ARAB TIMES, SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2021 SPORTS 14 Russia sweep women’s medals at worlds Russian pair win rhythm dance STOCKHOLM, March 27, (AP): A sweep of the women’s medals further stamped Russian domi- nance of these World Fig- ure Skating Champion- ships. Yet the two American women did just enough to earn a third berth at next year’s Olympics. Three-time national champion Anna Shcherbakova made her fi rst appear- ance at worlds golden despite fi nishing second to countrywoman Alexandra Trusova in the free skate. Shcherba- kova, who turns 17 Sunday, won the short program. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, the 2015 world champion, earned silver in her India’s Prasidh Krishna (left), reacts return to the event, ahead of Trusova. as England’s Jonny Bairstow (right), It was the second 1-2-3 fi nish in the runs between the wickets after hitting modern era, matching the United a shot on Krishna’s delivery during the States with Kristi Yamaguchi, Tonya second One Day International cricket Harding and Nancy Kerrigan in 1991. match between India and England at This year’s Americans got exactly Maharashtra Cricket Association Sta- what they needed to grab a third spot dium in Pune, India on March 26. (AP) for the Beijing Games. Karen Chen, repeating her fourth-place showing of Poms win by 6 wkts 2017 with exactly the same prize being sought, and US champion Bradie Ten- nell, who was ninth, needed a total of England top India Russian ice dancers Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov perform during the Ice Dance - Rhythm Dance at the Figure Skating World Championships 13 places or less. in Stockholm, Sweden, on March 26. (Inset): First place, Russian skater Anna Shcherbakova holds her gold medal on the podium during the Ladies Free Bingo. to level series 1-1 Skating. (AP) “I feel like I’m a totally different person and skater from who I was in PUNE, India, March 27, (AP): 2017,” Chen said. “In the past, skat- Jonny Bairstow hit a century and Wales clinch title Six Nations trophy ing was my everything and it still is Ben Stokes missed out on one by my everything, but I just have a much a whisker as England beat India better grasp of my life. ... I know that by six wickets in their second one- skating is something I truly love, and I day international to level the three- want to give it my best at this moment match series at 1-1. France gift Scotland historic victory in time.” Set a stiff target of 337, Bairstow made 124 and Stokes was out for 99 in England’s determined run- PARIS, March 27, (AP): Redemption fi rst time since 1926, and could fi nish day (No. 8 Matt Fagerson), a yellow scrum penalty after a Scotland put- FIGURE SKATING chase of 337-4 in 43.3 overs. The for Wayne Pivac’s resurgent Wales, only fourth. card, a red card ... they showed courage, in. Flyhalf Romain Ntamack nailed a duo hit 17 sixes and 14 boundaries dejection for Fabien Galthie’s fl am- “Even though we fi nished fourth, effort, togetherness and skill to win.” 45-meter penalty, and from a scrum Even though she fell on two jumps, between them and shared a part- boyant yet fl aky France. it feels like one of our best ever sea- But the rain-soaked night felt more Les Tricolores scored a textbook try. and two-footed a landing on another, nership of 175 runs off 113 balls. While both coaches have rebuilt sons,” coach Gregor Townsend said. like Glasgow conditions, and Scot- Scrumhalf Antoine Dupont looped a Trusova won the free skate basically Earlier, after being put into bat, their sides very well, it was Pivac What made it even more remarkable land fl ourished. They played great wet slick pass over to the right wing where because of the unprecedented diffi cul- India reached its total of 336-6 in clinching the Six Nations trophy as was Scotland wasn’t at full strength. weather rugby for the fi rst 25 minutes Damian Penaud showed soft hands to ty of her program, fl awed as it was. Her large part due to Lokesh Rahul’s France lost at home to Scotland 27-23 This match was postponed from Feb. - aggressive with superb line-kicking - feed the ball inside to scorer Dulin. presentation wasn’t outstanding either, fi fth ODI hundred and Rishabh to fall well short of what it needed in Ntamack converted from wide Pant, who hit seven sixes in his ag- 28 because of a coronavirus outbreak and France was fl ustered. but Trusova became the fi rst woman to gressive 77 off 40 balls. order to usurp the Welsh. in the French camp and, because it A couple of big pick-and-goes by right and France’s chances perked up land multiple quads at worlds by nail- “We’re over the moon,” said Pivac, further when Scotland captain Stuart Bairstow orchestrated England’s dropped outside the international win- George Turner set up powerhouse wing ing two of the fi ve she attempted. fi fth best successful run-chase in who led Wales to the title in his sec- dow, Scotland could summon only Van der Merwe to squirm over from a Hogg was sin-binned on halftime after That vaulted her from 12th to third repeated infringing by his side under an ODI with a second straight cen- ond season, just months after his fi rst fi ve of the eight English-based players ruck in the 14th minute, converted by and was a clear indication the judges season produced a heavily criticized warning. tury-opening stand with Jason Roy it wanted. Russell. Flanker Jamie Ritchie bulled favored technical bravery over artistic (55). fi fth-place fi nish. With Hogg’s sin-bin winding down, brilliance. The 110-run partnership set the France had the match, not the title “So proud of the team,” Townsend a penalty kick for Russell and Scotland France exploited the man advantage said. “They came here with a bit of ad- led 10-3 after a fi rst quarter in which Shcherbakova had plenty of both, tone before Roy was run out in a itself, in hand at 23-20 up in the 81st when center Virimi Vakatawa’s bril- but seemed stunned as her marks re- mix-up with Bairstow in the 17th minute, but fullback Brice Dulin bi- versity with not a full squad, with an France made fi ve handling errors. liant backdoor offl oad released Penaud, injury to one of our starters on Wednes- France turned the tide thanks to a vealed victory. She appeared to need over. zarrely decided not to kick the ball into who chipped ahead and touched down confi rmation from her coaches that the touch with victory assured if he did. in the right corner for 18-10. gold was hers. The Scots exerted huge pressure Hogg’s return calmed Scotland Chen scored a personal-best 134.23 CRICKET over 22 phases and nearly three min- down, though, and they turned the heat in the free skate, but her overall total utes, and left winger Duhan van der back on France. A Russell penalty cut of 208.63, also a career high, didn’t get Stokes took his time to reach Merwe swept into the left corner in the the gap to fi ve points in the 53rd. her close to the podium. Still, the team 50 off 40 balls but then smacked 85th minute for his second try of the When Galthie sent Teddy Thomas reward was uplifting for the 2017 US a fl urry of sixes while facing India night and secured Scotland’s fi rst Paris onto the left wing and Gael Fickou gold medalist. spinners Kuldeep Yadav (0-84) and triumph since 1999. moved into midfi eld with Vakatawa Tennell’s underwhelming perfor- Krunal Pandya (0-72) as the left- for the last 20 minutes, France was hander moved to 99 off the next 11 mance dropped her to ninth. Tennell, deliveries. RUGBY supposed to be galvanized, but instead who had some problems with her a composed Scotland moved ahead Bairstow reached his century boots, cut short on a combination, un- with a six over midwicket against with a converted try. der-rotated another jump and showed Yadav but Stokes missed out on a Eleven years after last winning the France fl anker Swan Rebbadj ripped little spark. century when he gloved a pull shot tournament, France needed a four-try the ball from Scottish hands in a driv- Earlier, Russia extended its domi- against Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the bonus point win and a 21-point margin ing maul but lost control and replace- nance at these championships when wicketkeeper. of victory in the tournament fi nale in ment hooker David Cherry gleefully Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Kat- an empty Stade de France. The odds dived over. Russell converted for a 23- salapov took the rhythm dance. Al- weren’t good. 20 lead with a quarter to go. ready, the Russians have won pairs – sonal-best 86.05 to a mix of Christina The French did get three tries, but an Rebbadj compensated by sliding they almost always do. Aguilera songs from “Burlesque.” He average effort never looked like over- in minutes later. Ntamack missed the Sinitsina and Katsalapov were in pumped his fi st at the end of a strong whelming the gritty Scots, and they extras and France led only 23-20 with front of US champions Madison Hub- program.