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Home , Alina Zagitova, Gabriella Papadakis, Guillaume Cizeron, Kristi Yamaguchi, Satoko Miyahara, Shoma Uno

Established 1961 13 Sports Wednesday, March 21, 2018 Ice princess eyes more gold, world records in

Japan’s out with injury

MILAN: Newly-crowned Olympic champion Alina champion with Olympic gold medallist Hanyu-the Zagitova will be looking to continue her golden run as defending champion-withdrawing with an ankle injury the Russian starlet chases a first world title four weeks along with former two-time winner Javier Fernandez after lifting gold in Pyeongchang. The post-Olympic of Spain. world championships will be without many of the ’s will be the favourite to move up medallists from Pyeongchang including Japan’s Yuzuru from his silver medal last year after finishing runner- Hanyu, the men’s champion who is out with injury. up at the Olympics. American -the ISU Fifteen-year-old Zagitova and German pairs Grand Prix final champion-is also a gold medal chal- skaters Aliona Savchenko and are the lenger after a fifth in South Korea despite landing five only winners from South Korea competing this week. clean quadruple jumps in the . China’s Jin Two-time holder Yevgenia Medvedeva will not defend Boyang, ’s Dmitri Aliev and and her title after her silver behind Zagitova in South last year’s world junior champion of the Korea as the Russian nurses a recurring foot injury. are also podium contenders. And after her fairytale Olympic gold Zagitova is now targeting world records in Milan starting today’s Savchenko chases record short programme. “I want to In pairs, ’s improve my programmes to Savchenko, who won five set up the new world world crowns with now- records. But my main goal is retired , will to skate neatly and to show be chasing a record when good results,” said Zagitova, Main goal is she bids for a first world who could become the first gold with partner Massot Olympic women’s champion to skate neatly starting in Wednesday’s to win worlds the following short programme and cul- month since and to show minating in the free skate in 1992. good results on Friday. Olympic bronze medallist Savchenko, who at 34 and former became the oldest female world silver medallist of Japan will champion in Winter Olympic history, be among her challengers. Veteran , can tie Norwegian legend for the female who finished fourth in Pyeongchang will carry home record of 11 world championships medals. Savchenko hopes, as she competes in her 14th world champi- and Massot are the only pairs medallists from onships. Pyeongchang in Milan with their top challengers The 31-year-old has six world medals-including the Russians Yevgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov. In Alina Zagitova gold in 2012 — going back to her first a bronze in ice dancing ’s and 2005. Podium challengers also include Russia’s Maria are favourites to claim a third Sotskova, of Japan and American world title. wardrobe malfunction when Papadakis’s costume former world champions and Luca . They took silver behind ’s and became unclipped during the short programme. Lanotte challenging at home and Americans Madison The men’s competition will also see a new world in Pyeongchang after a “nightmare” Virtue and Moir will not be competing with ’s Chock and Bevan Bates. — AFP

had a pretty poor record in Australia Preparations Battling Bottas with 14th, eighth and fifth places in his three races for former team Williams. He failed to even start the 2015 race in for late Sheikh looks for a Melbourne after suffering a back injury in qualifying which required an Salem Al-Humoud step up Down overnight stay in hospital. “I haven’t found it to be one of my strongest circuits in the past,” he tourney in progress Under added. “You know, I’ve always had a By Abdellatif Sharaa bit of mixed results but that’s some- MELBOURNE: Valtteri Bottas knows thing I want to change. I can’t have KUWAIT: The final preparations for the late he needs to step up his game from last bad races for myself. Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah season if he is to have any chance of “I want to be consistent in every annual tournament in the skeet, trap, double keeping his place at Mercedes and has place, so I think there were some pos- trap, 10m air pistol and rifle and 50m rifle as targeted a top-two finish at this week- itives in the race last year, so hopefully well as archery are being prepared at the end’s season-opening Australian we can build on that and be quick in Kuwait Shooting Sport Club. Grand Prix. the qualifying as well.” His team mate Deputy Technical Director for pistol and The 28-year-old won only three Hamilton has won only twice in rifle Abdallah Barakat said the board of direc- Australia and finished second for the Shooters in action. races last year despite getting a drive tors, technical and administrative departments for the dominant Mercedes team second year in a row last season on are keen on having national referees that are alongside world champion Lewis his way to his fourth world title. ready to officiate events by holding lecturers rules. He said Kuwait achievements at all levels be it in organization Hamilton. With a host of other drivers Bottas is very much aware that his and practical workshops at the start of each referees receive invi- or participating, as our shooters made signifi- coveting the Mercedes seat for next primary function as Mercedes chase a season, and this made them well known both tations to officiate cant achievements in all tournaments they year when Bottas’s contract is up, the fifth successive constructors’ and locally and at the international level. international events participated and kept Kuwait flag flying high. Finn knows this term he has to pro- drivers’ title double is to step into the He said officials’ efforts resulted in enhanc- due to their highly He said that we cannot forget the support duce - starting at Albert Park on breach should something go wrong for ing pistol and rifle shooters’ performance and accurate performance. by officials who remove all obstacles shooters Sunday. the Briton. “If Lewis is having a bad it is getting much better as results show from He said this is become face, and give the peace of mind to concen- “I do have big goals,” he told day, or bad race for any reason then I one event to the other. possible due to the trate on shooting, and this enabled them to be reporters at the track yesterday. “I need to be able to fight for the win of On his part head of the shotgun referees continued support among the top shooters worldwide. need to try and step up my game and the race,” he said. “So I’m just going to really focus on Hamad Al-Rowaisan said Kuwait is well from the Board Hamad Al-Rowaisan The three officials thanked the political want to start the season well here in established in shotgun competition at all lev- Directors led by Eng leadership in Kuwait headed by HH the Amir Melbourne. Last year, I was third in my performance, go day-by-day, ses- els and arenas. He said that with the support Duaij Al-Otaibi. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the race so for sure need to do better sion-by-session, lap-by-lap and try to of the board of directors and officials, regu- Director of the national shotgun teams HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al- than that.” be at my best every single time I’m on larly scheduled courses are held to refresh Mohammad Mizyed Al-Daihani said the tour- Ahmad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and the Before last year’s podium, Bottas track.” — Reuters referees’ skills and update them with any nament of Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud government for their support of shooting and changes or amendments on the laws and Al-Sabah closes a season that was full of shooters.

ing and how we can make it more accessible, the playing field. “We can look at ways in Hamilton on top, how we can make it more affordable, how we which we make sure that the karts are all can stop it becoming too bureaucratic...” equal and we don’t end up with this ridiculous Best, who also captained the mid- Richards, whose Banbury-based Prodrive situation where people are buying 10 engines week British and Irish Lions team but concern at motorsport and engineering company runs to find the best one,” he said. Irish will be on the tour of New Zealand last race programmes for manufacturers including “We can’t have motorsport accessible year. Aston Martin, recognised that Britain was still only to the rich,” added the businessman. grassroots level at their Best “I feel I can continue to make a well off compared to other nations. “This sport has got to be accessible to far contribution to both Ireland and The country has produced a string of top more people.” Ulster Rugby and am delighted to drivers, boasts world-class engineering and The former Benetton and BAR F1 team for World Cup BANBURY: Britain is on top of the world in have extended my IRFU contract to most of the Formula One teams are based boss, who was also a world rally champion Formula One, with Lewis Hamilton beginning the next World Cup.” IRFU his quest for a fifth championship in Australia there. Richards was concerned, however, co-driver and whose company ran the Subaru DUBLIN: Rory Best, fresh from Performance Director David this weekend, but there is concern at grass- about what could happen five or 10 years team that won titles in the 1990s, hoped to becoming only the third man to Nucifora said Best, who has been roots level. down the road. “If there are such big barriers get more women involved at all levels and lead Ireland to a Five/Six Nations captain since the 2016 Six Nations With costs spiralling and some junior kart to participation that we can’t get the talent in saw esport as something to be embraced. Grand Slam, looks set to captain after Paul O’Connell retired from teams racing on six figure budgets, young- the first place, that means we don’t get the The fate of the British grand prix was them at the 2019 World Cup after Test rugby, fully deserved his new sters hoping to emulate Hamilton’s rise from best people in,” he said. “I really do believe another concern, with Silverstone hosting the signing a new contract on Tuesday. contract. social housing to stardom are being priced that at the grassroots level today, those barri- first Formula One championship race in 1950 The Northern Irishman-who won “Rory has been an outstanding out of contention. ers do exist.” but its future uncertain after 2019. his 111th Test cap in skippering the leader for Ireland and continues to Britain’s Motor Sports Association says Circuit owners the BRDC have activated a Irish to a convincing win over produce standout performances at the number of MSA licence holders in kart- RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE break clause in their contract that means a England on Saturday at the highest level of the game,” ing-where future champions learn their Speaking at the launch of his Mercedes farewell unless a new deal is struck. Richards, Twickenham to seal the Grand Nucifora said in a statement issued craft-has fallen by 30 percent in the team’s W09 car last month, Hamilton doubted who has not been involved in negotiations so Slam-agreed an extension that will by the IRFU. decade sinceHamilton made his grand prix it would have been possible for someone far, said the race was a key asset that the see him through to the end of Best, who is Ireland’s third most debut in 2007. from his background, without money or con- country should not let slip-particularly in the Ireland’s campaign in Japan next capped player behind Brian Less than 12 percent of the total are under nections, to come through now. “Right now light of impending Brexit. year when he will be 37. Ireland O’Driscoll and Ronan O’Gara, has the age of 21. “I don’t think it’s an insurmount- racing is just ridiculously expensive,” said the “I think the opportunity to use a flagship head coach Joe Schmidt had joked aside from the Grand Slam cap- able problem but it’s certainly something we 33-year-old. event like the grand prix to promote Britain at after the England game that Best tained the Irish to some memorable need to address quickly,” David Richards, the “I think it’s much harder for anyone from a a time when we need to be promoting our- was “certainly getting faster on his moments including the historic win former F1 team principal who was appointed council estate in Stevenage to get to Formula selves, our engineering expertise and our tal- Zimmer frame on the pitch”. “I am over world champions New chairman of the MSA in January, told Reuters. One now. It’s pretty much impossible because ent in this country, shouldn’t be lost on gov- in a very privileged position as Zealand in November 2016. Best “Otherwise, where will the next Lewis you don’t have the money.” Richards suggest- ernment,” he said. “We will do everything we captain of Ireland and Ulster to be made his Test debut against New Hamiltons come from? “So it’s going to be ed electric karts, which can be electronically can as a governing body to try and find a way involved with two groups of Zealand in 2005 and has scored one of our big focuses now over the next tuned to ensure they are evenly matched, of retaining it and are looking at the opportu- incredibly talented players,” said nine international tries. — AFP couple of years at the MSA, looking at kart- could be one way to contain costs and level nities to do that.” — Reuters