ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 2021 SPORTS 14 Team NZ lead Luna Rossa in America’s Cup Defenders move to match point AUCKLAND, New Zea- land, March 16, (AP): Match point Team New Zealand. The America’s Cup Defender beat Italian challenger Luna Rossa by 30 seconds in the only race that could be sailed Tues- day to move ahead 6-3 in the fi rst-to-seven-win series in Auckland. For the third race in a row, Team New Zealand came from behind to beat Luna Rossa, delivering a crushing blow to the morale of the Italian team which has been constantly competitive in the 36th America’s Cup match but plagued by bad luck or bad decisions. Luna Rossa led around the first four marks on the six-leg course but not by more than 9 seconds. On a day of light and shifty conditions, when the race course had to be set and re-set, Team New Zealand picked up a right shift on the last beat to snatch the lead and the race. Throughout the afternoon the breeze – sometimes full at 15 knots, at other times light and puffy at 7 knots – tracked from southwest to west and back on what is known as the Stadium Course. Course C is closest to the land of the five Cup course, overlooked by North Head and visible to traffic on Auckland’s busy Tamaki drive. SAILING The start of the second of the day’s two races was delayed as the breeze again flitted about, defying the match committee’s efforts to set a true course. Finally the race committee Italy’s Luna Rossa, (right), races Emirates Team New Zealand in race nine of the America’s Cup on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour, on March 16. (AP) admitted defeat and as the wind again wheeled to the west, the 10th race was as the Italians made use of their high postponed. mode to lead by 9 seconds after the Dallas matches most wins by a musher The teams will return Wednesday in second beat. what is likely to be a more stable At the final leeward mark the Italian breeze for what could be the last rites boat was only three seconds ahead and of the 36th Cup match, in the same made the mistake of allowing New area in which Team New Zealand beat Zealand separation, heading to the left Seavey captures record-tying 5th Iditarod title Luna Rossa 20 years ago to defend the while Team New Zealand took the Cup in the 30th match. Italy has never right. ANCHORAGE, Alaska, March 16, won the America’s Cup. On the first two occasions the boats (AP): Ever since Dallas Seavey be- Team New Zealand helmsman Peter converged, Luna Rossa was just ahead came the youngest musher to win the UFC intends to welcome fans next month Burling was philosophical that the and was able to tack ahead of Team Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 2012, match will go on for at least another New Zealand which headed back to he’s been bombarded by questions on LAS VEGAS, March 16, (AP): The to three events on Yas Island in Abu jurisdictions that would allow White day. the right. But after the second cross, whether he would eventually get fi ve UFC intends to stage a pay-per- Dhabi earlier this year, but its state- to resume competition so early in New Zealand picked up a shift on the race titles, the most ever by a musher. view show in front of an arena full side events have been held without the pandemic. “This team’s been in this position of fans on April 24 in Jacksonville, fans on its corporate campus in Las White repeatedly said he wouldn’t before. We just want to keep improv- right and overtook. “I think it was probably 10 minutes after I won that fi rst race that some- Florida. Vegas. hold events in front of socially dis- ing, keep moving forward and we’re By the windward mark it was 19 UFC President Dana White an- tanced, reduced-capacity crowds really excited about another race,” seconds ahead, having shown a speed body mentioned fi ve,” he told The As- sociated Press before this year’s race. nounced his plan on social media in North America. The UFC is now Burling said. “We know that one was advantage when allowed to sail its Monday to stage an event in front of MIXED MARTIAL ARTS returning to Jacksonville apparently a pretty close one, so we’re going to own race. That lead extended on the “At that point, I said I got to worry about No. 2 fi rst. I may be home- North American fans for the fi rst time because its city government is will- have to sail just as well in the next last downwind as Luna Rossa watched since March 2020. UFC 261 will fea- The UFC paused its near-weekly ing to go along with White’s plans. one.” the race slip away. schooled, but I know that much, two comes after one.” ture three title fi ghts, and the mixed competition for only eight weeks at Earlier this month after UFC 259, What racing was possible Tuesday The wind lightened as the race con- martial arts promotion intends to sell the start of the pandemic, returning White bemoaned the unwillingness was worth the price of admission. The tinued and a mistake was always likely Now Seavey, a 34-year-old consid- 15,000 tickets to the show. to action with three shows at VyStar of the mayors of several unnamed ninth race was the closest of the series, on a course full of wind holes and ered by many to have the potential to The UFC hasn’t fought in front Veterans Memorial Arena in Jack- Texas cities to welcome his events and by winning it New Zealand moved patches. become the race’s great champion, of a full arena since the start of the sonville in May 2020. The fi ghts with arenas full of fans even after to match point. “That was a painful one,” Luna will have to start fending off questions coronavirus pandemic. The promo- were held there because Florida Texas’ state government signaled The teams almost couldn’t be sepa- Rossa co-helmsman Francesco Bruni about No. 6. Seavey on Monday col- tion welcomed a few thousand fans was among the few North American its approval. rated on the first beat and rounded the said. “We couldn’t get every shift right lected his fi fth Iditarod title, winning the pandemic-shortened race by more first mark simultaneously, Luna Rossa and we missed the opportunity, but we that this would somehow change your whole attention and we’ll dwell in the fi rst Iditarod in 1973. credited with a 1-second advantage. have to think about the next race. than three hours over second-place musher Aaron Burmeister. me,” he said before the race. “We see on the records or the numbers when Seavey fi nished second to his father, The Italians doggedly protected “I think we did a fantastic race hon- that in sports quite a lot where we we’re too old to keep doing it. That’s three-time winner Mitch Seavey, in their lead and at the first leeward mark estly. No regrets.” He matched the record of fi ve wins by Rick Swenson, known as the King focus so much on one thing and the the time to look back at it,” he said. the 2017 race. Shortly after, Iditarod the boats were overlapped and Luna Team New Zealand pulled another offi cials announced that four of Dal- Rossa, with right of way, was able to of its escapes. It achieved the first pass of the Iditarod for picking up those ti- assumption that it is if you win, this “But right now, I want to keep mov- tles from 1977-91. is somehow miraculously going to ing.” las Seavey’s dogs tested positive for hold Team New Zealand away from of the regatta to win the seventh race banned opioid painkiller. the mark before rounding with an on Monday, then won the eighth race solve all your other problems. That’s He completed the 848-mile trail in 7 not the case.” days, 14 hours, 8 minutes and 57 sec- Seavey vehemently denied giv- 8-second lead. after splashing down and trailing by SLED DOG RACING ing his dogs any painkillers. A year New Zealand couldn’t gain upwind more than four minutes. Seavey said at the fi nish line he onds. Seavey has won titles in 2012, tries to give himself a little time after 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2021. later, the Iditarod reversed course and “It’s a big deal,” Seavey said at the each win to revel in it, but then it’s The victory also marks Seavey’s re- cleared Seavey of any wrongdoing. fi nish line after a race offi cial checked time to focus on the next thing, what- turn to the race that has been a part of But he skipped the Iditarod until this Comcast signs deal with to make sure his sled was complete ever it is. his family’s history since the start. His year, choosing to compete with his with a sleeping bag, axe, dog booties “Whatever you’re doing, give it grandfather, Dan Seavey, placed third dogs in Europe instead. and other mandatory gear. His 5 a.m. He said he holds no animosity to- fi nish was televised statewide.