WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013 SPORTS

Troicki’s ban ends dream Mickelson to play Le Clos shatters records LONDON: Serbia’s Viktor Troicki said his dream of being a “top player” had been taken in Abu Dhabi SINGAPORE: South Africa’s Chad Le Clos shattered his own 200m butterfly shortcourse away after his ban for violating the ITF’s doping regulations was reduced to 12 months world record in Singapore yesterday as Australia twice powered to new marks in the from 18 yesterday. ABU DHABI: British Open winner Phil Mickelson will launch his cam- mixed 4x50m medley relay. The 27-year-old former world No.12 was suspended by the ITF in July for failing to paign next year by returning to the Abu Dhabi Championship for the Under stormy skies, the world and Olympic champion produced a lightning swim to provide a blood sample at the Monte Carlo Masters in April but appealed to have the first time since 2011. touch in 1min 48.56sec, nearly half-a-second under his record set in August and five sec- decision reversed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The world number four, who said last week that he would be making onds ahead of the pack. Troicki, who denied any wrongdoing, said he had unspecified cuts to his schedule in 2014, is to join Rory McIlroy, Justin The 21-year-old later added 50m butterfly gold to extend his lead in been told at the time by a doping official that he had Rose and Luke Donald in a strong field at the $2.7 million European Tour the overall standings with just two stops left in the been excused from providing a blood sample as he event in the Gulf between Jan. 16-19. eight-leg series after Singapore. “I just heard the crowd pick up and I knew that I was under world record was feeling unwell. “To play Abu Dhabi in the early part of the year is a great opportuni- pace,” said Le Clos. While the CAS tribunal found that Troicki’s fault ty,” Mickelson said in a news release yesterday. “I’ve wanted to return “For me it’s just about getting faster each was “not significant” it only reduced the ban by six since my first time there in 2011. The golf course and facilities are out- year, and the most important thing is that I months, meaning he will not be able to compete standing and the quality of the field and the good weather make it a keep dominating the events that I am domi- again on the ATP Tour until July 15, ruling him out of great place to start my season.” Five-times major winner Mickelson nating and extending on other events like three grand slam tournaments. plans to play the week before each of the big four championships next the freestyle and individual medley races,” “I hoped that the most difficult period of my career year. he added. Le Clos was the star but and of my life would be over, and I really trusted the The 43-year-old American said last week that he would compete in Australia caused fireworks of their judges I met in Lausanne,” Troicki said in a statement. “I had Houston before the US Masters, in Memphis ahead of the US Open, in own with not one but two world the feeling that they were really looking for the truth and Scotland before the British Open and in Akron ahead of the US PGA records in the newly introduced that they had found it during the hearing.—Reuters Championship. —Reuters 4x50m mixed medley relay, the first in the morning heats.—AFP Devils stop Lightning

NEWARK: Jaromir Jagr became the NHL’s leader in straight game. He also scored the tying goal early subbing for No. 1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist, made game-winning goals after scoring on a second- in the third. The Ducks lost veteran forward Teemu 22 saves for his second win. He played for the period breakaway to give the New Jersey Devils a Selanne in the third period after he took Luke third time in four games. 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Schenn’s high stick to the face. Selanne went Tuesday. down on the corner ice, then skated off to the COYOTES 3, KINGS 1 The 684th goal of Jagr’s 20-year NHL career, locker room. Hiller and the Ducks killed one final Mike Smith stopped 41 shots and Kyle gave him 119 game-winners, putting him one Philadelphia power play that extended into the Chipchura had a goal and an assist as Phoenix ahead of NHL Hall of Famer Phil Esposito. final minute to hang on for the win. rebounded from a messy loss to Los Angeles by Adam Henrique also scored and Martin beating the Kings. Brodeur made 16 saves as the Devils won consec- CANADIENS 2, STARS 1 Smith had a miserable game in California last utive games for the first time this season and end- Rene Bourque scored in the second period and Thursday, when he was pulled after allowing four ed Tampa Bay’s three-game winning streak. Carey Price made 26 saves as the Canadiens goals on 15 shots in the first period of the Kings’ Steven Stamkos, who had three goals and four downed the Stars. Michael Bournival also scored 7-4 win. Smith made numerous tough saves assists last week, scored a power-play goal for for Montreal, which has won three of its past four Tuesday before Jarret Stoll beat him on a power Tampa Bay, which had won five of six in posting games. play late in the third period. the best record in the Eastern Conference. Cody Eakin scored for Dallas, which remained Phoenix’s Derek Morris and Shane Doan each New Jersey, which lost its first seven games of last in the Central Division. The Canadiens struck scored in the final two minutes of the second to the season, rallied late to beat Boston on Saturday first as Raphael Diaz lofted a wrist shot from the break open a tight game. Chipchura scored in the LAS VEGAS: A panda bear sits next to Jay Farber’s chips during the for its second win. point to the far post that Bournival tipped off third. Final Table. — AP defenseman Stephane Robidas and past Kari BLUES 3, JETS 2 Lehtonen at 12:02 of the first. Bournival has three MAPLE LEAFS 4, OILERS 0 Alexander Steen scored a power-play goal with goals and four assists in his past seven games. Phil Kessel had two goals and two assists, lead- 2 WSOP finalists set to 59.4 seconds left to break a tie and Jaroslav Halak ing Toronto past Edmonton for its second consec- made 21 saves to lead the Blues to a win over the RANGERS 3, ISLANDERS 2 utive victory. James Reimer stopped 43 shots for Jets. Benoit Pouliot and Ryan McDonagh scored his 11th career shutout. play for $8.4M crown The Blues, who won their second in a row, have third-period goals as the Rangers rallied for a vic- James van Riemsdyk and Nazem Kadri also recorded points in five successive games. tory over the Islanders. Trailing 2-1 after two peri- scored for the Maple Leafs, who have won three of LAS VEGAS: Four finalists in the World shrieked when the mascot rushed the Winnipeg has lost five of six. Halak improved to 7- ods, McDonagh got the Rangers even at 4:59 with four to take over sole possession of first place in 1-1 on the season. He is 5-2 lifetime in seven starts their second power-play goal of the night. the Atlantic Division. Richard Bachman made 22 Series of Poker busted out in quick suc- stage only to be escorted out by security. against Winnipeg. Brenden Morrow and Alex Pouliot then netted the game-winner off a saves for the Oilers, who have lost four straight. cession early yesterday, leaving a Las Riess, the youngest of the nine final- Pietrangelo also scored for the Blues, who pass from Carl Hagelin with 6:14 left. Cam Talbot, Edmonton outshot Toronto 43-26. — AP Vegas club promoter and a young pro ists, also kept well ahead of the pack. His improved to 5-1-1 at home. Bryan Little and Blake originally from Michigan one heads-up fans cheered “Riess the beast” as he Wheeler tallied for the Jets. match away from poker’s richest prize - made bold plays that he could back up an $8.4 million crown. with strong cards. BLACKHAWKS 6, SENATORS 5 Ryan Riess, 23, eliminated Amir “Everyone was playing really solid and Jonathan Toews had three goals and an assist Lehavot in third place with a pair of 10s, the cards ran my way today,” he said. “It and Corey Crawford made 14 saves in relief of an treading past five meaningless commu- worked exactly like I envisioned it. I was ineffective Nikolai Khabibulin as the Blackhawks nity cards to bump his guaranteed pay- kind of thinking it would be me and beat the Senators. day up by $1.5 million and set the last Farber.” Andrew Shaw scored twice and Marian Hossa day night showdown. Reiss’ opponent in Both men sat back and accumulated had a goal and two assists for the Blackhawks, the no-limit Texas Hold ‘em tournament: the chips early, quickly amassing two- who trailed 4-2 with 8:46 left in the second peri- Las Vegas amateur Jay Farber, who went thirds of the chips in play. They stayed od. It was Hossa’s 100th goal with Chicago and straight from the final table to rounding out of each other’s way for the most part, No. 439 for his career. The Senators scored three his friends up to go clubbing. attempting to pick off the weaker play- times in a span of four shots in the second, but “I’m out every night. What am I going ers. were unable to hold off the suddenly high-scoring do? Sit at home and dwell on the final The poker marathon began in July Blackhawks. Kyle Turris and Milan Michalek each table? No, I’m going to enjoy myself,” he with 6,352 players and was chopped had a goal and an assist in Ottawa’s fourth loss in said. down to nine through seven sessions five games. After several hours of pushing chips spread over 11 days. Play then paused for around with little excitement, the final four months, giving the men a chance to DUCKS 3, FLYERS 2 table came to a close with a flurry of all- recuperate and study each other. Or, in Kyle Palmieri scored two straight goals in the ins, sending four people home in just 15 the case of Farber, not study. third period to rally the Ducks past the Flyers. hands played in less than an hour. “I felt like the way I played got me to Andrew Cogliano also scored for the Ducks and Jonas Hiller had 26 saves. Lehavot won $3.7 million for his third where I was, and we weren’t gonna try Matt Read and Vinny Lecavalier scored for the place finish. and change anything,” the heavily-tat- Flyers. Palmieri scored on a tip-in with 4:09 left in NEWARK: Martin Brodeur No. 30 of the New Jersey Devils watches a shot slide harmlessly past the JC Tran, who came in as the chip tooed 29 year-old said during a break the game to help the Ducks win their third goal in this file photo. — AFP leader and was the favorite to win the Monday. diamond-encrusted championship Poker pro Mark Newhouse was the bracelet, busted out in fifth place after first to go home Monday. He sat down in struggling all night with a string of weak eighth place, and busted out after he NHL results/standings hands. went up against Riess with a pair of “I’m not 100 percent happy with the nines. Riess was holding an ace and a Anaheim 2, NY Rangers 1; Winnipeg 4, Detroit 2. way I played, but when you’re put on the king, and caught another king on the Western Conference Eastern Conference tough side of hands, it’s tough to over- flop, when the first community cards Pacific Division Atlantic Division come it,” he said. Tran, the best known of were revealed. Newhouse went home WLOTLGFGAPTS Tampa Bay 10 4 0 47 35 20 the nine finalists, vowed to come back with just the $733,224 ninth place prize Anaheim 12 3 1 52 40 25 Toronto 10 5 0 48 36 20 next year and make another run at the all finalists were paid in July. San Jose 10 1 3 53 27 23 Detroit 9 5 2 40 41 20 prize he had hoped would float him into Chips mean everything and nothing Boston 8 5 0 36 25 16 grinder retirement. in poker tournaments. They have no Phoenix 10 3 2 51 46 22 Montreal 8 7 0 41 31 16 On Monday evening, nine players direct tie to the amount of money won Vancouver 10 5 1 46 41 21 Ottawa 4 6 4 42 47 12 from five countries walked like prize- or lost; each player already staked Los Angeles 9 6 0 43 40 18 fighters into the 1,600-seat theater at the $10,000 to enter. As the tournament pro- Calgary 6 6 2 42 49 14 Florida 3 8 3 28 49 9 Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino where magi- gresses, minimum bets creep higher Edmonton 3 10 2 36 59 8 Buffalo 2 13 1 26 49 5 cians Penn and Teller regularly perform, every two hours, tightening the pressure Central Division Metropolitan Division Pittsburgh 11 4 0 48 33 22 and sat down to play the biggest game on players who continually find their Colorado 12 1 0 42 19 24 NY Islanders 6 5 3 45 44 15 of their lives under the heat of blue and chips weren’t worth as much as before. Chicago 9 2 4 52 42 22 Washington 7 7 0 44 40 14 red stage lights. Riess and Farber will sit down yester- Minnesota 8 4 3 38 34 19 The finale was broadcast nearly live day with 105,000,000 and 85,675,000 in NY Rangers 6 8 0 26 40 12 St. Louis 8 2 2 44 29 18 on ESPN, airing with a 15-minute delay to chips, and play until they settle the title, Carolina 4 7 3 27 44 11 satisfy Nevada gambling regulators so with one player losing all his chips and Nashville 7 5 2 31 40 16 Columbus 5 8 0 33 36 10 that players don’t have any way to know the other claiming the top prize and the Dallas 6 6 2 37 42 14 New Jersey 3 7 4 26 42 10 what their opponents are holding. glory that comes with joining the names Winnipeg 6 8 2 39 47 14 Philadelphia 4 9 0 21 37 8 Farber took the lead early, a plush of past winners, including , panda mascot cheering him on. His , and, most Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L). friends wore “combat panda” shirts, and famously, . — AP Winter sports up in arms over 2022 World Cup idea

LAUSANNE: The prospect of a winter World Cup in 2022 with their own seasons would dent television audiences was time for some “loyal and respectful cooperation”. member of the IOC’s executive committee, told AFP. “We is causing mounting anger among the leaders of skiing, and revenues. The winter federations are not disguising Anders Besseberg, head of biathlon federation IBU, can’t forget that football is the world’ number one sport. ice hockey and other cold weather sports who fear the their irritation about the way things are taking shape. “I says the red lines are there for all to see. “They (FIFA) don’t It’s clearly a competitor. Our clubs could feel the conse- crushing power of football fever. honestly and privately just don’t believe that anybody really need to consult us because it is very clear: we don’t quences on the spectator front,” he added. As FIFA weighs up whether to move the globe’s top within FIFA cares about us,” said FIS chief Gian Franco want them to have the World Cup finished later than by But he said that the winter federations should keep football tournament from its traditional June and July Kasper as skiing’s own World Cup season got underway December 1 or the end of November,” the Norwegian their powder dry until FIFA’s stance is clearer. “Only then slot to avoid host nation Qatar’s scorching heat, its winter at the end of October. told AFP. should be start getting angry,” he said. The IOC also wants sport counterparts are marshalling opposition. The “They’re the gods of the world-at least they believe it- “You have a World Cup in soccer, normally it belongs FIFA to coordinate with it in order to avoid any impact of International Ski Federation (FIS) has announced that it they can do whatever they want. Now we are opposing it to the summer sports and should not go into the winter a World Cup shift on the 2022 Winter Olympics, whose plans to form a united front with six other governing of course as much as we can” said Kasper, who is Swiss season of the winter sports,” he underlined. host city will be chosen in July 2015. bodies to take a stand against the idea of their seasons like FIFA boss Sepp Blatter. Ottavio Cinquanta, the Italian With FIFA’s plans still up in the air-it has delayed mak- Blatter is scheduled on Saturday to meet Qatar’s new being blitzed by football. The world of football is already head of global skating’s governing body FISU hammered ing a decision until after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil- emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, for split, with critics saying the climate issue could hardly home that message. “I don’t think my colleague Kasper is Besseberg said the time for serious discussion was what FIFA has described as a “courtesy visit”. have escaped FIFA’s notice. wrong,” Cinquanta told AFP. nonetheless still to come. There is a similar sense of In addition to the calendar issue, the two men are England’s Premier League and its Australian counter- “You have to remember that Mr. Blatter is Swiss, the annoyance at the International Ice Hockey Federation. expected to discuss labour rights in the Gulf monarchy, part have protested, fearing disruption to their fixtures head of an international federation and a member of the IIHF boss Rene Fasel said it was likely to join forces with amid human rights campaigners’ claims that migrant and coffers, while winter sports federations and broad- International Olympic Committee, so he has to discuss its fellow winter federations. workers on World Cup-linked projects there are being casters argue that a high-profile football event clashing this with his colleagues,” he insisted. Cinquanta said it “We have to work as a family,” Fasel, who is Swiss and a treated like slaves. — AFP