Skaters Show Elegance Despite World of Pain
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SPORTS CHINA DAILY THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2007 23 TOPSHOT Skaters show elegance `Big Baby’ ready to follow Shaq’s footsteps into NBA BATON ROUGE, Louisiana: Glen Davis, the bulky big man better known as “Big Baby” to college bas- despite world of pain ketball rivals, announced on Tuesday he will skip his fi nal season to join and Maxim Staviski of Bulgaria, the National Basketball Association. Top fi gure skaters still scoring high who were second with 37.42. Fifteen years after Shaquille O’Neal Behind them, Oksana Domina announced he was skipping his sen- despite suffering through injury, illness and Maxim Shabalin of Rus- ior season at Louisiana State Univer- sia, Isabelle Delobel and Olivier sity, Davis followed in the footsteps TOKYO: Skating with scars, injuries They were seventh in the pairs. Schoenfelder of France and US of the Miami Heat superstar who and illnesses and playing hurt may Dube wears some makeup to champions Tanith Belbin and Ben has won four NBA titles. sound like hockey but that’s what the hide her scar. Tong Jian of China Agosto were all in a bunch – the Davis has career totals of 1,587 leaders had to contend with on the uses a headband to hide one on Russians had 37.29 points, the points, 916 rebounds and 110 blocks, fi rst day of the World Figure Skating his forehead from when his head French had 37.20 and Belbin and joining “Shaq” as the only Louisiana Championships. banged the windshield of his car Agosto had 37.17. State players with such lofty num- Two-time world champions Shen in a January 1 accident and he The original dance, to be con- bers in all three categories. Xue and Zhao Hongbo of China won received stitches. tested today, is the next portion of “This is a move I want to do and am the pairs event last night, despite His partner has a kidney ailment the competition. ready to do,” Davis said. “This is a Zhao tearing an Achilles tendon that kept them out of competition The men’s short program started dream of mine and one that I have two years ago. last fall. yesterday with Frenchman Brian given a great deal of thought. I feel I “It is still hard to do jumps be- “I was sick and had injuries, but Joubert taking the lead. grew a lot this season and I know in cause of my Achilles injury, but I am I started to practice regularly two Skating to a James Bond theme, my heart the time is right.” very happy to achieve our personal weeks ago,’’ Pang said. European champion Joubert nailed Davis, a wide 2.04m center with quick best today,’’ Zhao said. Pang and Tong fi nished third with a quadruple toeloop-triple toeloop moves, averages 17.7 points and 10.4 Shen and Zhao scored 71.07, an in- a 66.75 points in the short program combination at the start of his pro- rebounds in 29 games this season. ternational best, in the short program and went on to win the silver medal gramme on the way to a score of on Tuesday. Their previous best was in pairs. German pair of Aliona 83.64 points. Tyson not planning on May trip 70.52 points, which they scored at the Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy took “I’m very happy that I did well on to South Africa 2004 Grand Prix Final in Beijing. the bronze. the opening combination jump,” said LOS ANGELES: Former world heavy- Patrice Lauzon and Marie-France American skaters had their trou- Joubert. weight champion Mike Tyson will not Dubreuil of Canada took the lead in bles as well. “I was a little disappointed today be traveling to South Africa for an the ice dancing competition after Brooke Castile, who partners Ben that not many of the other skaters appearance in May despite reports he the compulsory rhumba. Okolski, battled a stomach fl u, fe- tried a quad. I thought I made a great planned to attend a boxing tourna- Dubreuil and Lauzon were world ver and lack of sleep but she gritted combination jump and I hope to do it ment, his agent said on Tuesday. silver medalists last year but were her way in their debut at the world again tomorrow.” Harlan Werner said Tyson would not forced to withdraw from the Olym- championships. Canadian national champion Jef- appear at Emperors Palace on May pics when she fell heavily on her hip “I have the stomach fl u pretty bad frey Buttle, who fi nished third in 12, adding that a South African fi rm during the original dance. and a fever, but it was my goal to get the 2006 Olympics, skated a clean approached him about securing Canadian pair skater Jessica Dube through that program and compete, program to sit second with 79.90 Tyson but nothing came of the one carries a scar on the left side of her especially since it being our fi rst points. conversation on the matter. face after partner Bryce Davison worlds and it was important we get Japan national champion Daisuke “Mike never had a deal in place sliced it on a spin at the Four Conti- seen,’’ Castile said. Takahashi was in third place at 74.51 with any South African company nents competition last month. In the ice dance, Dubreuil and after what he called his “worst perfor- to appear on their behalf,” Werner “It’s healing very well, so I’m not Lauzon scored 38.96 points, more mance of the season.” said. “These were unfounded China’s Pang Qing (left) and Tong Jian perform at the World Figure Skating shy at all,’’ she said. “I’m feeling than 1{ points more than last year’s rumors, and it is unfortunate that Championships in Tokyo on Tuesday. AP really good.’’ world champions, Albena Denkova Agencies these types of rumors get started.” Tyson did not want supporters to be disappointed or misled by rumors he would be appearing. “Mike does have a very loyal follow- ing in Africa and he wants all his Australia hit by turbulence as World Cup approaches fans to know he looks forward to going there some day in the future,” RUGBY John Connolly, who replaced Ed- If rugby administrators were they know the laws back and front so lier this year. Werner said. die Jones as coach after eight defeats hoping for a turnaround in fortunes they stand a chance of getting a gig at “How the Wallabies go is critical MELBOURNE: Fears that rugby in nine internationals in 2005, has this year they have been disap- the World Cup is not entertainment,” to our business. In any organisation Donadoni fears stop may have union is in decline in Australia his critics over his strait-jacket pointed with only the newest rugby he wrote to a newspaper. people are accountable for perform- negative effect on Italy have gathered pace in this World game plan and the Wallabies have franchise Western Force making an A leading rugby writer opined ance and we are no different,” Flowers ROME: Italy coach Roberto Do- Cup year amid wretched Super 14 won seven of the 13 matches in his impression in the Super 14 provincial recently: “Another week of Super 14 said recently. nadoni said on Tuesday that the performances, an indecisive rugby charge. series, while the more established has passed and yet again the word “I certainly accept that, to a large four-month gap without playing administration and public agitation Wallaby winger Wendell Sailor, ACT Brumbies, New South Wales popping up in rugby conversations is degree, the public currency of my an international match may have over a lack of running rugby. currently serving a drugs ban, Waratahs and Queensland Reds have ‘crisis’. And it seems to apply across performance is how the team per- a negative effect on his Azzurri side. Generally there is a heightened blames Connolly’s “old school” tac- languished. the entire spectrum of the game in forms. There is an element of that in The world champions, whose last anticipation as teams prepare for tics of grinding the opposition into Not one Australian side has earned Australia. the criticism.” game was against Turkey last the World Cup. Not so in Australia, submission as well as leaving star a four-try bonus point approaching “Australia’s four teams are not only Flowers has also been wrestling November, host Scotland in Bari a where there is a forboding of an early winger Lote Tuqiri and his fellow halfway in the tournament, which struggling on the scoreboard but are with the playing future of recal- week on Wednesday in a crucial Wallaby exit in France in September- outside-backs on the outer. has unleashed a torrent of discon- conceding valuable points in the bat- citrant winger Lote Tuqiri, widely Group B Euro 2008 qualifi er. October. “Blokes like Drew Mitchell, Clyde tent from the media and frustrated tle to keep an increasingly cynical regarded as the most charismatic Italy should have played Romania Australia have twice lifted the Rathbone and Lote Tuqiri are suffer- fans. rugby fraternity from switching off Wallaby player. in February but the match was Webb Ellis Trophy, in 1991 and 1999, ing,” Sailor said recently. “They’re not Barry Want, who was a Wallabies altogether.” After months of impasse with the cancelled after a brief ban on all more than any other rugby nation, getting the opportunities they have Test selector during the successful The Australian Rugby Union has ARU, Tuqiri decided not to return to domestic and international matches and lost in extra time to England in had over the last few years.” 1991 World Cup campaign, is one of been under increasing pressure, rugby league and re-signed a new following crowd trouble at a league the last World Cup fi nal in Sydney Rugby Union is under attack at many who is frustrated with what he particularly Gary Flowers, who in- fi ve-year deal taking effect after the match in Catania where a policeman four years ago.