22 Established 1961 Sports Tuesday, February 27, 2018 Record Japan Olympic haul is a boost for 2020: Tokyo boss Japanese athletes have done splendidly PYEONGCHANG: Japan’s record medal haul at the “In terms of Games management this was our last Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will give the country a chance to observe on site,” he said. “The cases of lift as it prepares to host the 2020 Games, Tokyo’s top norovirus were a surprise to us, and I’m sure to South organiser told AFP. Koreans, but it was a valuable lesson for us in how to Japanese athletes collected 13 medals, four of them deal with unexpected emergencies. gold, in their best-ever Winter Games performance, “The Korean organisers moved quickly and worked Tokyo 2020’s chief executive officer noted, providing a with the country’s government to arrange quarantine welcome fillip as the city pushes ahead with prepara- measures,” he added. “Tokyo will also need to be able tions. Fans came out in large numbers at the airport in to act swiftly and flexibly.” Narita, east of Tokyo, waving placards and banners saying “Thank you for gold medal” and “Fly High Yuzu”, HOT TOPIC in reference to figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu. Muto also noted that South Korean volunteers, many “I took the bullet train of whom reportedly quit in from Kobe (western Japan) the build-up to the Olympics to see them. It was worth a over the cold and low stan- trip,” said a middle-aged dard accommodation, woman. The showing was a “weren’t exactly burning welcome boost for Japan, At Tokyo 2020 with energy”. with Tokyo hosting the Tokyo organisers have Summer Games in 2020. we expect to win faced criticism in their “Japanese athletes have Games build-up, most done splendidly, winning even more medals notably after a disastrous more winter medals than ever rollout of plans for the 2020 before,” Toshiro Muto said in Olympic stadium. an interview in Pyeongchang. They remain prickly, how- “Breaking that record will give the Tokyo Olympics a ever, on the subject of Tokyo’s summer heat. boost,” he added. “At Tokyo 2020 we expect to win “The athletes have said Pyeongchang was far colder even more medals hopefully so it will be important in than they had expected,” said Muto. “A bit like dealing GANGNEUNG: Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu is lifted at the finale during the figure skating gala event the time left to work hard in the development of top with the cold here, coping with the heat is an important during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Oval in Gangneung on athletes.” As the Olympic torch passes from issue for us in Tokyo. We are mindful that athletes, vol- Sunday. — AFP Pyeongchang to Tokyo, Japanese organisers will be unteers, staff and fans all need to be cared for.” under increased pressure to complete venues and meet Muto declined to discuss details, claiming “athletes budgetary targets following a series of public relations are used to competing in hot weather” before denying drugs test in Pyeongchang, dealing a blow to the coun- clean country in terms of doping so if (Saito) is found to disasters. Muto insisted 2020 organisers had learnt that Tokyo’s summers were actually all that hot-despite try’s squeaky clean image. have doped, then it is extremely regrettable. “Dealing much from the Winter Games, not least in how temperatures in the capital regularly topping 35c (95F). Having pledged a doping-free Games, Tokyo organ- correctly with doping is important and we must make Pyeongchang dealt with an outbreak of norovirus that Japanese Olympic officials were embarrassed, mean- isers were also left squirming. “Doping is absolutely efforts to ensure that Japanese athletes and the Tokyo struck more than 200 people-mostly security staff. while, after short track speed skater Kei Saito failed a wrong,” said Muto. “Japan is viewed as an extremely Olympics as a whole are clean.” —Agencies McDavid scores Jersey fails in to give Oilers a bid to join UEFA wild 6-5 victory over Ducks BRATISLAVA: The Channel island of Jersey failed in its bid to join UEFA yesterday when its application was rejected by the annual Congress of European NEW YORK: Connor McDavid scored in the third round soccer’s governing body. Jersey FA president Phil of a shootout to give the Edmonton Oilers a wild 6-5 vic- Austin told the Congress that football on the island of tory over the host Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. Anaheim’s about 100,000 people was in danger of declining Rickard Rakell scored a hat trick, including two goals in without international competition but members the final 21 seconds to send the game into overtime. Ryan rejected the application after being told it would vio- Strome scored two goals, McDavid had three assists and late UEFA statutes. Draisaitl had a goal and an assist for Edmonton, which won There was confusion as only 50 votes were count- its third straight game and swept its back-to-back week- ed from UEFA’s 55 member associations. Forty-nine end trip to Los Angeles and Anaheim. Anton Slepyshev delegates raised symbolic red cards when asked to and Iiro Pakarinen also scored goals for the Oilers. Ryan vote on Jersey’s application, one abstained and there Getzlaf had a goal and three assists, and Adam Henrique were none in favour. “We are ready to modernise to also scored for Anaheim, which lost for just the second change football but we are not above our own time in its past 13 home games (10-2-1) against the Oilers. statutes, this is a big change,” UEFA president Corey Perry logged three assists. Aleksander Ceferin said. Jersey, a 45-square-mile (117 square kilometres) WILD 3, SHARKS 2 (OT) Jared Spurgeon scored the game-winner with 12 sec- island off the coast of Normandy in France, is a British NEW YORK: Dylan Larkin #71 of the Detroit Red Wings tries to pass the puck as he collides with Crown Dependency which sits outside the United onds left in overtime as Minnesota produced three unan- swered goals to beat visiting San Jose. The goal was teammate Luke Glendening #41 of the Detroit Red Wings in the third period against the New Kingdom and the European Union. York Rangers on Sunday. —AFP Members were told that Article 5 of the UEFA Spurgeon’s eighth of the season and accounted for the statutes limits membership to FAs which are based in 200th point of his NHL career. Spurgeon notched his 55th a country “recognised as an independent state by the career goal-a number that ties him with Brent Burns for majority of members of the United Nations”. the most by a Minnesota defenseman in franchise history. Austin argued that Jersey has its own government Matt Cullen and Eric Staal also scored for Minnesota, NHL results/standings and parliament, makes its own laws and sets its own while Joakim Ryan and Chris Tierney had goals for the Sharks. taxes. “Jersey competes internationally in a number of Nashville 4, St. Louis 0; Buffalo 4, Boston 1; Detroit 3, NY Rangers 2 (OT); Edmonton 6, Anaheim 5 (SO); Minnesota 3, San Jose 2 (OT); other sports on a regular basis,” he said. “Why should Vancouver 3, Arizona 1. football take a different view?” RED WINGS 3, RANGERS 2 (OT) Austin said Jersey had lost opponents over the last Trevor Daley tipped in a Frans Nielsen shot with six Eastern Conference Western Conference few years, including Faroe Islands and Gibraltar who seconds remaining in overtime, giving Detroit a victory at Atlantic Division Central Division have become UEFA members. “We’ve reached a criti- New York. Daley’s seventh goal of the season was the only WLOTL GF GA PTS Nashville 38 14 9 196 155 85 Tampa Bay 42 17 3 223 167 87 Winnipeg 37 16 9 208 164 83 cal stage in the progress of our game where without shot on net during the overtime session. Andreas Athanasiou and Darren Helm had the regulation goals for Toronto 39 20 5 213 178 83 Minnesota 35 20 7 188 174 77 regular international competition, football will Boston 37 15 8 195 150 82 Dallas 35 23 4 184 164 74 decline...indeed it’s started to happen.” the Red Wings, who won for the second time in as many nights. Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard turned aside 36 shots. Florida 28 25 6 175 193 62 St. Louis 34 25 4 173 164 72 Austin told Reuters he was disappointed but not Detroit 26 26 10 165 183 62 Colorado 32 24 5 187 185 69 surprised. “The fact that it wasn’t unanimous was J.T. Miller and Jesper Fast scored for the Rangers, who Montreal 23 29 9 157 193 55 Chicago 27 28 8 178 179 62 positive...certainly, three or four associations told us have lost seven straight for the first time since 2006. New Ottawa 21 30 10 166 216 52 Pacific Division they were going to vote for us,” he said. — Reuters York goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made 31 saves. Buffalo 19 33 11 151 206 49 Las Vegas 41 16 4 215 166 86 Metropolitan Division San Jose 33 21 9 182 176 75 SABRES 4, BRUINS 1 Washington 35 20 7 194 184 77 Anaheim 31 21 12 176 178 74 After the Rangers traded Rick Nash to the Bruins on Philadelphia 33 19 10 188 178 76 Calgary 32 22 9 182 185 73 Sunday morning, the left winger was stymied by goalie Pittsburgh 36 23 4 206 187 76 Los Angeles 33 24 5 177 155 71 Chad Johnson as host Buffalo earned an easy victory New Jersey 32 22 8 185 188 72 Edmonton 27 31 4 177 204 58 Morkel to quit against Boston.