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p16_Layout 1 2/15/15 9:28 PM Page 1 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2015 SPORTS BEAVER CREEK: United States’ Mikaela Shiffrin races down the course during the women’s slalom competition at the Alpine skiing orldw championships. —AP Shiffrin defends slalom crown BEAVER CREEK: Mikaela Shiffrin soaked up Thunderous roars echoed across the sun- everybody wanted it. I’m really happy to with Czech Sarka Strachova, who had sur- for last with Shiffrin landing the second the pressure and defended her alpine ski kissed slopes of Beaver Creek Mountain and come out on top but I really had to pull it gery for a brain tumour in 2012, taking the American gold in as many days. Her win fol- world championship slalom crown in U.S. flags waved from the packed grand- out at the very end. bronze. lowed Ted Ligety’s victory on Friday in the thrilling style on Saturday to give the United stand as the 19-year-old added a second “It’s always a relief to come down and “I have had an amazing season and to be giant slalom. States a golden finish to the women’s com- world title to her Olympic crown in the know I did a good job,” said Shiffrin, who able to take the silver, I am super happy,” For just the second time in 10 events petition. slalom. “It was a really big day and tough showed no sign of celebration after crossing said Hansdotter, who has finished on the Austria failed to land a skier on the podium, First after the opening leg, American dar- competition, especially that second run,” an the line. podium in four of six races to lead the Kathrin Zettel recording the top result in the ling Shiffrin trailed midway through her sec- emotional Shiffrin told reporters after “It’s just putting all my energy out on the slalom World Cup standings. “Mikaela was women’s slalom by crossing fifth. After tak- ond trip down the Golden Eagle track becoming the third woman, after Christel course, I don’t have energy to celebrate.” hard to beat today.” ing medals in the opening three disciplines, before turning on the after-burners and Cranz (1938, 1939) and Janica Kostelic Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter, whose after- After a slow start to the championships Slovenia’s World Cup leader Tina Maze was blazing across the finish line in a combined (2003, 2005), to retain the slalom world title. noon run was 0.06 seconds faster than that produced just one silver and two kept off the podium for a second consecu- time of one minute, 38.48 seconds. “It was a little bit faster, the course, and Shiffrin’s, claimed silver, 0.34 seconds back, bronzes, the U.S. ski team saved their best tive race, finishing eighth. —Reuters Irish on track after defeating France DUBLIN: Ireland hung on to beat France layoff after suffering four concussions in a 18-11 in a tense Six Nations encounter at year, kicked Ireland into a 6-3 lead with two the Aviva Stadium on Saturday to seal their penalties either side of a strike by Lopez. ninth win in a row and make it two victories The home team then added two more from two to start the defence of their Sexton penalties, again either side of one championship. from Lopez. Returning flyhalf Johnny Sexton out- kicked opposite number Camille Lopez to BLOODIED HEADS give Ireland a six-point halftime advantage After his series of concussions began in that they stretched in the second period a clash with Bastareaud in Paris last year, before a Romain Taofifenua try meant the Sexton thundered into the big centre again hosts had to survive a late onslaught. early in the second half and both went off The victory put Ireland level on points at with bloodied heads. the top of the table with England. “Irish In Sexton’s absence, temporary replace- teams don’t beat France all that regularly so ment Ian Madigan nudged Ireland nine to do it back to back...is fantastic,” captain points in front before visiting coach Paul O’Connell told national broadcaster Philippe Saint-Andre brought on a new RTE. “We never really took control for long front row after 50 minutes. periods. We took control for short periods However, Pascal Pape was then sent to and you probably need to back it up to the sinbin for kneeing Jamie Heaslip in the dominate and I don’t think we really did back, forcing the number eight to hobble that.” off on his return from injury. Ireland’s intent was clear from the start. The hosts went for the kill but a rare mis- They were prepared to run with the ball judgement and poor pass from the return- more than in recent outings while looking ing Sexton let France off the hook. Ireland to neutralise the French with intense hooker Rory Best joined Pape in the sinbin defending that is becoming a trademark for a trip on Thierry Dusautoir before Lopez under coach Joe Schmidt. missed the resulting penalty. Mathieu Bastareaud, the player Schmidt Sexton made it five penalties from five reckoned would require three of his men to with 12 minutes to go before France finally take down, was turned over twice in the went over for a try after pulling Ireland’s first 10 minutes while Robbie Henshaw got defence apart and another miss from Lopez into opposite number Wesley Fofana’s face kept the gap at seven points. France straight from the first whistle. pushed for an equalising converted touch- Sexton, back after an enforced 12-week down but Ireland kept them out. —Reuters NEW YORK: Matthew Centrowitz (right) races down the final stretch ahead of Nick Willis in the men’s Wanamaker Mile during the Millrose Games. —AP Centrowitz edges Willis in rousing Millrose mile NEW YORK: Matt Centrowitz held off New Sally Kipyego of Kenya won the 3,000 meters ner.” Willis’s time of 3:51.46 lowered the national Zealander Nick Willis in a shoulder-to-shoulder in a 2015 best of 8:41.71, and Murielle Ahoure of record he set last week. “I’ve learned that whoev- duel down the stretch to win Saturday’s thrilling the Ivory Coast clocked a year’s fastest 7:05 to er leads with a hundred to go in indoor track Wanamaker Mile at the 108th Millrose Games. win the women’s 60 meters. normally will win it, so I gave everything I could Willis, coming off a sizzling victory in Boston Brycen Spratling ran the fastest indoor time to pass him there but I couldn’t,” said Willis, the last week, came up on the right shoulder of ever in the rarely run 500 meters, timing 1:00.06 2008 Olympic 1,500 meters silver medallist. Centrowitz with 100 meters left but failed to get to beat the 1987 mark of 1:00.17 by Ken Lowery. Women’s miler Shannon Rowbury looked like past the American, who won in a year’s best The racing highlight came in the meet-end- threatening the US record as she opened a big three minutes 51.35 seconds, 11 hundredths of a ing men’s mile. Centrowitz, the world champi- lead before slowing before the finish to win in second ahead of the Kiwi. onships 1,500 meters silver medallist, was well in 4:24.32. “Just me getting tired, nothing wrong, Pat Casey was third in 3:54.36 ahead of eight- front before Willis surged on the last lap. “Doing nothing hurt,” she said. “I just had that elephant times Wanamaker winner Bernard Lagat, whose the last three laps by myself that’s not ideal for on my back the last 50 meters.” Also hitting the 3:54.91 set an over-40 masters record by more me to run 3:49,” he said about his goal of a US wall near the finish was Olympic 400 meters than three seconds over the 1994 mark set by record. champion Sanya Richards Ross, who grabbed Ireland’s Eamonn Coghlin. Ten runners clocked “Once Willis came up on me in the back the lead with 100m to go but slowed before the DUBLIN: France’s Pascal Pape (right) is tackled by Ireland’s Peter OíMahony during under 3:58 on the fast Armory track as several stretch I knew if I let him by me that it was game tape to finish second behind Francis Phyllis’s their rugby union Six Nations match at the Aviva stadium. —AP world-leading times were posted. over...I went all-out just to fight him to the cor- 53.14. —Reuters Ogier wins Rally of Sweden HAGFORS: World champion Sebastien Neuville and Norway’s Andreas Mikkelsen, Frenchman, also strengthens Ogier’s posi- Ogier, in a VW Polo, continued his victori- also in a VW Polo, who finished third. tion at the top of the world standings and ous start to the season when he won the “I feel an immense pride because, on this gives him a 23-point lead over both Rally of Sweden in dramatic fashion yester- rally the conditions were not always Neuville and Mikkelsen with the third race day. favourable, when you look at our opening of the season set for March 5-8 in Mexico. Thierry Neuville of Belgium, in a Hyundai position on the road for the first two days,” The race was decided over the final i20, was second, having finished Saturday’s Ogier said. 15km special when Mikkelsen was leading second day in control with Ogier back in “From the first to the last special, we by three seconds from Ogier and four over third, nearly 10 seconds down.