Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Olympics-Figureskating-‘Relaxed’ prospect Kagiyama savours Games in team event
Still fresh-faced at 18, Japanese figure skater Yuma Kagiyama proved his rising star status on Saturday by finishing top of the table in the team event with a “relaxed” short programme that earned him a personal best score. Skating to the “Gladiator” soundtrack that gave him his ISU Grand Prix title in Turin in November, Kagiyama delivered a technically flawless performance for a score of 208.94, leaving him beaming and hopping off the rink towards his team mates.
Soccer-Rooney says he drank to cope with pressure during playing career
Former England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney said he was not prepared for the pressure that accompanied his rise to elite level soccer as a teenager and he turned to drink to cope with his problems. Derby County manager Rooney began his playing career with boyhood club Everton, scoring his first Premier League goal in spectacular fashion as a 16-year-old against Arsenal in 2002.
Olympics-Figureskating-China’s U.S.-born Zhu inconsolable after team event flop
A tearful Zhu Yi was inconsolable after nerves and pressure got the better of the U.S.-born Chinese figure skater, whose last-place performance knocked China to fifth place from third in the Beijing Games’ team event on Saturday. Skating to The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black”, Zhu tumbled on her first combination triple flip-triple toeloop jump, crashing into the wall, and bungled her triple loop later, scoring 47.03.
Olympics-Meeting with Peng to go ahead but no details provided- IOC
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will proceed with a meeting with former world number one doubles tennis player Peng Shuai during the Beijing Winter Olympics but details of the meeting will not be shared in advance, it said on Sunday.
The well-being of Peng, a three-time Olympian, became a matter of concern in November when she appeared to allege on social media that a former Chinese vice premier, Zhang Gaoli, had sexually assaulted her in the past.
Olympics-Figure skating-Valieva wows rivals and team mates alike in Olympic debut
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s pristine performance in her Olympic debut at the Beijing Games on Sunday drew pure awe from rivals and team mates who praised her prodigious athletic talent and maturity as the gold medal favourite. Still only 15, Valieva holds the world records for the short programme, free skate and total score.
NFL-Progress on head coach diversity ‘unacceptable’, commissioner Goodell tells teams
The NFL will reevaluate its policies relating to diversity, equity and inclusion, commissioner Roger Goodell told the clubs on Saturday, days after former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the league. Flores, who is Black, was fired by the Dolphins last month after back-to-back seasons with winning records, saying it was emblematic of the treatment of Black coaches, who comprise a fraction of team staff positions while 70% of NFL players are Black.
Golf-Spieth risks life and limb in Pebble Beach high-wire act
Jordan Spieth risked injury, or worse, when he boldly decided to play his ball from the edge of a cliff in a high-wire act at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California on Saturday. Spieth’s tee shot stopped within a couple of feet of the cliff edge, with nothing but rocks and the Pacific Ocean way below calling his name had he not retained his balance on his follow-through.
Tennis-Del Potro close to retirement as injuries take their toll
Argentine tennis player Juan Martin Del Potro is considering an imminent retirement from the sport, saying recurring injuries mean two tournaments in Argentina and Brazil this month will “possibly” be his last. “This is one of the hardest messages I’ve ever had to face up to and communicate,” the 33-year-old told reporters in Buenos Aires on Saturday.
Olympics-Snowboarding-‘Proud Kiwi’ Sadowski-Synnott bags New Zealand’s first Winter Games gold
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand said she was a “proud Kiwi” after winning gold in the women’s slopestyle event at the Beijing Olympics on Sunday, snagging the nation’s first-ever Winter Games gold medal. Rival snowboarders said the 20-year-old’s final run pushed the women’s field to the next level and called it a giant leap for the sport.
Olympics-Alpine skiing-Cold food riles Germany coach, U.S. bring own pasta
It’s not only the wind whipping the pistes that is cold up on the mountains hosting the Beijing Olympics. After high winds on Sunday forced organisers to postpone the Alpine flagship event, the men’s downhill race, Germany’s coach lamented there was no hot food available for athletes racing on the brand new course nicknamed “The Rock”.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
