yesterday WELLINGTON: Former All Black Sione Lauaki has died at the age of 35, New BARCELONA: Barcelona right-back Aleix Vidal will take no further part in the rejected a loan that would have helped finance a bid to host the Zealand Rugby said yesterday. The cause of death was not immediately Spanish champions quest for a treble this season after suffering a dislocated 2026 Winter Olympics. The result effectively rules out an effort to revealed but the powerful loose forward had apparently suffered from kidney right ankle that will keep him out for five months. Vidal was injured with just host the Games by the eastern region. The cantonal failure. “The thoughts of everyone are with the family of Sione Lauaki. Sione three minutes to go of Barca’s 6-0 rout at Alaves on Saturday when he government in December approved the proposed financing played 17 Tests from 2005-2008. AB#1055. Gone too came off worst in a challenge with on-loan Atletico Madrid defend- scheme worth 25 million Swiss francs ($25 million, 23.4 million soon. RIP, Wax,” Rugby tweeted, er Lucas Hernandez. “The player has been transferred to a hospital euros). The plan foresaw the Swiss Olympic committee, the fed- referring to Lauaki by his nickname. Lauaki in Vitoria and a dislocation to the right ankle that required recon- eral government and the regional government each making 8 made his debut for the Waikato structive surgery has been confirmed,” Barca said in a statement. million Swiss francs available to support a bid, with locals chip- in 2004 and was selected for the All “The approximate downtime will be about five months.” Vidal had ping in an additional million. Graubunden’s Alpine resort town of Blacks for his maiden Test against Fiji the fol- only just recently fought his way back into Barca boss Luis St-Moritz, currently hosting the World Ski Championships, was lowing year. He was a member of the 2007 home to the Winter Games previously in 1928 and 1948. The now Enrique’s plans after being cast aside for large parts of World Cup squad. “Another brother gone! Much the opening half of the campaign. “I am upset by thwarted 2026 bid called for events to be shared in several places including St-Moritz and Davos, which also hosts the World love and Condolences to his family,” tweeted former Aleix’s injury, the way it came about and what it All Blacks captain Tana Umaga, leading tributes means for him,” said Enrique. “I hope it doesn’t turn Economic Forum gathering of political and business elite each year. Yesterday’s referendum on the measure was part of from former teammates. out to be as bad as it looks,” added Barca mid- referred to Lauaki as Dox, a reference go the fielder Ivan Rakitic. “I was quite shocked. Switzerland’s direct democracy system that includes four votes per year on federal initiatives as well as local laws and institutions. Dox Brothers fashion label he was involved Hopefully he’ll be back soon as he is a great with. “Damn. It’s a sad day today, rest easy guy and he was playing excellently.” — AFP Switzerland’s National Olympic Committee is due to announce its plans for a 2026 bid on March 7. —AFP Dox,” Williams wrote on . — AFP Feuz drives Swiss wild with downhill gold

ST MORITZ: assuaged the 10 days, going from Garmisch to winning absence through injury of Swiss teammate the super-G to cancelling the downhill and Lara Gut by storming to gold in the men’s with some fog today... downhill at the World Ski Championships “It was quite a stressful week for me, but yesterday to drive a raucous home crowd I’m really happy with the way things wild. Feuz, a bronze medallist at the 2015 worked out.” Austrian Max Franz, 27 and Beaver Creek worlds, timed 1min 38.91sec with just one World Cup victory to his down the slightly shortened Corviglia name, took bronze, 0.37sec adrift of Feuz’s course, its diabolical ‘Free Fall’ 45-degree pace. Defending world champion Patrick opening kick-out cut over fears of fog that Kueng of Switzerland shared fourth place had seen the downhill postponed from with ’s much-touted and super-G Saturday. silver medal-winning , just “It’s my best present, I couldn’t dream of two-hundredths of a second off the podi- more!” beamed Feuz, who celebrated his um. “It’s not a nice place, here in 30th birthday Saturday. “It’s unbelievable: Switzerland at the world championships in Switzerland at the world championships and you get fourth,” acknowledged Kueng. and I win!” “Two-hundredths is nothing... but that’s missed out on following in the life.” ’s defending Olympic champion footsteps of (1999) and Matthias Mayer finished down in 11th (2005) by claiming a speed (+0.86). Despite the race starting with fog double by just 0.12sec, the Canadian how- patches up top, racers soon glided into per- ever adding silver to the gold he won in fect sunny conditions, a large partisan flag- Wednesday’s super-G. waving crowd of some 35,000 basking in “It’s absolutely wonderful,” said 35-year- anticipation in the finish area. old Guay, who has bounced back astonish- ingly well from a bad crash in Garmisch at ELECTRIC ATMOSPHERE the end of January. The atmosphere was progressively “Everything that’s happened in the last notched up as each racer trumped their predecessor, to roars from the expectant crowd. When Kueng matched Jansrud’s time before him, many thought the Swiss racer would be the first to defend his world downhill title since in 1972. ST MORITZ: From left, Silver medalist Stephanie Venier of Austria, Gold medalist Ilka Stuhec of and Bronze medalist of But it was not to be as Feuz, starting the USA celebrate on the podium during the women’s downhill race at the 2017 FIS World Championships in St Moritz, with bib number 13, laid down an amazing Switzerland, yesterday. —AP run with speeds touching 125kph to take him down a piste on which he won both the super-G and downhill at last year’s ALPINE SKIING World Cup finals. Feuz, with Swiss legend looking on, safely negotiated the rolling terrain and three monster jumps Stuhec emulates Maze, with aplomb, picking the right exit lines to become the fourth Swiss skier to claim the downhill title on home snow after (1931), (1934) and Peter historic bronze for Vonn Mueller (1987). There was still drama to come, however: first ’s Andreas Sander threatened ST MORITZ: Ilka Stuhec reproduced her impres- the slalom section of Friday’s alpine combined especially in the speed events. Veith pulled out up top before fading, before the nerve- sive World Cup form to maintain Slovenia’s grip event, a cruel blow for the Swiss team for whom of the downhill saying she was not ready in her wracking descents of Austria’s 2015 super- on the world downhill title when she won gold the 25-year-old has become a standard bearer, comeback from a knee injury. — AFP G champion , and then in the blue riband event in St Moritz yesterday. ST MORITZ: Beat Feuz of Switzerland, Guay, Franz and Mayer. Stuhec, with four World Cup victories to her winner, reacts during the men’s down- Each time their times flashed up red, to name this season (three downhill and one super- Uhlaender waiting to see hill winner presentation at the 2017 FIS indicate the racer was not the new leader, G), timed 1min 32.85sec down the 2.6km-long Alpine Skiing World Championships in Feuz was left clutching his before Engiadina course to emulate the feat of retired St Moritz, Switzerland, yesterday. —AP punching the air in relief. —AFP former teammate two years ago in if she’s a medalist Beaver Creek. Unheralded Austrian Stephanie Venier took silver - just her second podium, at NEW YORK: US women’s slider Katie just before the 2010 Games), 0.40sec, while Lindsey Vonn made history when Uhlaender has high hopes and a very realistic numerous injuries (many of which threatened Hirscher takes on she claimed bronze (+0.45), her seventh world chance of being in Pyeongchang, South Korea, her career), a concussion and most recently a medal. Vonn, the 2009 world downhill champi- at this time next year, for what would be her nasty infection that kept her off the ice for the Pinturault in combined on, showed all her experience to produce a fourth chance to compete in a Winter first part of this season and left her hospi- strong bottom section to secure third place and Olympics. She’ll be trying to win her first talised. The tribulations, she insists, have become the oldest medallist, at the age of 32 Olympic medal. That is, unless one arrives in brought her peace and perspective. “It’s been ST MORITZ: Austrian will going into the St Moritz combined, with the years and 117 days, in any women’s event at the the mail beforehand. Uhlaender finished in a long and hard road back,” Uhlaender said. face a stiff challenge from French rival Alexis opening downhill scheduled for 0900 GMT World Ski Championships. The previous record fourth place at the Sochi Games three years “I’m trying to not take it too seriously, not get Pinturault as he bids to defend his alpine followed three hours later by a slalom. “I’ve was held by Austrian when she ago, behind Britain’s , US team- too stressed about something I can’t control, combined title at the World Ski won the combined crystal globe for the last won bronze in 1999. mate Noelle Pikus-Pace and ’s Elena it’s all about just enjoying every moment and I Championships in St Moritz today. two seasons,” said Pinturault. “I must try to Hitting speeds of 80kph within four seconds Nikitina - an athlete who was temporarily sus- think that’s how you go fast on a skeleton Hirscher, 27, has proved the real heavy- do the same thing here.” The 25-year-old of leaving the start gate and motorway-coasting pended by skeleton’s governing body earlier sled.” Bobsled’s and skeleton’s world champi- weight of the World Cup in recent seasons Frenchman, who will face off again against maximums of 125.6kph, the race was held in ide- this season over “an alleged anti-doping rule onships start this week in Konigssee, Germany. and has in his sights a sixth successive over- Hirscher in Friday’s giant slalom, said he felt al conditions with none of the fog that had seen violation” at those Olympics. They were originally slated to be held in Sochi, all winner’s crystal globe. The Austrian was a “even more” favourite for the combined the men’s downhill on Saturday rescheduled to The probe into Russia’s state-sponsored then moved late last year after many sliders clear winner at the last worlds in Beaver because “before there was a (Ivica) Kostelic run after the women’s. doping program continues, and if the said they would skip worlds unless they were Creek two years ago, and warmed up for or a Ligety, even if there’ll still be a Marcel!” Stuhec had shown her mettle down the International Olympic Committee concludes moved - a direct response to the Russian scan- today’s test with a 21st-place finish in last “A lot will come down to how you handle course by topping two of the training sessions that Nikitina was among the athletes who had dal. To explain the move, the International week’s super-G. the downhill because it’s very testing with and finishing second in the downhill section of doping samples doctored as part of that scan- Bobsled and Skeleton Federation said it want- Suffering from ‘flu-like symptoms at the many hidden gates and jumps.” the combined, in which she fluffed by crashing dal at the Sochi Games, then it would almost ed “a competition that focuses on sport rather time, Hirscher was back on the slopes Pinturault has proved his worth down out of the slalom six gates in. She started no dif- certainly order her medal reallocated to the than accusations and discussions.” Saturday for training under the watchful the Corviglia slope, however, topping ferently yesterday, attacking the downhill from next finisher. Uhlaender won’t be competing. Doomed in eyes of his trainers, including his father. Friday’s final downhill training run, ahead the off, running with start number seven. Sheer That would be Uhlaender, who is left to part by missing the first half of the season Hirscher this season has four victories to of Italian but also in the absence speed allied with technical mastery of the tricky, wait and see what’s going to happen. “I’ve with that illness, Uhlaender didn’t make the his name, winning the Kitzbuehel and Levi of a raft of speed specialists who skipped turny part of the bottom section of the slope held my integrity. Maybe it was a blessing so US team heading to worlds; Annie O’Shea, slaloms and giant slaloms in and the session. The second combined of the guaranteed that the 26-year-old Slovene topped that I didn’t quit,” Uhlaender said. “I have one Kendall Wesenberg and Savannah Graybill Garmisch. Pinturault, meanwhile, has World Cup season, in last month, the podium to carry on Maze’s legacy. title left to win. I’ve won every title there is in qualified over her.—AP racked up three giant slalom victories and went to Swiss surprise Niels Hintermann this sport. There’s one left. If I do that, I think I also won the combined event in Santa ahead of ’s Maxence Muzaton. Also GOGGIA’S COSTLY MISTAKE can walk away from this sport fulfilled. And Caterina in December ahead of Hirscher. In in the running for a podium place on For a terrible mistake two gates from the fin- the bronze, if it was awarded to me, it would the Beaver Creek worlds, Pinturault disap- Monday will be Norway’s Aleksander ish line, Italian , a remarkable nine- motivate me even more to just prove that I pointed, finishing only fifth, Hirscher top- Aamodt Kilde, and a strong Swiss trio of time World Cup podium finisher this season, deserved it.” ping the podium ahead of Norway’s Kjetil Justin Murisier, and Mauro would also have been on the podium here. There’s no timetable for when the IOC Jansrud, silver medallist in the super-G here, Caviezel. “You just have to get used to the She eventually missed it by just seven-hun- could decide on what to do with the Russian and American , currently sidelined jumps and know what’s coming,” Kilde dredths, capping a couple of miserable days for athletes who won medals in Sochi and were through injury. But “Pintu” was confident warned of the downhill slope. — AFP the Italian who was first after the combined implicated in the scandal. And if Uhlaender downhill but bombed out of the slalom after just does get the medal, it’s not like she gets to go three gates. “Being fourth in the world champs back to Sochi, climb onto the medal stand and is nothing,” lamented Goggia. “It’s hard to accept see the US flag swaying in her honor. with the mistake I made because I was pretty “You don’t get that moment back,” said fast before. It hurts bad.” longtime US bobsledder and close friend Austrian failed to live up . “It’s a shame.” Uhlaender has to her billing after winning the super-G. Starting been the overall World Cup champion, won with bib number one, she came in 16th, 1.76sec the world title at Lake Placid in 2012 and is the off the pace, while silver medallist in that disci- only woman in her sport - where sliders go pline, of Liechtenstein, was 10th headfirst down an icy mountainside chute at (+1.18). The race unfortunately had two high- speeds that can exceed 80 mph - to win gold, profile absentees in the shape of Austrian Anna silver and bronze medals at the world champi- Veith and home star Lara Gut, whose mouth- onships in her career. watering head-to-head with Stuhec and Vonn had been touted as one of the stand-outs of the HOSPITALISED worlds held high in the picturesque Engadin All that has come in a career marred by per- mountains. Gut was ruled out for the season sonal tragedy (notably the death of her father Marcel Hirscher after suffering a bad knee injury in training for