44 Friday Sports Friday, October 20, 2017 Hanyu, Medvedeva start road to Pyeongchang in Moscow Skaters compete in two assignments with top six in each discipline PARIS: Japanese figure skating golden boy she explained. “But I was touched by the ly from an injury,” the 25-year-old from Yuzuru Hanyu and two-time world champion image of Anna Karenina and the music from Saint Petersburg said. Evgenia Medvedeva headline the Cup of the film of the same name. “Of course we’re not ready yet to perform Russia starting today, the first of the six-leg “And I believe this programme will go very at our top but we work hard day by day and Grand Prix series in this Olympic season. With well with the Olympic season. I already tested hope to gain our top form for the Olympics.” Pyeongchang looming large on the horizon it in the Japan Open and I think that my per- After Russia the Grand Prix series moves on Olympic champion formance there proved to Skate Canada at the end of the month, then Hanyu and the rest of that it has been the China, Japan, France and Skate America at the ice rink stars will be right decision.” Other Lake Placid in November. out to lay down mark- It was a bit stars on view in Russia Skaters compete in two assignments each ers for the February 9- this weekend are two- with the top six in each discipline qualifying Evgenia Medvedeva 25 Winter Games. risky to change time world ice dance for the ISU Grand Prix Final from December Hanyu underlined medallists Maia and 7-10 in Nagoya, Japan. That will be the last his status as favourite free programme Alex Shibutani, the chance for skaters from Europe, Asia and ver medallist Shoma Uno. China’s Helsinki to defend his 2014 American brother and North America to rub shoulders before gold medallists Sui Wenjing and Han Cong Sochi crown in South sister act and Russia’s Pyeongchang. and France’s two-time ice dance world Korea next year when European champions Moscow hosts the European champi- champions Gabriella Papadakis and claiming his second world title in Helsinki in Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov. onships in mid-January, with the season Guillaume Cizeron are set to light up the April. Medvedeva also returned from Finland Another home grown hope is Ksenia ending in Milan for the 2018 world champi- third Grand Prix leg in Beijing. with gold after defending her 2016 Boston title, Stolbova, who won team gold in Sochi and a onships in March. The October 27-29 Skate Four Continents champion Mai Mihara and will be debuting a new routine in Moscow. silver in the pairs with Fedor Klimov. “We Canada in Regina will feature Canada’s of Japan and Spain’s two-time world “It was a bit risky to change the free pro- started to practice in full strength just a three-time world champion Patrick Chan, sil- champion Javier Fernandez are also in the gramme as the season has already started,” month ago after Fedor recovered complete- ver medallist at Sochi, and Japan’s world sil- Beijing mix. —AFP No doubting Thomas after Dovizioso has sizzling 63 in Marquez in South Korea title sights at JEJU: World number four Justin Thomas brushed off a shaky start to fire a superb Phillip Island nine-under par 63 and take a three-shot lead after the first round of the CJ Cup PHILLIP ISLAND: Andrea Dovizioso is yesterday. US PGA Championship winner looking to make further gains on Marc Thomas is three strokes clear of five play- Marquez’s world championship lead in ers on six-under 66 — Malaysia’s Gavin Sunday’s Australian MotoGP at the demand- Green, the US trio of Chez Reavie, Scott ing Phillip Island circuit where he historically Brown and Patrick Reed, and Australia’s struggles. Dovizioso powered to his fifth win Marc Leishman. Thomas came up short in of the year at rain-swept Motegi last week- his bid for a hat-trick of wins at the CIMB JEJU ISLAND: Justin Thomas of United States watches his shot on the forth end in a pulsating final corner duel with Classic in Malaysia last week, finishing tied hole during the first round of the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges, as the first official Marquez to reduce the world champion’s 17th, and he bounced back from an early PGA Tour in South Korea, on Jeju Island, South Korea, yesterday. —AP lead to 11 points with just three rounds left in wobble at the Nine Bridges course in the the championship. Marquez’s second place first US PGA Tour event ever to be played Hit two really bad wedge shots and got were super respectful and enjoy golf,” was his 100th career podium from 165 starts in South Korea. away with them to steal two bogeys,” said Reavie. “When you make birdies and he is the youngest rider at 24 to achieve He dropped a shot “really badly” on his admitted Thomas. His second nine was they cheer and they were rooting all of us the milestone. Marquez’s consistency has opening hole, the 10th, but got it back with almost boring by comparison featuring on, it’s great.” Thomas’s group was fol- made him the benchmark rider of this sea- interest by eagling the par-five 12th. That three birdies and another bogey at the lowed by the biggest galleries as it con- son’s world championship but Italy’s was the start of a run of eight-under par seventh to finish at nine-under par. tained the returning Korean hero Bae Dovizioso has doggedly kept in touch on his for seven holes comprising four birdies Sang-Moon who shot 71 in only his third Ducati and Phillip Island looms as the pivotal and another eagle at the 18th to reach the ‘SUPER-RESPECTFUL’ KOREANS event since military service, and last race of this year’s fight for the title. turn in a scintillating seven-under par 29. Reavie had a bogey-free day with a bal- week’s winner in Malaysia, Pat Perez, who “For sure Phillip Island is one of Marquez’s “It was a weird day,” said 23-year-old anced card of three birdies on each nine to carded 69. “It was awesome out there,” favourite tracks and the situation will proba- FedEx Cup champion Thomas, who has get into the five-way tie for second. said Thomas. “I said to Bae you probably bly be a bit more difficult for us,” Dovizioso been in sizzling form since winning his first “It was fun tying to figure out a new got the best crowds out here. He’s a great said. “But last year we did a good race and major in August and was recently voted so we must try and work in the best possible course” said the 35-year-old, who fin- guy and great player and it’s good to PGA Tour player of the Year for 2017. way throughout the weekend. ished tied 17th alongside Thomas at TPC have him back.” “It started off with a really badly played “There are now just three rounds left Kuala Lumpur. “My routes are going to Players Championship winner and bogey and then I went on a seven-hole until the end and on paper we are not be different to these long bombers but world number 41 Kim Si-Woo went one stretch where I kind of went unconscious favourites for the win in Australia but we’ll the greens were great.” Whee Kim shot a stroke better than Bae with a 70, but and that was was pretty much most of my be fighting as hard as ever.” Marquez has four-under 68 to be the highest placed of admitted the pressure of playing in front round.” two victories around Phillip Island-in the the 17-strong Korean contingent, who all of his home fans in such a high-class field Thomas holed a bunker shot at 15 for 125cc class in 2010 and the 2015 Australian received enthusiastic home support at the had affected him. “I felt more nervous the second of four birdies in a row and MotoGP-along with two podium finishes inaugural $9.25 million, 78-player event than when I played in the Masters,” said chipped in from off the fringe at 16 for and four pole positions. —AFP on the southern Jeju Island. “The fans the 22-year-old. —AFP another. “That’s kind of how my day was..