MONDAY, MAY 2, 2016 SPORTS McLeod sizzles in Drake Relays rain

LOS ANGELES: Jamaica’s Omar McLeod Richardson last week in Florida. McLeod, McLeod said. “That’s good news and four days after winning world champi- chance to race against the women she’ll defied difficult, rainy conditions to clock winner of the 60m hurdles gold at the tells you that training is going right and onship bronze last year. American be up against at the US Olympic trials in a world-leading 13.08sec on Saturday to indoor world championships in Portland you’re staying on top of things.” Reigning Kendra Harrison won the women’s 100m Eugene, Oregon, in June. win the 110m hurdles at the Drake in March, was a comfortable winner over Olympic champion Aries Merritt finished hurdles in 12.56sec, with compatriot “As competitive as the 100 hurdlers Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. With the Rio former world champion David Oliver fifth in 13.61 — in his first meeting since Kristi Castlin second in 12.62. are, it’s anyone’s race and you can’t sleep Olympics approaching in August, (13.31) and fellow Jamaican Hansle undergoing a kidney transplant in Former world champion Brianna on anybody,” Harrison said. “The more I McLeod moved atop the 2016 rankings, Parchment (13.42). “You always want to September. “My body felt really good,” Rollins of the United States was third in run against them, the more confident I improving on the 13.33 posted by Jason see where you’re at for your first race,” said Merritt, who received a new kidney 12.65. For Harrison, it was a valuable get.” — AFP Qatar probes death at World Cup site

DOHA: The organisers of Qatar’s 2022 banned and authorities penalise dissent World Cup said yesterday they were with jail terms or immediate deportation. investigating the death of an Indian Prasad is the third Indian employed labourer at one of its sites but denied it on a World Cup site to die of a heart was caused by working conditions which attack in the last six months, according the wealthy Gulf country is under pres- to a February report by the Supreme sure to improve. Committee. Along with accusations of corruption Qatar’s Supreme Committee says during its World Cup bid, Qatar has long there have been no work-related fatali- been under fire from rights groups for ties on World Cup sites, but law firm DLA labour abuses. Last week, world soccer Piper, in a review for the government in body FIFA urged Qatar to hasten 2013, found evidence of dozens of work- improvements for builders on World Cup related deaths across Qatar among sites and said it would monitor condi- migrant labourers from South Asia. tions. Qatar, an energy exporter which Qatar’s government has also denied has the highest income per capita in the claims there are higher instances of heart world, is also under pressure from the attacks among construction workers and United Nations to address workers’ rights does not publish independently-verified before World Cup construction peaks in statistics on worker-related injuries and 2017. Labourer Jaleshwar Prasad, 48, fell fatalities. Autopsies and post-mortems unconscious on Wednesday while per- on people who die sudden and unex- forming steel work at Al Bayt stadium in pected deaths are forbidden by Qatari Al Khor, 50 km (31 miles) north of Doha, law unless a crime is suspected. a witness told Reuters. “Workers dying suddenly from heart SOCHI: Winner Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team’s German driver Nico Rosberg (C) celebrates on the podium next to second placed Mercedes Organisers said the death was not attacks is something we hear about AMG Petronas F1 Team’s British driver (L) and third placed ’s Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen (R) after the caused by working conditions. often, the causes are not always clear. at the Sochi Autodrom circuit yesterday. — AFP “Al Khor Hospital reported the cause But we’re moving now into the hottest of death as cardiac arrest,” the Qatar’s time of the year when the risk of fatality Supreme Committee for Delivery and increases,” said Amnesty Gulf researcher Legacy of the 2022 World Cup said in a Mustafa Qadri. “When a worker dies, Seven-up Nico Rosberg statement. “The family of Mr Prasad were Qatar needs to get to the bottom of what informed of the tragedy immediately. A happened. People’s lives are in danger”. full investigation is underway.” Amnesty reported on abuses at a Qatar’s efforts to become the compe- World Cup stadium in a wide-ranging enjoys stroll in Sochi tition’s first Arab host have been damp- report three weeks ago based on the ened by accusations including that work- accounts of 132 workers. ers were forced to live in squalor and to DLA Piper recommended that Qatar SOCHI: Nico Rosberg became only the fourth work without proper access to water and launch an independent study into car- driver in Formula One history to record seven shelter in the blazing sun. diac deaths among migrant workers. The successive wins when he cruised to victory Hamilton escapes grid About 5,100 construction workers head of Qatar’s Supreme Committee has ahead of Mercedes team-mate Lewis from Nepal, India and Bangladesh are said Doha is working to reduce abuses Hamilton in yesterday’s incident-filled Russian drop after parts flown in building stadiums in the country. he described as occurring on construc- Grand Prix. Unions and labour protests are tion sites all over the world.—Reuters The 30-year-old German started from pole SOCHI: Mercedes flew parts in by private jet “We had to fly out a fuel system on a char- and produced an imperious performance as from Britain overnight to keep Formula One tered jet yesterday evening, arriving here in he pulled clear of the field to take his fourth world champion Lewis Hamilton yesterday’s the early hours, and the spare engine was win of the 2016 season and the 18th of his Russian Grand Prix starting grid after engine then kitted with these parts during the night,” Kvyat collisions dump career. problems in qualifying. a spokesman said. He won the final three races of 2015 and is The Briton will start the race in 10th place, The engine is not subject to strict post- Vettel out of Russian GP now unbeaten since defending three time with championship-leading team mate Nico qualifying ‘parc ferme’ rules which keep the world champion Hamilton triumphed in last Rosberg on and set for his sev- car off limits to mechanics overnight. enth win in a row, but his predicament could “When the car came out of parc ferme this SOCHI: Ferrari’s let rip stop/go penalty on Kvyat for causing year’s to secure the championship. have been much worse. morning, the spare power unit was fitted and with a blast of swear words after two the collisions. The Russian had said The team said Hamilton, who has not won has now fired up successfully in the garage,” first lap collisions with Red Bull’s Daniil before the start that he would do noth- “It’s been an awesome weekend for me and the car has been fantastic,” he said. since he took his third title in Texas last said the spokesman. Kvyat dumped him out of the Russian’s ing different. “You can never know how October, would have had to start from the Hamilton has won the only two races held home race yesterday. the start is going to go, it’s all about “I am very, very happy. I really enjoyed it. I kept concentrating, pushing fast. If you slow pitlane if a new fuel system had not been to date in Sochi, taking last year’s after The two had traded barbs at the pre- instinct. you have to react on what is flown to Sochi from the engine factory at Rosberg started on pole position and then down that is when you make mistakes. vious when Vettel happening around you so I really don’t Brixworth. suffered a throttle failure. took issue with an aggressive first lap know what the start will be like,” he had “Lewis did a great job to come up to sec- Drivers are allowed five power units per The Briton had started from the back of overtake down the inside by the Russian told reporters. ond so quickly from 10th and I know he is season, and are penalised for exceeding that the grid in China after failing to set a time in that triggered a collision between the Vettel, who won three races last sea- right on it and he will always be motivated amount, but they can swap out the six main qualifying due to another power unit failure. Ferraris. They lined up together on the son for Ferrari and finished second in and challenge and keep going. components without sanction as long as they Mercedes said they had re-fitted the unit fourth row of the grid in Sochi and China, got out after the impact and “It is four races from 21 and Lewis is going remain within their quota and the parts are of Hamilton used in the Australian season- chaos ensued. The Russian twice picked up the shattered front wing, try- to come back of course. We have an incredible the same specification. opener in Melbourne, which was the spare smashed into the rear of the Ferrari at ing to stuff it into the cockpit. car and all we want to do is win races.” Hamilton’s problem was that the unit in for Sochi. The control electronics and energy successive corners, the second impact He then commandeered a scooter The only three men to have reeled off sev- his car at Sochi had been upgraded since the store were replaced to eliminate them as a shunting the four times world champi- from a marshal, riding it back to the en straight wins were Italian previous race in China and the team did not potential source of the problem but the unit on-who won his titles with Red Bull-into paddock with the official behind as a and Germans and have a spare fuel system in Russia of the that failed will not be inspected until the the wall. passenger, before seeking out Red Bull Sebastian Vettel, whose race on Sunday was same specification. return to the factory. — Reuters Vettel’s reaction over team radio was team principal Christian Horner on the ended by a first lap accident. mostly censored with bleeps for televi- pitwall. “It was not my fault - there was Hamilton, who started 10th, avoided the sion audiences. “I’m out. Crashed. nothing I would do differently,” the carnage of a first lap multiple collision that Somebody hit me in the ... rear at turn German told the BBC. eliminated Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari-hit again two, and then somebody hit me in the ... “I don’t dislike him (Kvyat). I think he by Russian rival Daniil Kvyat of Red Bull, who rear again in turn three,” the German did a mistake two weeks ago and I think twice rammed into his car - to sear through ranted. “Honestly. what the ... are we he did a mistake today.” The race was the field and, briefly, threaten a challenge for doing here?,” exclaimed the German, Vettel’s second blank in four this season, the lead. who had called Kvyat a ‘madman’ in the German failing to start in Bahrain His race, however, was stymied by further China and accused him of launching after his car’s engine blew on the forma- mechanical problems - he had suffered an himself like a torpedo through the field. tion lap. He finished third in the engine failure in qualifying on Saturday - and Stewards imposed a 10 second Australian season-opener. — Reuters he was forced to nurse his Mercedes home 25 seconds behind the rampant Rosberg. It was the team’s 30th one-two finish. Hamilton said: “It was not the easiest first cor- ner, but so far all the races have been the same! “I’m really happy for the team and hap- py that I have some points. “There was no doubt in my mind that I could win the race. I had the pace, but I had a problem again so I had to back off. I wasn’t at full throttle after that, down the straights and that was it.” Finn Kimi Raikkonen finished third in the second Ferrari ahead of compatriot and his Williams team-mate . It was the Ferrari team’s 700th podium finish and the Finn’s 82nd. came home a much-improved sixth for McLaren ahead of Kevin Magnussen of Renault, for Haas, Sergio Perez of Force India and 2009 champion who was 10th in the second McLaren. Rosberg’s win increased his lead in the driv- ers championship to 43 points, ahead of Hamilton, after four of this year’s 21 races. For Vettel, there was no disguising the German’s anger at his first lap crash as he delivered an expletive-strewn tirade over the Ferrari team radio while around him cars slith- ered and crashed amid flying debris. After he had cooled down he said when asked about Kvyat “I don’t dislike him. I think he did a mistake two weeks ago and I think he did a mistake today... but it should not be like this. Will I speak to him? No, that is for some- SOCHI: British Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton waves to supporters ahead of the Formula SOCHI: Scuderia Ferrari’s German driver Sebastian Vettel steers his car during the One Russian Grand Prix at the Sochi Autodrom racetrack in Sochi, Russia, yesterday. — AP Formula One Russian Grand Prix at the Sochi Autodrom circuit.— AFP one else to do...” ˆ— AFP