p17 2_Layout 1 1/25/15 10:25 PM Page 1

MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015 SPORTS Toulouse out of Europe after Montpellier defeat PARIS: Four-time European club champions places for the play-offs, needed the win to go Toulouse failed to make the quarter-finals of through. this year’s competition when they slipped to And they had every chance to stamp their a 27-26 defeat to Montpellier in their final authority on a disappointing Montpellier side group match yesterday. who had only racked up two points from their Bath’s 25-15 win over Glasgow saw them previous five games. leapfrog Toulouse to finish top of Pool 4, leav- Toulouse even led 20-9 and appeared to ing one place in the last eight still to be be sailing to victory after 43 minutes, with decided. The Pool 1 showdown between converted tries from Clement Poitrenaud and leaders Clermont and second-placed Toby Flood on the board. Saracens later on Sunday will settle the issue. But two tries for Montpellier by Lucas Montpellier’s victory means Clermont are Dupont, in the space of the next seven min- already through, even if they lose, but Pool 2 utes, one of them converted, put the home runners-up Wasps could capitalise as one of side ahead by a single point. the three best second-placed sides should Flood kicked two more penalties, but Clermont triumph on home soil. Montpellier replied on each occasion, first Toulouse, who are also struggling on the through fly-half Benoit Paillaugue and then domestic front where they are only seventh in Ben Lucas, as Toulouse led 23-21 and then 26- the Top 14 and currently out of the qualifying 24.—AFP Ogier wins Monte Carlo rally

MONACO: Defending world rally champion Retired nine-time champion Sebastien Sebastien Ogier of France began his title Loeb of France - driving as a guest at the defense with a victory at the season-open- race - won yesterday’s penultimate stage ing Monte Carlo rally yesterday, finishing and finished eighth overall. ahead of Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala and Britain’s Kris Meeke won yesterday’s Andreas Mikkelsen of Norway as opener - a short 10-kilometer (6-mile) trek Volkswagen swept the podium places. - with Ogier finishing sixth and gaining a Ogier led Latvala by 42.8 seconds further five seconds on Latvala, who was SWITZERLAND: Lindsey Vonn speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women’s World Cup downhill in St. Moritz. —AP overnight and increased his lead after yes- ninth. terday’s three stages to finish 58 seconds Ogier again placed fifth on the next spe- ahead of Latvala and more than two min- cial - stage 14 from La Bollene Vesubie to utes clear of Mikkelsen. Sospel - and finished more than 10 seconds Vonn adds 64th jewel “Winning Monte Carlo means a lot for clear of Latvala. every driver, but especially for me,” Ogier Stage 14 featured the race’s famed hair- said after clinching it for the third time. pin ascent up Col de Turini, and Polish driv- “This event had the best atmosphere I have er Robert Kubica, the winner of four stages, to World Cup crown experienced on a rally. When I drove the had to pull out as he went off the road at stage close to my home village, the atmos- the finish. phere was magical.” The 31-year-old Ogier Latvala also had problems negotiating ST MORITZ: Lindsey Vonn added a 64th jewel to ski aggressive and tactical at the same time,” Vonn will have little time to rest on her lau- was only interested in protecting his lead Turini’s flying finish. “The brakes are horri- to her World Cup crown when she won a Super- Vonn said. rels as the women’s programme at the world and drove cautiously, failing to win a stage ble,” he said. “I had no bite on them and it G in St Moritz yesterday, her last race before the “I was at my limits just like yesterday only championships starts with the speed events Saturday or yesterday. was very, very scary to drive.” Loeb, a seven- world championships at home in Beaver Creek this time it paid off. I was lucky,” she added. Her with the Super-G on Tuesday and the downhill “The important thing is to try to win the time winner at Monaco, won the stage next week. path to victory was partly eased by the fact that on Friday. rally, not today’s stages,” he said. “It’s the ahead of Ostberg. Meeke clinched stage 15 American Vonn avenged a disappointing three of her most dangerous rivals at the start In Kitzbuehel, local favorite most important rally of the season. The - a special power stage - to take maximum 23rd place in Saturday’s downhill with her fifth failed to complete the run, held in tough wind was denied victory by Sweden’s Matthias weather makes it a huge challenge but the bonus points, with Loeb taking two bonus victory of the season, the second in a Super-G. and visibility conditions. Hargin, who won the day’s slalom in 1:43.10 for satisfaction is great when you make it.” points for second spot and Latvala taking The most successful woman skier of all time Swiss Lara Gut dominated Saturday’s down- his maiden World Cup victory at 29. Hirscher Citroen driver Mads Ostberg of Norway fin- one for third. The next event is at Rally clocked 1:23.55 to leave Austrian Anna hill but finished the Super-G in the safety nets was second, 0.49 adrift, with slalom World Cup ished fourth. Sweden next month. —AP Fenninger, the discipline’s Olympic champion, after crashing mid-course. World Cup leader leader Felix Neureuther a further 0.14 off the 0.24 adrift. Tina Maze of Slovenia and Liechtenstein’s Tina pace in third. “I must admit I was really nervous. Third-placed of Austria finished Weirather missed gates as they looked in con- It’s always stressful to ski in Austria and this is more than a second off the pace, 1.10 behind. tention for podium places. not an ideal course for me,” said Hirscher, who “I’m so happy to celebrate my 64th victory. It Maze still leads the overall standings with a still extended his overall World Cup lead to 162 was not an easy race, as we saw with so many 184-point lead over big globe holder Fenninger points over Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud, winner of girls going out. There were lots of bumps. I had with Vonn third, 339 points behind. Saturday’s Hahnenkamm downhill. —Reuters Hargin trumps Hirscher

KITZBUEHEL: Sweden’s Mattias Hargin took of his maiden World Cup win. “I’m losing all the the 2010 Olympic champion taking a 0.36sec advantage of a botched second leg by home time and to win was a big release. “Today I lead over the Norwegian. It was nail-biting favorite Marcel Hirscher to claim a maiden World pushed as hard as I could - I normally try to ski action on the Ganslern piste as Neureuther Cup victory in Sunday’s Kitzbuehel slalom. as carefully as I can.” blasted into the lead with four runners to come. Hirscher, the reigning world slalom champi- Croatian veteran and 2010 Olympic slalom Compatriot Fritz Dopfer saw his 0.01sec on and 2013 winner here, led after the first leg silver medallist Ivica Kostelic, 29th after the first advantage over Neureuther quickly disappear but a mistake halfway down the second run saw run, 2.65sec off Hirscher, set the early pace in and he had to be content with a fifth-placed fin- his time deficit overturned to hand Hargin a the second leg until Norway’s Sebastian Foss- ish behind Razzoli. memorable triumph. Hargin, 29 and with just Solvaag took control. That did not last long as But then Hargin made sure of a podium with three podium finishes to his name in eight sea- Austrian , who became the oldest an electric run, taking a massive 0.63sec lead to sons on the World Cup circuit, was third after Olympic alpine ski champion when he won the pile the pressure on Alexander Khoroshilov and the first leg (0.42sec down on Hirscher) and slalom at last year’s Sochi Games at the age of Hirscher. The Russian made a mistake halfway went on to clock a total winning time of 1min 34, roared down the tricky course in 1:44.76. down the slope to ensure he didn’t threaten the 43.10sec over the two legs. French hope overcame a top three, eventually finishing sixth, and leave Hirscher finished 0.49sec adrift of Hargin, the sticky middle section to come through 0.22sec the scene set for home favorite Hirscher. The former’s time for the second leg ranked just ahead of Matt, Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen Austrian kicked out of the starting hut with a 23rd out of the 30 racers. Last year’s winner Felix then holding his form to jump into pole in a 0.42sec advantage, built on it by the first inter- MONTE CARLO: World champion Sebastien Ogier of France (right) and his co-driver Neureuther of came in third at nerve-racking competition with the top 10 rac- mediary, but immediately lost it on the follow- Julien Ingrassia of France, steering a Volkswagen Polo R, react after winning the 83rd 0.63sec. ers still to come. ing two after pushing too hard, handing victory Rally of Monte Carlo. —AP “It’s incredible, finally I made it,” Hargin said Italian Giuliano Razzoli duly took top spot, to an elated Hargin. —AFP

Shooters on their way to practice. Shooters during PET ASC technical committee member Sushil 526 shooters take aim at bull’s-eye

By Abdellatif Sharaa od. Medals will be distributed at 6 pm. means a lot and a true test from all aspects of Official pre-event training for the 10m rifle the same be it officiating or organization but KUWAIT: HH the Amir 4th Annual for individual women and juniors, as well as everything comes out very well as usual. International Shooting Grand Prix will start its the prone 50m pistol for men. The second day Uzbek Shooter Linara Asanova said Kuwait official competitions today at Sheikh Sabah Al- of competition will see five medals distributed, means a lot for her specially that she became a Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex, with the which its PET had been conducted today, in master during her previous participation at participation of 526 shooters from 59 coun- addition to trap 50 shots for individual men Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting tries including 10 European. and juniors. Complex, which is the largest at world level. Competition is expected to be very strong Meanwhile, member of the technical com- Asanova who was crowned Asian champion specially that world and Olympic champions mittee at the Asian Shooting Confederation said the GP is a true challenge for all to bring are participating in this prestigious GP, which (ASC), and member of the jury at HH Grand out all what they got with this type of partici- created a place on the world agenda, especial- Prix Sushil said this GP is one of the largest at pation. She hoped to register new records dur- ly that it is the best start and preparations for world level, be it as far as the number of par- ing this tournament. Meanwhile, Uzbek assis- international events, some of which are quali- ticipating shooters or the amount of prizes. tant coach said the weather in Kuwait helps fiers for next Olympics. He said the organization reflects the profes- the shooters to be more creative and give all The first day of competition will see eight sionalism Kuwait Shooting Club officials what they got, which reflects at the several gold medals distributed in the 10 meter rifle - reached in covering all the requirements level of the GP, as everyone looks forward to men and junior events, as competition starts before, during and after the competition, and registering new records. He said organization at 9 am and continues until 10:30 am. The this is not new to them. He said the large pres- is highly professional and officials continue finals will be carried out at the afternoon peri- ence of world champions and Olympians their support to the game. Asinova with Uzbek assistant coach.