ARAB TIMES, SUNDAY, MAY 9, 2021 SPORTS 14

Australian Oly Committee ensures Indigenous inclusion Tokyo Olympic head says Bach visit to Japan could be ‘tough’

TOKYO, May 8, (AP): The president that would be a very diffi cult thing for tists have suggested otherwise, and an true for residents of Japan, where less of the Tokyo Olympic organizing com- him.” editorial last month in the British Med- than 2% of the population has been mittee said Friday that a visit to Japan Bach said recently he hoped to go ical Journal said the Olympics should vaccinated. this month by IOC President Thomas to Hiroshima to meet the torch relay – be “reconsidered.” Also: Bach seemed unlikely with a state of and presumably to Tokyo – on May 17 Tokyo organizers are talking up a emergency order being extended by and 18. But he has said his plans were six-day diving test event that ended SYDNEY: The Australian Olympic the government to Tokyo and other ar- not fi nalized. Friday. There was only one positive Committee amended its constitution eas until May 31. Coincidentally, powerful IOC mem- COVID-19 test among 438 partici- at its annual general meeting on Sat- Canceling the trip could be embar- ber Sebastian Coe is in Tokyo for a pants - including 224 divers from 46 urday to ensure there’s a permanent rassing for the International Olympic track and fi eld test event on Sunday at countries and territories. The positive Indigenous representation on the AOC Committee and local organizers who the new $1.4 billion national stadium. test was for a team offi cial, who was Athletes’ Commission. say they can hold a “safe and secure” placed in quarantine, offi cials said. The AGM passed an amendment Olympics in the middle of a pandemic “Feedback from the competitors has that will require at least one Aborigi- as cases surge in Japan – particularly in OLYMPICS been very positive,” the organizing nal and one Torres Strait Island rep- Tokyo and Japan’s second metropolis committee and FINA, the governing resentative on the Commission. of Osaka. Coe is the president of World Ath- body of swimming and diving, said in These members may be elected by The postponed Olympics are to letics, the governing body of track a statement. athletes competing at a Summer or open in only 11 weeks, on July 23, fol- and fi eld, and was also the head of the The statement quoted Canadian Winter Games – or directly appointed lowed by the Paralympics on Aug 24. 2012 London Olympics. He is seen as diver Jennifer Abel saying: “The main by the AOC Executive following ad- “Frankly speaking, I personally a potential successor to Bach when the goal for everyone is to be and feel safe, vice from the AOC Indigenous Ad- think it would be quite tough for him German’s term ends in 2025, and is Toshiaki Endo, (left), vice-president of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Commit- and we are very safe here. We cannot visory Committee (IAC), if no Indig- to come now,” organizing committee also a two-time Olympic gold medalist tee, Seiko Hashimoto, (second left), president of the Tokyo 2020 Organiz- ask for better conditions with the CO- enous athletes were elected. president Seiko Hashimoto said at a in the 1,500 meters. ing Committee, Sebastian Coe, (third from left), president of World Athletics VID situation.” AOC President John Coates says weekly briefi ng, adding that “nothing Coe has been laudatory about a half and John Ridgeon, World Athletics CEO, pose for a photograph ahead of a Hashimoto said a donation by vac- the AOC’s commitment to reconcilia- had been decided.” marathon test event run earlier this meeting on May 7, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP) cine developers Pfi zer and BioNTech tion has gained signifi cant momentum “But the extension of the state of week in Sapporo. He’s also sympa- to inoculate athletes and offi cials since the Constitution was amended in emergency and having him visit dur- thetic with Hashimoto trying to pull mercifully in London, we didn’t have tier of complexity.” preparing for Tokyo would make the 2015 to recognize the heritage, culture ing that time will mean that president off the Olympics. the added complexity of worrying Coe also met with Tokyo Governor games safer. The agreement was an- and history of Australia’s fi rst peoples Bach will be visiting in a quite a dif- “I know the pressure that you are about protocols around a pandemic. Yuriko Koike as both try to assure that nounced Thursday by the IOC. and to give practical support to Indig- fi cult time,” Hashimoto said. “I think under,” Coe said to Hashimoto. “But So you have our sympathy in that extra the Olympics will be safe. Some scien- Hashimoto said this was particularly enous reconciliation through sport. Christchurch-based team bag 5th title Reigning champion Creed wins Crusaders top Chiefs to win Super Rugby Aotearoa final Truck Series race at Darlington CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, peared at times to be just hanging on. May 8, (AP): Flyhalf Richie Mo’unga The Chiefs were more competi- kicked 14 points including a rare tive in the second half when they dropped goal and steered the Christ- kicked deep and played more often Rhodes settles for 2nd, Nemechek rallies to finish 8th church-based Crusaders to a 24-13 in the Crusaders’ half. But the match win over Hamilton-based Chiefs in slipped away when they were unable the fi nal of Super Rugby Aotearoa on to exploit a period of more than fi ve DARLINGTON, S.C., May 8, (AP): Reigning NASCAR He wasn’t much of a factor until the final laps as crashes – including a 17-car Saturday and to a fi fth Super Rugby minutes when the Crusaders were Truck Series champion Sheldon Creed won for the first pileup with 30 laps left – knocked out several stronger cars including points leader title in as many years. down to 13 men with hooker Codie John Hunter Nemechek. The Crusaders, who have now won Taylor and winger Sevu Reece were time this season, moving past Ben Rhodes on a restart “I don’t want to call it a relief,” Creed said about his first win of the season. “But 12 Super Rugby titles since the tour- in the sin-bin. three laps from the end and holding on for victory at Dar- I think it’s a return to the right direction.” nament’s inception in 1996, won the Taylor received a yellow card for lington Raceway. Creed was best at Darlington when it counted. full, fi ve-nation tournament in 2017, tackling Chiefs fullback Damian He passed Rhodes on a restart seven laps from the end and had some separation ‘18 and ’19 and have now won the McKenzie in the air and Reece for Creed raced to his sixth career victory. He’d been shutout since he won until a spinout by Danny Bohn brought out the last of 12 cautions. New Zealand a high tackle on replacement Ace the close the 2020 season at Phoenix and capture the truck championship. Creed took the outside slot and stayed in front of Rhodes for the victory. domestic tourna- Tiatia. The second offense was only “I was really aggressive on restarts,” ment in each of brought to the referee’s attention by a Creed said. “I’m sure I didn’t make the last two sea- captain’s referral. many friends tonight. But that’s what sons. it takes.” The Chiefs Rhodes was second followed by pulled off one RUGBY Carson Hocevar, Matt Crafton and of the great form Johnny Sauter. Nemechek, who fell reversals in Su- In total, the Crusaders were under- from first to 21st after the wreck, ral- per Rugby his- strength for almost 15 minutes, but lied to end in eighth. tory to reach the the Chiefs managed only a penalty Rhodes called it a bizarre race, es- fi nal. They lost Mo’unga in that period while Mo’unga kicked pecially and contenders dropped out their fi rst two a penalty for the home team and his and caution laps increased in the final matches this season to stretch their fi rst-ever dropped goal in Super Rug- stage. But it was up to those remaining record Super Rugby losing streak to by. to overcome the problems and push on 11 games which included all eight Mo’unga was hugely infl uential in to end. matches in Super Rugby Aotearoa that period, staging several breakouts “This is a challenging track,” he last year under British and Irish Lions as the Chiefs persisted in kicking to said. “Step up or step out. That’s what coach Warren Gatland. him and the Crusaders’ dangerous I think.” But they turned that around to back three. reach the fi nal on the back of fi ve That back three had already made TRUCK RACING straight victories this year, including their mark on the game as winger Re- a 26-25 win over the Crusaders in ece and fullback Will Jordan scored Nemechek had the strongest vehicle round eight of the regular season. fi rst half tries which gave the Crusad- on the track, winning the second stage The fi nal hurdle was too much for ers the upper hand. and leading 66 of the first 117 laps. But the Chiefs, who won their latest of their Reece scored in the eighth minute he got caught up in a restart wreck - it two Super Rugby titles in 2013 and who when, after a lineout from a pen- appeared that Stewart Friesen turned faced a Crusaders team unbeaten in 25 alty, the Crusaders worked the ball Corey Heim to begin things – that Super Rugby playoff matches at home, quickly back to his right wing and he caused a 12-minute, red-flag stoppage including seven fi nals. stretched out in tackles to just ground to sort out and clean up. “I think it’s been a challenging 12 the ball on the line. “What the heck, I was just pushed months and this season hasn’t been Jordan then scored in the 15th Sheldon Creed stands with his trophy in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Truck Series auto race at Darling- too hard” by Austin Hill, Nemechek smooth sailing,” Crusaders captain minute, dashing onto a rolling kick ton Raceway, on May 7, in Darlington, S.C. (AP) told his KBM team on the radio. Scott Barrett said. “But we’ve hung from center David Havili to claim the Hill countered that leader Nemechek tough and it was an awesome effort bounce and the try. spun his tires on the restart to clog tonight. McKenzie, playing mostly at fi rst Van der Poel, Ferrand-Prevot win MTB races things up. “We got down to 13 men tonight receiver, scored a try in the 20th min- No matter. The multi-truck accident for a while and it was tough.” ute that kept the Chiefs in the match. ALBSTADT, Germany, May 8, (AP): which riders are trending upward ahead Alpecin-Fenix team. He has acknowl- that collected 17 vehicles also caught The Crusaders led 15-13 after a The Crusaders defense swarmed the Mathieu van der Poel and Pauline Fer- of the Summer Games, which start in edged that he may be forced to leave up two of the three KBM drivers in fi rst half which typifi ed contemporary ball carrier and center Alex Nankiv- rand-Prevot confirmed their status as the July. the three-week grand tour early to prep Nemechek and Chad Smith, ending New Zealand rugby. It was frantic ell was able to draw Reece off his favorites in mountain biking at the Tokyo for Tokyo. the team’s try at a record-setting sixth and contained moments of great skill wing before his back-handed pass Olympics by winning the first World Cup CYCLING The Dutch rider attacked early on consecutive series win. but there was a lack of control and of put McKenzie on a long, angled run race of the season in Germany. Friday night and finished in 20 minutes, Team owner Kyle Busch won the discipline from both sides. Neither to the line. The two won 20-minute short track 39 seconds. Victor Koretzky of France truck race at Kansas last week to match team was able to retain possession or All of the points in a muddled sec- races and will be on the front row for Van der Poel is one of the top cy- was second, followed by Swiss rider the record accomplished by Roush establish a substantial territorial ad- ond half came from kicks and from Sunday’s cross country race, which clocross racers in the world and also Nino Schurter, the three-time Olympic Racing in 1999 and 2000 and Kevin vantage, though the Crusaders domi- Mo’unga’s ability to dictate the game should be an even better barometer of plans to ride the Tour de France for his medalist and reigning gold medalist. Harvick Inc. in 2009. nated set pieces and the Chiefs ap- at crucial moments.