SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2017 SPORTS

Ex-Man Utd star Yorke Belgian Hermans Ex-Cardinal Floyd denied entry to USA flying high in Oman gets 24 days in jail

JEBEL AL AKHDAR: Belgium’s Ben Hermans maintained his SCOTTSDALE: New England Patriots wide receiver Michael Floyd has plead- LONDON: Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke said he was “made Tour of Oman lead with today’s success in the fifth and ed guilty to second offense extreme drunken driving and been to feel like a criminal” after being denied entry to the United States. The 45- penultimate mountain stage. After this summit finish win on sentenced to 24 days in jail. The former Arizona Cardinals year-old from Trinidad and Tobago said he was prevented from entering the US player entered the plea in Scottsdale City Court on on Friday due to having played in a charity match in the Iranian the Jabal Al Akhdhar (Green Mountain) 5.7 climb, the RMC rider has a 22 second cushion over nearest rival Rui Costa Thursday. He also was sentenced to 96 days home con- capital Tehran in 2015. He was travelling from Doha in Qatar, finement and will be required to wear GPS and alcohol where he had been working for broadcaster beIN Sports, going into yesterday’s closing stage. Hermans was followed across the finish line by Italian Fabio Aru at 3sec and monitoring devices during that time. Floyd was and intended to return to his home in the Caribbean via ordered to undergo alcohol counseling and pay a Miami. “I couldn’t quite believe what was happening” Portugal’s Rui Costa at 11sec on the day. The 30-year-old has brought his good early season form to Oman after his sec- $5,000 fine. Floyd was arrested Dec. 12 after police Yorke told yesterday’s edition of British newspaper The found him unresponsive at the wheel of ond in last month’s Tour of Valencia. In yesterday’s stage he Sun. “I have lost count of the number of times I have been his running car. Police say he had a dominated the specialist climbers up a six minute final climb to America. I love the country, yet I was being made to blood alcohol level of 0.217. feel like a criminal. “I had bought my ticket and with an average gradient of 10.5% over the final 2,000 Anything over 0.08 is considered checked in and was about to get on the flight metres to the summit finish. “After my win on Wednesday (in driving under the influence. The when I was stopped by two officials. I thought, the second stage) I was confident but it was tough going, Cardinals released Floyd shortly ‘What is happening here?’ “They told me there even in the last few kilometres I wasn’t able to get away after his arrest and he signed was a visa problem and a red flag had come up from Fabio Aru who was always only 10 or 20 metres behind with the Patriots, winning a Super against my name because of an Iranian stamp me.” “When you look at the riders who came in behind me Bowl ring though he wasn’t in my passport. —AFP this has got to be the best win of my career.” —AFP active for the title game. —AP

ST MORITZ: United States’s Mikaela Shiffrin competes during a women’s slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in St Moritz, Switzerland, yesterday. — AP

ALPINE SKIING Shiffrin wins record-equalling third successive slalom gold

ST MORITZ: Mikaela Shiffrin won a record-equalling reporters. “I am very happy to go home with two The 31-year old Hansdotter was happier with her third successive world championship women’s slalom medals.” It was a second podium finish for overall World result than the performance and heaped praise on title with two blistering runs yesterday to secure a first Cup leader Shiffrin who also took the silver medal in Shiffrin. “She is unbelievable,” said the Swede after cap- gold medal for the United States at this year’s event. Thursday’s giant slalom. Swede Frida Hansdotter turing her third world championship slalom medal, The 21-year from old from Vail, Colorado matched climbed from fifth to third with a strong second run having taken the 2013 bronze in Beaver Creek and the the accomplishment of German Christl Cranz who before Holdener, second after the first leg, lit up the fan 2015 silver in Schladming. “She is so young and talent- completed her treble in 1939, finishing a staggering zone in the finish area with a gritty run which edged ed but it’s unbelievable how good she is skiing. 1.64 seconds ahead of home crowd favourite Wendy her ahead by 0.11 seconds. “Today was a fight with icy and aggressive snow Holdener of Switzerland. But any hopes of an upset the Swiss might have had conditions and I am not really satisfied with my skiing Stunned by the victory margin, Shiffrin jumped with were extinguished by a nerveless run from Shiffrin on a but for sure I am with the bronze.” The championship joy on her skis after crossing the finish line and challenging course, which several pace-setters failed to ends with the men’s slalom tomorrow when Austria’s received a rousing ovation from the 25,000-strong complete on icy snow. World Cup winner and overall leader Marcel Hirscher ST MORITZ: US skier Mikaela Shiffrin holds a US flag as she cel- crowd. “I’ve had lots of challenges and lots of amazing It was also a second medal of the championships for will be the hot favourite to complete the double after ebrates winning the women’s slalom race at the 2017 FIS days and today was a really good day,” Shiffrin told Holdener who won the combined event last week. winning Friday’s giant slalom. —Reuters Alpine World Ski Championships in St Moritz yesterday. — AFP

CURLING RUGBY O’Shea treating Italy ‘like an alcoholic’

LONDON: Conor O’Shea says he has approached the huge challenge of being Italy rugby head coach like an alcoholic addressing his addiction and admitting there is a problem. The 46-year-old Irishman-who replaced Frenchman Jacques Brunel last year — told The Times he needed to change the mindset of the players who were suffering the inevitable consequences of always being told they were useless. The many critics have had a field day following last Saturday’s abject 63-10 defeat at the hands of his native Ireland with some even questioning do Italy deserve to stay in the competition-the well-funded Georgia being mooted as a potential replacement. That appears a longshot although another hammering against Grand Slam holders England at Twickenham today will provide further ammunition. “It’s like an alcoholic. The first thing he has to do is say, ‘I SAPPORO: Qatar’s Hanan Al Boinin shouts instructions to her teammates during a SAPPORO: Japan’s Mari Motohashi, right, and Yurika Yoshida sweep the ice during a have a problem.’ We have to acknowledge it,” he told yes- round-robin game against Japan at the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, round-robin Curling game against Qatar at the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, terday’s edition of The Times. “Of course there is a lot to northern island of , yesterday. —AP northern Japan, yesterday. change, but any Tom, Dick and Harry can come in here and tell us what we need to do. “If someone says you are really bad at your job, and everyone else then keeps telling you that, then it’s in your head. “There is so much negativity Desert to ice: Qatar takes on and I don’t just mean external. These players are constantly told they are not good enough. “We need players mentally strong enough to deal with very tough times.” O’Shea-who established his coaching curling at Asian Winter Games credentials at English Premiership side Harlequins guiding them to the domestic title in 2012 and two European SAPPORO: For members of Qatar women’s University student Binali said she likes the championships. “Curling is a sport that tradi- president of the . Challenge trophy victories-says the debate about Italy’s curling team, just about everything is a new sense of teamwork that the sport provides. tionally has only been played in countries “But we can play the sport anywhere and future in the Six Nations is superfluous. experience. Curling, a sport that has links Players in Qatar train on a public rink that have winter sports,” said Kate Caithness, want to make it a truly global sport.”— AP “It was the four nations, then five,” said O’Shea, who is with medieval Scotland and is more suited shared by figure skaters and ice hockey play- following in the footsteps of coaching greats like Nick to the Canadian prairies, has taken a small ers. There are only two ice rinks in Doha so Mallett and Pierre Berbizier in trying to turn around the for- foothold in the Middle East. Just how new ice time comes at a premium. tunes of Italy. “We should be expanding, not going the oth- are Qatar’s players to the sport? Some of Soccer is the most popular sport in Qatar er way. “Over the last 30 Six Nations matches before this them in Japan for the Asian Winter Games in but the country is looking to broaden its year Scotland had won one more than Italy, and go back to Sapporo had never experienced snow sporting horizons - even to winter sports. The my day and Ireland would have been relegated a few times. before. The fledgling curlers are doing their Qatari women’s team is coached by “I look at it and think Italy has the third-biggest econo- best to get up to speed but it’s a huge chal- Hungarian Lajos Belleli, who is a seven-time my in Europe. If we want to grow the game, rugby can ill lenge when you live in a desert climate. The Hungarian national champion. “(Curling) is afford to say, ‘We don’t need you.’ If we get our act together Qatari women can only train one day a week totally new and strange, a winter sport in one then the whole conversation becomes a moot point any- on ice that is not quite up to international of the hottest countries in the world,” Belleli way.” O’Shea, an exciting fullback as a player earning 35 standards. said. “Curling is totally new there so I have to caps and scoring 11 tries, says the promise being shown by It’s a tough road ahead. Qatar lost 17-1 to convince people that this will be good for the Under-20 side is a basis for optimism about the future Japan yesterday in a preliminary round game them, which is not easy but a nice challenge.” as was the senior side’s historic 20-18 triumph over an at Sapporo Curling Stadium. So far there are just seven female players - admittedly demoralised South Africa last November. “For now, we are training more to get and 15 male curlers - in Qatar, which is the “There are a lot of people on the outside saying they are experience and know more about the game only country in the Middle East that has and its strategies,” said Maryam Binali, joined the World Curling Federation. not good enough,” said O’Shea, who has brought in the who has been throwing stones for just 11 Qatar could take inspiration from Japan, a experienced pair of Mike Catt and Brendan Venter to back months. “We learned a lot from the Japanese country that has rapidly developed in the him up in the coaching department. team today because they are more experi- sport. Japan’s women’s team is ranked sixth SAPPORO: Qatar’s Jaber Al Ozali, center, throws a stone against South Korea during a “Having been here long enough now, I can say they will enced but hopefully we will do well.” and won the silver medal in the 2016 world round-robin Curling game at the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo. be plenty good enough.” —AFP