lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll l l l l l SPORT Injured Olympic worker stable NSW Waratahs hang on for win McMeniman survives big hits THE bobsleigh track worker injured when a sled NSW Waratahs shaded the Highlanders 19-16 in WALLABIES forward Hugh McMeniman made a smashed into him is in a stable condition after an last night, scoring three tries to one in a successful return from a shoulder reconstruction in operation, the Sochi Olympics organisers said hard-fought but scrappy and mistake-riddled affair. the ’s 54-12 trial win over Samoa A at yesterday, emphasising the track was not to blame. Waratahs coach replaced starting nib Stadium last night. McMeniman, in action for the The unnamed Russian icemaker was hit on Thursday halves Matt Lucas and little more than first time since August last year, made it through the by the forerunner bob used to clear and test the track. a quarter into the game, bringing on Brendan first half unscathed before being subbed off. The He was hospitalised and underwent an operation. ‘‘The McKibbin and respectively. After half 30-year-old almost scored a try in the 14th minute, operation went smoothly . . . He is in a good condition,’’ time, Foley was reinstated at five-eighth and Beale but was held up over the line. His shoulder stood firm said Sochi 2014 spokeswoman Alexandra Kosterina. moved to inside centre in place of . under a series of hard hits.

V8 Supercar drivers with their machines at yesterday’s launch at Motorsport Park Picture: BRENDON THORNE Supertight is Lowndes tip

V8 SUPERCARS All 25 cars will take to the turer in Volvo, which returns closer, racing’s going to be a out on claiming his first V8 think that’s where it’s excit- By ROJE ADAIMY track for the first time in 2014 to Australian motor racing af- lot closer. Everyone’s 12 Supercars title since 1999 to ing,’’ Lowndes said. in Sydney at the official test day at Syd- ter a 15-year absence. months more advanced, five-time champion and Red ‘‘Now having Volvo in it, ney Motorsport Park today, It joins incumbents Holden everyone’s got better set-ups, Bull teammate Jamie Whin- I’m sure they’ll be pushing VETERAN driver Craig ahead of the season-opening and Ford, alongside last better knowledge. cup in a dramatic final round hard to try and get some re- Lowndes expects this year’s Clipsal 500 in Adelaide in year’s debutants Nissan and ‘‘I think every element of a in Sydney last December. sults as well.’’ V8 Supercars championship a fortnight. Mercedes-Benz. race weekend — whether it’s It capped off an incredibly The 39-year-old Lowndes, to be one of the tightest While the field has been re- ‘‘That’s why I think the the qualifying, to the starts, to tight season in which there buoyed by his maiden Bath- in recent memory — making duced by three, the second championship and the year is the races themselves — is go- were 13 different winners urst 12-Hour win last week- his bid for a drought- season under ‘‘Car of the Fu- going to be so much tighter,’’ ing to be a lot more critical to from 36 races. end, hopes to turn the tables breaking fourth crown all the ture’’ regulations heralds the Lowndes said yesterday. get right.’’ ‘‘We had a lot of variety of around this year and leave more difficult. arrival of a fifth manufac- ‘‘Cars are going to be a lot Lowndes narrowly missed race winners last year and I Whincup in his wake. Talented teen on track Rhys Dowling Australian to achieve speed skate dream Junior Squash Champion HAS AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL PARENTS WINTER OLYMPICS She has been national By GLENN CULLEN GOLD RUSH champion in her age division Have Your in Sochi since 2006 and won bronze at Come and start squash under the same 2014 Winter Olympics the 2013 world junior Children Tried in Sochi, Russia programme that began Rhys’ career. A SHORT track speed skater championships. Germany ...... 7 Squash? from Brisbane could only Given her youth, cherubic Canada ...... 4 Saturdays 10am-12.00 noon RUN BY QUALIlED have one inspiration. features and whisper-quiet Norway ...... 4 It’s Fun! EXPERIENCED COACHES AT THE $ARWIN 3QUASH #ENTRE Deanna Lockett was just six voice, Lockett thought she Netherlands ...... 4 years old when Steven might get a hard time with her United States . . . . 4 Bradbury performed his own teammates at the Games but RHYS’ DEVELOPMENT VIA JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES RUN BY; Switzerland ...... 3 miracle on ice to win the has been pleasantly surprised. Russia ...... 2 DARWIN SQUASH ASSOCIATION, SQUASH NT, PRO SQUASH ACADEMY NT EQUIPMENT 1000m event at the 2002 ‘‘I think they were hoping to China ...... 2 AND NTIS OVER THE PAST YEARS HAVE RESULTED IN THE FOLLOWING: IS SUPPLIED Winter Olympics. give me a little bit of trouble France ...... 2 A repeat of that is unlikely and tease me in the big team s  TIMES !USTRALIAN *UNIOR !GE #HAMPION and costs Poland ...... 2 at Sochi’s Iceberg Skating events, but it’s pretty special s #URRENT 5 !USTRALIAN *UNIOR #HAMPION AND 5  RANKED REASONABLE Palace for the 18-year-old but to be the youngest member s $OUBLE 'OLD -EDALLIST  !RAFURA 'AMES AGES 6-16 YEARS, even Bradbury says she’s a ing opportunities and competing at the Olym- s 3QUASH !USTRALIA *UNIOR !THLETE OF THE YEAR  AND  AND BEGINNERS special talent who could at the new pics at 18,’’ she said. -/34 7%,#/-% well figure in medal Icehouse. Another youngster con- s .4)3 *UNIOR !THLETE OF THE YEAR 

calculations four years down And it has paid tinues her big adventure to- PUB: s .4 *UNIOR 3PORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR  NTNE-WS-14KTE:GE:LO-R:M 5DA - F YC the track. off with her day when alpine skier Greta s 2EPRESENTED !USTRALIA IN 7ORLD *UNIOR /PEN  AND ‘‘I hope to be in the top 10, qualifying for Small contests the super G. but I’m mainly here for the Olympic repre- Deanna Lockett Small is also 18 but has MEMBER OF  4RANS 4ASMAN 4EST WINNING TEAM experience, the next Olym- sentation in the 1000m and shown great potential. Rhys would like to thank his supporters and sponsors pics will be my main one,’’ 1500m events. She finished 15th in the she said. Lockett starts her campaign combined and 29th in the who made his achievements possible; Such was her potential, Loc- with the 1500m today and downhill so far in Sochi. NTIS, DUNLOP , NT OUTBACK PARKS AND kett’s family made the decis- comes with a strong back- Meanwhile, John Farrow LODGES/NT LINK, SQUASH NT ion to relocate to ground in the sport despite takes his second and third in 2011 to give her better train- her youth. runs in the skeleton today. #ONTACT THE $ARWIN 3QUASH #ENTRE TEL 89457362 FOR MORE INFORMATION www.ntnews.com.au Saturday, February 15, 2014. NT NEWS. 45