26 Sports Sunday, December 8, 2019 Icon’ Chen beats Hanyu to claim third Grand Prix Final gold Hanyu thwarted in his bid for a record fifth Grand Prix Final title TURIN: US figure skating sensation Nathan Chen set new Yevgeny Plushenko skated to 2006 Winter Olympics gold world record scores on his way to a third consecutive at the Turin rink. The only glitch in the Japanese skater’s men’s gold at the ISU Grand Prix Final in Turin yesterday, programme was his under-rotation of a triple flip and sin- leaving vanquished Yuzuru Hanyu feeling “a little jealous”. gling his final triple axel jump. Two-time world champion Chen blew away his great Hundreds of stuffed toys rained down on the ice as Japanese rival with a total overall score of 335.30 points Hanyu collapsed in exhaustion. “I decided to do five after his free skate to Elton John’s ‘Rocket Man’. Double quadruples after the short programme yesterday,” said Olympic champion Hanyu was thwarted in his bid for a Hanyu. “Even though I knew I couldn’t win I wanted to record fifth Grand Prix Final title, taking silver with 291.43. achieve something at this competition. “I’m very happy France’s Kevin Aymoz won bronze with 275.63. with what I accomplished, this helps my confidence to Taking to the ice last, Chen had a long wait for the rink grow.” to be cleared of the hundreds of Winnie The Pooh soft toys and gifts thrown onto the ice by Hanyu’s adoring fans on ‘SKATING GOD’ the Japanese skater’s 25th birthday. Hanyu was returning to the elite six-skater event after a The American nailed five quadruple jumps, earning two-year absence looking to topple Chen and lay the extra points including two in the second half of his pro- groundwork to reclaim the world title in Montreal next gramme, culminating with a triple lutz-triple toeloop com- March. Hanyu, who trains under Canadian coach Brian bination. The 20-year-old bettered his own record scores Orser in Toronto, won four consecutive Grand Prix Final from last year’s world championships in the free skate by titles between 2013 and 2016, and a fifth would see him 8.9 points and the overall record by nearly 12 points. overtake Russians Plushenko and Irina Slutskaya. “It felt amazing, I’m really thrilled with the score,” said On his big rival, Chen added: “It’s an amazing honour to Chen. “I got pretty gassed out at the end so I need to work be able to compete against Yuzuru. I’ve idolised him for on my stamina a little bit.” It left an emotional Hanyu feel- years. “Even now, he’s still truly like a skating god to me. ing old and envious. Of course, now Kevin, I’ve competed with him for a couple “I’m a little jealous of him,” said Hanyu. “But I really of years now and continue to see his improvement.” respect him. “Nathan is making it harder and harder in fig- French champion Aymoz claimed his first podium place, ure skating, and I’m much older than him! “Nathan is push- surviving a fall on his second quadruple jump, in a solid ing the sport, he’s an icon for my practice.” performance to Patrick Watson’s ‘Lighthouse’. “I never Hanyu added: “I can say I have two gold medals for the imagined to be next to these two guys one day so I’m real- TURIN: (From L) Runner-up Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu, winner USA’s Nathan Chen and third-placed France’s Kevin Olympics, but that’s the past, I want to live in the now, I ly happy,” said the 23-year-old. Aymoz pose on the podium after the Men Free Skating program yesterday at the ISU Grand Prix of figure skating want to compete more and more with Nathan.” Chen, from Two-time world champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong Final 2019 in Turin. — AFP Salt Lake City, had taken a 13-point lead on Hanyu into the led a Chinese 1-2 to claim their first pairs gold on Friday free skating final at the Palavela. night ahead of Peng Cheng and Jin Yang. In the women’s But Hanyu hit back with five quadruple jumps in a bril- competition, Alena Kostornaia is leading a Russian 1-2-3 champion Rika Kihira last in the six-skater field. Four- and Guillaume Cizeron are leading going into the free liant performance to Edvin Marton’s ‘Origin’, a composer going into the free skating final later with defending time world ice dancing champions Gabriella Papadakis dance final. —AFP “I’m not someone who comes to the stadium wanting to “It’s about contributing to your team and making the Kohli would rather entertain people hitting the ball in the air. I want to get the team win.” job done,” Kohli told broadcaster Star Sports after India Kohli’s knock was an innings of two halves with the won the series opener in Hyderabad by six wickets. right-hander trying to hit too hard initially before redis- finish than entertain “Within that, if I get an opportunity to hit sixes, I will. covering the sublime timing which makes him the top India’s NBA trailblazer But the aim is not to play slam-bang cricket. ranked batsman both in tests and one-dayers. NEW DELHI: India’s captain Virat Kohli says his priority “I think my role in this team is to bat long. Myself or “I thought I’m not a guy who slogs the ball. I’m more Satnam fails dope test is to help India win matches than just play ‘slam-bang Rohit (Sharma), one of the guys has to play till the end of a timer, so I’m going to rely on my timing. And then cricket’ for the sake of entertaining the crowd in the because our strength is usually striking in the later half the pitch was good enough for me to go through the Twenty20 game. of the innings, and our strike rate goes up.” line of the ball and just play my shots.” NEW DELHI: Satnam Singh, the first Indian to be draft- Kohli relies more on his timing than muscle power to Despite his assertions, Kohli’s knock was not totally ed into the NBA, has been provisionally suspended by Kohli produced a batting masterclass in Friday’s Twenty20 match against West Indies, smashing a career- hit those sixes and the 31-year-old sees no reason to try devoid of entertainment, and at one point he mimicked India’s anti-doping agency after failing a drugs test last and overhaul his technique. Kesrick Williams’ box-ticking celebration after hitting month. best 94 not out to help India chase a 200-plus target with eight balls to spare. “The basic funda is that I don’t want to change my the bowler for a six. Singh, who joined the Dallas Mavericks in 2015, game too much because I play all three formats and I “It happened to me in Jamaica when he got me out, failed an out-of-competition test last month and was The elegant right-hander, who clobbered six sixes, went run-a-ball in his first 20 deliveries before exploding want to contribute in all three formats. I don’t want to so I thought I’ll tick a few in the notebook as well,” handed a temporary ban on November 19, according to be a format specialist. Kohli said. —Reuters the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) newsletter. to plunder 74 off the last 30. The banned substance that was been detected in Singh’s sample was not confirmed. The 23-year-old Singh, standing 7 feet 2 inches (2.18 meters) tall, has denied the charge through a statement Davis, James power yesterday, asserting he is “clean”. “Mr. (Satnam Singh) Bhamara is disputing the said Lakers in rout charge and has requested a hearing before the NADA Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) in order to put forth his case,” the statement said. of host Blazers “Mr. Bhamara would like to state that he was and remains a clean competitor and has always played bas- PORTLAND: Anthony Davis delivered 39 points, nine ketball fairly.” rebounds and three blocked shots as the Los Angeles Singh, who did not play an NBA game, went on to Lakers rolled to a 136-113 victory over the host Portland play in the National Basketball League of Canada after Trail Blazers on Friday night. LeBron James made four 3- signing a deal with St John’s Edge in September 2018. pointers while recording 31 points, eight assists and seven He has represented India at the Asian rebounds as the Lakers improved their record to 20-3, tied Championships, 2018 Commonwealth Games and the with the Milwaukee Bucks for best in the NBA. Kyle 2019 World Cup Qualifiers. Kuzma scored 15 off the bench, and JaVale McGee added There is also a Netflix documentary ‘One in a Billion’ 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting as Los Angeles completed a which charts Singh’s remarkable journey from a remote 3-0 road trip that began with games against the Denver Punjab village to the Mavericks. — AFP Nuggets and Utah Jazz. Damian Lillard registered 29 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Trail Blazers. Hassan Whiteside added 17 points, 10 rebounds and three steals, and Carmelo Anthony, CJ McCollum and Anfernee Simons added 15 points apiece.