SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014 SPORTS Radionova glides to second gold BORDEAUX: Russian teen Elena ice in her skate to the Moulin Rouge Radionova blew away her rivals as the soundtrack, but is also hoping to make 15-year-old glided to her second fig- the Grand Prix final after her silver ure skating gold of the season at the medal at Skate Canada. Trophee Eric Bompard yesterday. Kazakh Denis Ten, the Olympic The two-time world junior champi- bronze medallist, is leading the men’s on radiated on the ice in Bordeaux as event going into Saturday’s free skat- her leading rivals fell in their free ing final ahead of Japan’s Tatsuki skate, to take the title ahead of fellow Machida, the Skate America winner. Russian Julia Lipnitskaya and two-time In pairs, Russia’s Ksenia Stolbova winner Ashley Wagner of the United and Fedor Klimov lead the short pro- States. gramme as they bid for a second gold Radionova scored a total of 203.92 in a week after the Cup of Russia, points for her flawless skate to ahead of Chinese pairs Sui Wenjing Selections by Sergei Rachmaninov, to and Han Cong; and Wang Xuehan and book her spot in next month’s ISU Wang Lei. Grand Prix final in Barcelona after also France’s Gabriella Papadakis and winning gold in the season-opening Guillaume Cizeron, already winners of Skate America. the Cup of China, are leading in the She finished 18.74 points ahead of ice dancing ahead of Canada’s Piper Lipnitskaya, 16, who fell on a triple flip Gilles and Paul Poirier, and Madison in her skate to ‘Romeo and Juliet’, but Hubbell and Zachary Donohue of the who also looks set for the Barcelona United States. After Bordeaux, the finale after her second silver after the Grand Prix series concludes next week Cup of China. She scored 185.18 over- with the NHK Trophy at Osaka, with all with Wagner achieving 177.74. the top six skaters in each of the four ABU DHABI: Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany, who captured the pole position (right) second fastest time Mercedes driver Lewis Wagner won the French title in disciplines qualifying for the Grand Hamilton of Britain (left) wave to spectators after the qualifying session ahead of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix. — AP 2012 and 2013 on the ice of Paris- Prix Final at Barcelona from December Bercy. But the 23-year-old also hit the 11-14. — AFP Rosberg takes pole for Formula One shootout ABU DHABI: Nico Rosberg beat Lewis have a record-equalling 18th pole of the year firm the handling feedback on a circuit that Hamilton to pole position for the Abu Dhabi and their 12th front row lockout and eighth in was cooling rapidly. Grand Prix but admitted it was only a “small succession. The German firm are also the first Hamilton was quickest by one-tenth of a step” in his desperate battle to stop his arch- engine supplier to take every pole position in a second, despite two errors, before the flag fell rival teammate taking the Formula One drivers’ season since Ford in 1969. The most intense to signal an early exit for the bottom five. title yesterday. drama came at the end of the final run when That meant farewell to the two Caterhams Rosberg produced a lap 0.386 seconds Hamilton, who had clocked a best time of of Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi and rookie Briton faster than Hamilton to extend Mercedes’ 1:40.920 in the second session made minor Will Stevens, who were 19th and 20th respec- record breaking domination of the season errors as he clocked a final lap of 1:40.866. It tively. Ahead of them, out went Frenchman going into the double points finale. was not enough to overhaul Rosberg. Romain Grosjean and Venezuelan Pastor The 29-year-old German produced his best “I generally didn’t have the best of laps but I Maldonado in 16th and 18th places, sandwich- lap of the weekend when he most needed it, enjoyed the qualifying session,” said a calm ing Mexican Esteban Gutierrez of Sauber, who clocking 1min 40.480sec to finish ahead of Hamilton. “Tomorrow is going to be a special was 17th. In the next session, Hamilton Hamilton with Valtteri Bottas third for Williams. day.” Asked about how he will approach the became the first driver to go below 1min 41sec “It’s only one step, a very small step,” said first corner of the race, Hamilton said: “Same as with a 1:40.920 lap. Rosberg had to abort his Rosberg after claiming his 11th pole of the sea- every time.” Brazilian Felipe Massa was fourth lap after running off the circuit at Turn Nine, at son and 14th of his career. “This weekend is fastest in the second Williams, ahead of the end of a long straight, and when he about the championship, not about pole posi- Australian Daniel Ricciardo and his outgoing returned for another lap, he was 0.539 seconds tion. It would have been great if there was a Red Bull team-mate four-time champion off Hamilton’s time. Williams in between us, but that can always German Sebastian Vettel. Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff said happen tomorrow!” Russian Daniil Kvyat was seventh for Toro Hamilton had a “messy” qualifying lap, but did But Rosberg knows he will need a lot of luck Rosso ahead of Briton Jenson Button, who may not expect it to influence his race performance. to stop Hamilton taking his second world title be in his last race for McLaren, Finn Kimi Wolf insisted he would not give any instruc- on Sunday. The Briton leads the title race by 17 Raikkonen of Ferrari and Spaniard Fernando tions to the drivers-who have at times between points and Rosberg can only overtake by win- Alonso in his last race for Ferrari. the best of enemies this season-before their ning the race, or come second, and hope that After a hot, dry day, the session began at final showdown. “I won’t tell them anything Hamilton suffers a setback or fails to score in a sunset. The track temperature was 32 degrees anymore. They are in their own little bubble race where double points are being awarded Celsius but was falling as twilight approached. and concentrating on the race. I think we for the first time. Whatever the result, Both Mercedes drivers were out swiftly on should leave them in peace now to concen- Mercedes are already celebrating. The team super-soft tyres, evidence of their need to con- trate on tomorrow,” he said. —AFP BORDEAUX: Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov from Russia perform during the figure iceskating event at the 2014 Eric Bompard Trophy. — AFP IAAF Athletes Monfils propels of the Year MONACO: Pole vault indoor record holder Renaud Lavillenie of France and shot putter France back into Valerie Adams of New Zealand were named world athletes of the year on Friday. The 28-year-old Lavillenie succeeded Usain Davis Cup final Bolt after clearing 6.16 meters to take Sergei Bubka’s 21-year-old mark in February. The Frenchman also won 21 of the 22 competitions LILLE: Gael Monfils rose to the occasion as dropping the first two. he entered this year, securing victories in the he upset Roger Federer 6-1 6-4 6-3 to help Diamond Race and at the European France level the Davis Cup final with BACKHAND WINNER Championships. Switzerland 1-1 on Friday. But this time, roared on by a record “This season couldn’t have been better. This After Stan Wawrinka had given the Swiss 27,432 crowd that were kept quiet during is really the dream season for me. I can only a 1-0 lead by beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1 Tsonga’s match, Monfils maintained his grip enjoy this and be very grateful to the whole 3-6 6-3 6-2, Monfils was at his best against to break for a 3-2 lead before finishing off athletics family,” Lavillenie said. “I think the the world number two who has struggled the contest on Federer’s serve with a stun- world record contributed to the award, but I recently with back problems. ning backhand winner down the line. Federer missed training this week after “It’s hard to say whether he is injured won other competitions too. I wasn’t as good being forced to withdraw from his ATP because I’m not necessarily looking at him,” as Valerie, I lost one competition, but 21 out of World Tour Final against Novak Djokovic in said Monfils. “But if he is here it is because 22 is not too bad in an event which is quite London today. “Clearly I did feel that I had he thinks he will beat you.” unpredictable.” not hit and played and moved at all for five Switzerland looked as if they were in the Lavillenie finished ahead of Qatari high days, and Gael played well,” Federer told a driving seat after Wawrinka’s defeat of jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim and marathon news conference. Tsonga who looked a pale shadow of his world record holder Dennis Kipruto Kimetto of “It’s not like I couldn’t play at all. Those normally aggressive self against the world Kenya.Adams, the Olympic champion, was who saw the match saw that it was a prop- number four. unbeaten while winning gold at the indoor er match and he was the better player at “I was confident.