SPORTS SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 2014 Pistorius trial ends Judge to hand verdict on Sept. 11

PRETORIA: The murder trial of wrapped up yesterday with the prosecution making a final plea for the South African ath- lete to “face the consequences” of shooting dead his girlfriend . Judge , only the second black woman to be appointed a high court judge in post- South Africa, will now analyse more than 4,000 pages of evidence before delivering her verdict on Sept. 11. Double amputee Pistorius, 27, once a national icon for reaching the pinnacle of sport, is accused of murdering Steenkamp, a law graduate and model, at his home in Pretoria on Valentine’s Day last year. The defence says Pistorius, nicknamed the ‘Blade Runner’ after his carbon-fibre prosthet- ic running legs, shot Steenkamp through a locked toilet door in self-defence, believing IRVINE: Katie Ledecky swims to her win in the she was an intruder, and that therefore he Women’s 200 Meter Freestyle Final during the 2014 should be acquitted. Phillips 66 National Championships. — AFP State prosecutor Gerrie Nel has spent the PRETORIA: South African Paralympian athlete Oscar Pistorius (left) walks past trial, which began in March, portraying Barry Steenkamp, father of Reeva Steenkamp (right) during closing arguments Katie wins 200m freestyle Pistorius as a gun-obsessed hothead who in Pistorius’ murder trial at the high court in Pretoria. — AFP deliberately shot Steenkamp, 29, four times ing police officers, who he said would have had clearly shot Steenkamp by mistake. IRVING: Katie Ledecky swam the second-fastest time in the as she was taking refuge in the toilet after an undermined their case. Nel and Roux have focused much of their world this year to win the women’s 200 meters freestyle at the argument. On Thursday Nel said Pistorius had told “a closing arguments on evidence from witness- US National Championships in Irving, California on Thursday. Cutting through months of complex evi- snowball of lies” and had called for the track es who say they heard a woman scream Ledecky held a narrow lead over Missy Franklin after 100 dence and testimony, Nel ended proceedings star to be convicted of intentional murder, a before a volley of shots, supporting the pros- but surged clear in the second half of the race to win in a by returning to his core argument. “He knew crime that could land him with a life sen- ecution’s position that the couple had an time of 1 minute, 55.16 seconds, with Franklin second in there was a human being in the toilet. That’s tence. argument before Steenkamp was killed. 1:56.40. “I did a really good job of increasing my tempo his evidence,” Nel told the judge. “His inten- A potential lesser charge of culpable Roux went through the early morning of throughout the race. My arms didn’t really die,” Ledecky, 17, tion was to kill a human being. He’s fired homicide - comparable to manslaughter - the shooting minute-by-minute during his told NBCSports.com after punching her ticket in the event for indiscriminately into that toilet. Then m’lady, could carry a sentence of about 15 years. wrapping-up, arguing that the witnesses the Pan Pacific Championships in Australia later this month. he is guilty of murder. There must be conse- Pistorius also faces three separate were confused and contradictory about the Ledecky, 2013 World Swimmer of the Year, is the world quences.” charges, including two counts of discharging sounds they heard. Defence lawyer Barry Roux said during his record holder in the 800 and 1,500 and a world champion in firearms in public and possession of illegal He also spent time analysing photos he own wrapping-up that psychological evi- four events. Franklin, 19, winner of six gold medals at last ammunition, all of which he denies. said proved the police had moved items in dence had proven the track star had a height- To arrive at a verdict, Masipa and her two the couple’s bedroom, countering a key claim year’s worlds, was back in the water barely an hour later for a ened fight response because of his disability huge victory in the 200 backstroke. assistants will have to weigh up the credibility by Nel that images of the room proved that and was in a terrified and vulnerable state of testimony on both sides, including that of Pistorius’ version of the events was impossi- She won by over two seconds in 2:08.38 after her chief when he shot Steenkamp. Pistorius, who endured more than a week of ble. The courtroom duelling between Nel and rival, Elizabeth Beisel, slipped at the start and lost a couple of torrid cross-examination during which he Roux, both dynamic advocates with contrast- seconds, eventually clawing her way back to finish sixth. “VULNERABLE” broke down repeatedly. ing styles, has added to the drama in a trial “I saw on the first 50 that she was way far behind. I real- “You’re standing at that door. You’re vul- In the absence of a , experts say the that has captivated audiences around the ized she slipped and my heart just went out to her,” Franklin nerable. You’re anxious. You’re trained as an crux of the case is whether Masipa accepts or world. said. “This is really important because it qualifies for Pan Pacs athlete to react. Take all those factors into rejects his version of events. Nel, known as ‘The Pitbull’ because of his this summer and worlds next summer.” The men’s 200 account,” Roux said, adding that Pistorius had fierce cross-examination style and penchant freestyle was much closer, with Matt McLean edging ahead in felt exposed because he was standing on the “DEVOID OF ANY TRUTH” for the dramatic, has been the perfect foil to the final 50 to beat Connor Dwyer in 1:46.93. stumps of his legs. Nel has called for Pistorius’ evidence Roux, whose meticulous eye for detail has put “I knew it was going to be a tactical race. I just tried to “He stands with his finger on the trigger, thrown out because it was “devoid of any the squeeze on even the most composed swim to my strengths,” said Dwyer, who was happy with ready to fire when ready. In some instances a truth” and the athlete contradicted himself prosecution witnesses. the win but not the time, which was slower than his quali- person will fire reflexively,” he added. “That is when he said during cross-examination that The fathers of both Pistorius and fying effort. Olympic champion Tyler Clary won the 200 your primal instinct.” he fired both accidentally and deliberately. Steenkamp were in court for the first time this backstroke in 1:54.73, the third fastest time in the world Roux also argued that prosecutors had Roux said the trial should only ever have week. The track star’s aunt embraced this year. — only called witnesses who supported their been on the charge of culpable homicide, Steenkamp’s father before the trial resumed argument and not other key people, includ- rather than murder, because he said Pistorius yesterday. — Reuters Westwood in three-way tie for lead as Tiger toils

LOUISVILLE: Lee Westwood stormed into a share of the PGA enth, eighth and ninth to end his round with a spectacular flour- debut last year, recorded three birdies on each nine while Palmer Championship lead with five birdies in his last six holes on ish. Chappell, who missed the cut on his PGA Championship briefly got to seven under for the outright lead before he Thursday as four-times winner Tiger Woods ended the opening bogeyed his penultimate hole, the par-three eighth. round a distant nine shots off the pace. McIlroy, with his game in sparkling order, birdied three of his Englishman Westwood, long regarded as one of the best play- first nine holes to reach the turn in three-under 32 before he hit ers in the game who has yet to clinch a major title, fired a six- his second shot at the 10th out-of-bounds en route to a double- under-par 65 on a calm, muggy day at Valhalla Golf Club to finish bogey. He then bogeyed the par-three 11th. However, the joint top with Americans Kevin Chappell and Ryan Palmer. Northern Irish world number one responded in spectacular fash- British Open champion Rory McIlroy, the pre-tournament ion, reeling off four consecutive birdies from the 12th, before favourite, was lurking ominously just one off the pace after open- picking up another shot at the par-five last where he comfortably ing with an eight-birdie 66 in the year’s final major. reached the green in two and two-putted. “I played well, hit a lot fairways, putted nicely,” former world “You have to take whatever you are feeling inside and try and number one Westwood told reporters after racking up a total of turn it into a positive,” McIlroy said of his rocky ride over 10 and nine birdies, one bogey and a double on a challenging 7,458- 11. “I was ‘hot’ and it’s (all about) trying to use that fire as a fuel yard layout offset by soft and receptive greens. to propel yourself forward. “I gave myself a lot of chances. All in all, there were no real “I think it just shows where my game is mentally right now, weaknesses out there. I hit a lot of quality iron shots, and it felt that I was able to do that today,” added the Northern Irishman, like 65 was a fair enough score for the way I played.” LOUISVILLE: Lee Westwood of England hits his tee shot on who ended the day level with American Jim Furyk, Italy’s Westwood rebounded from a double-bogey at the par-four the 18th hole during the first round of the 96th PGA Edoardo Molinari, Swede Henrik Stenson and Englishman Chris first, his 10th hole of the day, with birdies at the fourth, sixth, sev- Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. — AFP Wood. —Reuters