A round-up of other sports news in brief...
Schumacher back behind the wheel
MOTOR SPORT: Michael Schumacher returned to the wheel of a Formula One car yesterday when he tested a 2007 Ferrari in the first step of his comeback.
The seven-times world champion is poised to fill in for injured Ferrari driver Felipe Massa at the European Grand Prix in Valencia on August 23rd and will continue to race until the Brazilian is able to return. The 40-year-old, who retired at the end of 2006, went out for a few laps at the Mugello track near Florence.
Its a great thing getting back on the track with an F1 even if this was a car from 2007, he said. After a couple of laps I was able to drive constant lap times and Im happy with the performance. Now weve got to see how my body and the muscles respond.
Loeb and Hirvonen set up a classic battle in Finland
MOTOR SPORT: World Rally Championship rivals Mikko Hirvonen and Sebastien Loeb enjoyed a thrilling battle for the lead on the first full day of the Rally of Finland.
Citroen driver Loeb, the defending world champion, had held the overnight lead after the opening run through the Killeri super special on Thursday evening, but was forced to give best to Hirvonen as the Ford driver secured four stage wins yesterday, Loeb picking up five, to open up a narrow lead of 3.3 seconds.
Hirvonen, celebrating his 29th birthday, assumed the lead on the morning’s first stage and held onto it throughout the day, but he and Loeb were never separated by more than 9.1 seconds in a nip-and-tuck battle which tees up what could be a classic battle over the course of the weekend.
The Ford driver, looking for victory in his home event, had been worried that running first on the road, having struggled when performing the same task at last year’s event, would hinder his chances on day one and was delighted to have shown good pace on the fast gravel stages.
“It’s been a good day for me – definitely a lot better than last year – and there haven’t been any problems, so it looks good at the moment,” he said “It’s going to be a difficult fight with Sebastien – and for sure he’s not going to give up.”
The second Citroen of Dani Sordo is running third, 20 seconds off Hirvonen’s lead, while Jari-Matti Latvala is a solid fourth for Ford.
India's sevens told to bulk up
RUGBY: India’s unfancied rugby sevens side must bulk up if they hope to make an impact at next year’s Commonwealth Games, eating seven meals and at least 15 eggs a day, the country’s South African coach said in Chennai, India, yesterday.
“I have told them (his players) they must eat at least 15 eggs a day, six for breakfast and the remaining nine any time, any how, during the day,” the country’s South African coach Norman Laker said.
“The players have three meals a day and that’s not enough. In South Africa, elite rugby players have seven meals a day.”
India is rated a lowly 83rd out of the 95 teams in the International Rugby Board rankings which are currently headed by South Africa.
“Indian players weigh 72-77 kg on an average whereas the international players weigh between 88 and 100 kg. That is the weight difference you have to make up,” Laker said. India is hosting the Commonwealth Games in October 2010.
Andreev on track to end drought
TENNIS: Third seed Igor Andreev moved into the semi-finals of the Suisse Open in Gstaad with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Frenchman Jeremy Chardy yesterday.
The Russian, seeking to end a four-year title drought, will next face Brazilian qualifier Thomaz Bellucci, who earned his last-four place in fortunate fashion when Nicolas Kiefer retired with a foot injury when leading 6-3, 0-1.
Marcos Daniel ensured a second Brazilian presence in the semi-finals with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/1) win over France’s Florent Serra, including a comeback from 1-4 behind to take the first set. Daniel’s next opponent will be the world number 51 Andreas Beck, who earned his place in the last four with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) win over the unseeded Romanian Victor Crivoi.
Meanwhile, Andrea Petkovic moved closer to completing a surprise WTA Tour double after moving into the semi-finals of the Istanbul Cup with a 6-3, 6-3 win over seventh seed Olga Govortseva.
Bids for 2018 winter Games begin
WINTER OLYMPICS: The search for the 2018 Winter Olympics hosts officially began yesterday when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) launched the bid process.
“National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have been invited to submit the name of a city within their jurisdiction as an applicant to host the Games in a little under nine years’ time,” the IOC said.
The lakeside town of Annecy in the French Alps, Munich and Pyeongchang in South Korea have said they intend to enter the race.
NOCs must name candidate cities by October 15th and the IOC will confirm acceptance by the end of next June. In the second stage of the process, candidate cities have to submit detailed descriptions of their projects. The winners will be chosen during an IOC session in Durban in July 2011. Vancouver will stage next years Winter Olympics and Sochi in Russia will host the 2014 event.
Spaniard tests positive for EPO
CYCLING: Spaniard Mikel Astarloza, 11th in the Tour de France, has been provisionally suspended following a positive out-of-competition test for the banned blood booster EPO, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said yesterday.
“Earlier today, the UCI advised Spanish rider Mikel Astarloza that he has been provisionally suspended,” the UCI said in a statement.
If the B sample is also positive he faces a two-year suspension.
