12 Established 1961 Sports Monday, December 18, 2017 Veith wins first race since injury, Lindsey Vonn pulls out Austrian’s 15th victory on World Cup circuit and third in super-G VAL-D’ISERE: Austria’s defending Olympic champion US team spokesperson said of Vonn. Anna Veith won yesterday’s World Cup super-G, but “She’s packed up and already left Val d’Isere. She American Lindsey Vonn withdrew with knee pain just won’t race in Courchevel. “She will now head home to 24 hours after winning the first race in Val d’Isere. the US to spend Christmas there.” The 33-year-old star Veith, who has twice had surgery since injuring her of the circuit who won Saturday’s super-G said the knee in October 2015, was timed at 1min 05.77sec move had been a precaution, having also withdrawn down the OK course in bitterly cold, but bright condi- from a super-G in St Moritz last weekend with a back tions. It was the Austrian’s 15th victory on the World injury, for which she had treatment in Austria. Cup circuit and third in super-G. “Knee is a bit sore from yesterday so to be on the The timing of her return to form could not be better safe side I’m going to give my body some rest. My for the 28-year-old who was overall World Cup cham- focus is on the Olympics so no need to risk anything pion in 2014 and 2015, and is also a three-time world now. Still going home very happy after my win yester- gold medallist. “I’m very happy, it was a pretty emo- day,” Vonn wrote on Twitter. tional day for me,” said Veith, whose last World Cup Ironically her withdrawal came after she said she win came in Meribel in March 2015. was due some “good karma” after criticism of her form “For me it’s very and a vicious backlash important to get back to against comments she that feeling that I can do made about the US gov- it in the race. “I didn’t ernment and President race so much over the Donald Trump. last two years, so it’s a For me it’s very “I guess I’m not a good day!” washed-up old hag,” Liechtenstein’s Tina important to get Vonn said in a US team Weirather finished sec- statement overnight in ond, at 0.48sec, with back to that feeling response to what it said Italy’s Sofia Goggia fol- were “numerous social lowing up on Saturday’s media comments this second place with a third, week regarding her form a further three-hun- as she prepares for the dredths of a second 2018 Olympic Winter adrift. Games”. Vonn added: “I think I proved myself, and kar- Just weeks ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics in ma definitely comes back around. I’ve got some good Pyeongchang, Vonn opted to play it safe by pulling out karma coming my way.” Her victory on Saturday took of the super-G and also Tuesday’s giant slalom in her World Cup tally of wins to 78, one closer to the all- VAL-DíISERE: Austria’s Anna Veith (R) poses with a cheese after winning the women’s Super-G race at the FIS neighbouring Courchevel. “She did the pre-race time mark of 86 wins held by Swedish great Ingemar Alpine Skiing World Cup in Val-d’Isere, French Alps, yesterday. — AFP inspection this morning, but decided against racing,” a Stenmark. — AFP Group photo of winners in women’s championship. Group photo of winners in men’s championship.—Photos by Majdi Al Dakroury Late Sheikh Fahad Al-Salem shooting tournament concludes KUWAIT: A shooting tournament of late Sheikh Fahad Al- Salem Al-Sabah concluded competitions on Saturday, ending three days of tough competitions by shooters from Kuwait and Gulf countries. Duaij Al-Otaibi, Presidents of Kuwait and Arab shoot- ing federations, told reporters the tournament witnessed “fierce competitions” from shooters from Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar. He said Kuwait shooting club would continue its sup- port for its shooters to compete in international and conti- nental championships, like the olympic games in Tokyo 2020. Kuwait’s Mansour Al-Rashidi won the Skete compe- tition while Khaled Al-Kaabi of the UAE won the Trap event. Saad Al-Mutairi, of Kuwait, won the double-trap competition while Abdullah Al-Harbi,also from Kuwait, won the shot-gun competition. Saad Al-Ajmi, from Kuwait National Guard (KNG), won the pistol shoot-out. Khaled Abdulsalam of KNG won the rifle prone 50-meter shoot- out, while Mohammad Adel, of Kuwait, won the rifle 50 meters in all three positions. Eman Al-Shamma’ of Kuwait won the women Skete championship while teammate Shahad Al-Hawal won the Trap.— KUNA UAE Shooter Al-Kaabi receiving his trophy. Sheikh Mohammad Fahad Saad Al-Bdallah receiving the shooting club plaque. still provides an adequate platform from which to tackle David won’t give younger, more naturally aggressive players. “It’s just that I’ve had to learn so much in the last few years,” she said. pete as neutrals. Coe indicated there are reasons for “The game is really different and you have to change with hope that Russia is finally dealing with the problem, up quest for the times, and add to what you have. I am doing that more Russia making but he said the IAAF would still resist setting any and more - though I keep saying that.” time-scale for the nation’s reintegration into athletics. David has been adjusting to the need to make the first “We made a decision that in a way was quite dif- more glory attacking move - a tight drop shot, an attacking side-wall progress over angle, or changes of pace and direction. Though her abili- ferent to the one the IOC was confronted with,” Coe ty to do this has increased, it has required psychological doping, says Coe told BBC Radio Five Live yesterday. “I’ve had 149 or MANCHESTER: Former world champion Nicol David changes to make use of that. 150 positive tests in the sport, from Russia within a believes she can still win another major title despite being “You still have to get that confidence,” she said. “It’s three or four year period. well into her 35th year. David lost a recent World getting better and better each tournament and each match. LONDON: IAAF chief Lord Sebastian Coe believes “It was very clear as far I was concerned and the Championship quarter-final to the second-seeded Consistency is needed. It’s a question of getting a balance. Russia is showing a significant change in its attitude Council of the IAAF was concerned that nobody else Egyptian Raneem El Welily in four games. “I still have ambitions to win a big title. I have been look- to tackling the doping scandal that saw the nation was going to come to our rescue here. We had to But the Malaysian, an eight-time world title winner, ing forward to that. “It’s disappointing when you put in exiled from world athletics. Russia has been banned take the appropriate action. “We set up the task believes she is still gradually adapting to the profound the hard work, and play good squash at times, but falter.” from international athletics competition since force which created the five-step criteria by which changes in tactics and techniques in the women’s game in David still moves so athletically that some people won- November 2015 after doping issues. they would be judged - and actually they’re moving the last two years. der if she might compete till she is 40, like Heather McKay, The country’s anti-doping agency, RUSADA, is in the right direction and we’ve got some significant David’s last big title was the Hong Kong Open in the Australian who was world champion at 39. also yet to be declared fully compliant by the World change. “The task force reports back to the Council December 2015, since when her superbly athletic and sub- “I’m looking forward to the Commonwealth Games, the Anti-Doping Agency. Russian athletes have also once or twice a year and each time they come back tlely patterned game has been rendered less effective by a Asian Games and the World Championships next year,” effectively been banned from next year’s Winter and say there’s still more to do. “But some of the lowering of the tin by two inches to the 17 inches used in David said. “And I’ll work towards all the big tournaments Olympics in Pyeongchang, unless they can satisfy challenges that we were being appraised of just a the men’s game. - the British Open, the US Open. As I said, I think I can win stringent drug-testing regulations in order to com- few months earlier have actually moved.—AFP David does not believe age is the main factor in a fail- another big title. “After that, if my performances are going ure to add to her 81 titles, and thinks a world ranking at six well, I will keep pushing.” — AFP.