The four-year-old daughter of former boxer Mike Tyson has died after she was critically injured when her neck was caught in a cord on a treadmill machine at her home in Arizona.
Exodus Tyson was playing near the exercise equipment in the family home in Phoenix when the accident happened on Monday morning.
Police said her seven-year-old brother, who was playing in another room, found Exodus with the cord around her neck and immediately alerted their mother, who had been cleaning elsewhere in the house. She was taken to hospital in critical condition and placed on life support but died a few hours later.
"Somehow she was playing on this treadmill, and there's a cord that hangs under the console — it's kind of a loop," police Sergeant Andy Hill told Fox news. "Either she slipped or put her head in the loop, but it acted like a noose, and she was obviously unable to get herself off of it."
Her mother took Exodus off the cable and immediately attempted to revive her. She then called police and the child was rushed to St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Centre in central Phoenix.
Sergeant Hill said everything in the investigation pointed to an accident. "There's nothing in the investigation that revealed anything suspicious," he said.
Tyson, the former heavyweight champion, had been in Las Vegas but flew to Phoenix immediately after learning of the accident. Brief TV footage showed Tyson arriving at the hospital in a white button-up and black pants, and looking around with a frown before going inside.
In a statement released early this morning, the Tyson family said: "There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Exodus. We ask you now to please respect our need at this very difficult time for privacy to grieve and try to help each other heal."
Exodus was described by neighbours as a friendly, lively child, who regularly played outside the family home in the quiet, modest neighbourhood.
Dinka Radic, who lives across the street, said Exodus would ask her if she had any chocolate. When Ms Radic gave her some, the young child would hug the woman's knees and “kiss, kiss, kiss”.
“She'd say ‘hi’ to everybody. She was really friendly,” Abdul Khalik, 53, who lives next door, told Associated Press.
He said Exodus rode her bicycle around the neighbourhood and often played with his two children and his niece.
Ben Brodhurst, 20, who lives across the street, said Exodus was “very lively, very enjoyable to be around”.
Once dubbed “the baddest man on the planet” - famously, the boxer partially bit Evander Holyfield’s ear off in a championship bout, an action that cost him a $3 million (£2 million) fine - Tyson has retired from competitive boxing.
“Iron Mike” was the subject of a documentary by director James Toback, which was released in Britain in March. The retired boxer remains the youngest man ever to win the top three world heavyweight titles after winning the World Boxing Council title at the age of 20.
Now 42, he does exhibition boxing shows and product endorsements. Tyson has been embroiled in many controversies over the years, having been convicted and served time for rape and separately for drug possession and drink driving.
He has been married twice and has six children with several women. He served three years in prison after being convicted in 1992 of raping a former beauty queen, the 18-year-old Desiree Washington, in a hotel room.
He said recently: “I was a hero under dark circumstances. I allowed it to happen. I’ve got nobody to blame but myself. I got bad advisers and I must have run through $300 or $400 million. I just about killed myself in pursuit of money, drugs and sex."
Source:The times
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Andy Murray through to third round of French Open
Andy Murray is through to the third round of the French Open after overcoming a brief scare against the stubborn Potito Starace. The British No 1 won 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 against the Italian on Philippe Chatrier court, setting up a third-round match with either Janko Tipsarevic or Feliciano Lopez, the 28th seed.
Murray started and finished solidly but his form dipped dramatically in the second and third sets, when he lost 11 out of 13 games to the World No 104. In that third set, he recovered from 5-1 down to win six games in a row, and that laid the platform for his battling victory. It is the second year in a row he has made the third round at Roland Garros.
As Murray predicted, Starace stuck stubbornly behind his baseline throughout but after a slow start the 27-year-old showed why the Scot had dubbed him a clay-court specialist and a "top player" on the eve of the match. The first set was all about Murray's nagging consistency. Although he landed just 62 per cent of his first serves, that department was very solid as he dropped just three points on serve.
It meant Starace was always under pressure on his serve, and after Murray squandered two break points in the third game, he earned two more in game five, taking the second of them with a fading backhand down the line.
The Scot took the 31-minute set at the first time of asking when Starace netted trying to retrieve a cute Murray drop shot but the flow of the match suddenly changed. Starace upped both his intensity and aggression, and Murray - whose first-serve percentage slipped to 52% - suffered.
The Briton saved two early break points but was up against it in his next service game, in the third game of the set, as he faced five more. He saved the first four, each time coming to the net, but on the fifth Starace emerged triumphant thanks to a blocked backhand at the end of a wonderful rally.
A powerful cross-court backhand on the first of two break points allowed Starace to go 4-1 up and he did not wilt in the face of fierce Murray resistance when serving for the set, taking it at the fourth time of asking.
Murray was just as error-prone at the start of a riveting third set, as he was broken twice to slip 5-1 down. The 22-year-old looked down and out but after saving a set point the next game, he launched a memorable comeback.
Retrieving drop-shots he was not making earlier, Murray won another five games in the spin - one of which contained another Starace set point - as he broke three times to claim a set that looked to have got away from him.
The fourth and final set went with serve until 5-4, when Murray claimed a hard-fought victory on his third match point with a fiercely whipped, cross-court forehand.
Source:The times
Murray started and finished solidly but his form dipped dramatically in the second and third sets, when he lost 11 out of 13 games to the World No 104. In that third set, he recovered from 5-1 down to win six games in a row, and that laid the platform for his battling victory. It is the second year in a row he has made the third round at Roland Garros.
As Murray predicted, Starace stuck stubbornly behind his baseline throughout but after a slow start the 27-year-old showed why the Scot had dubbed him a clay-court specialist and a "top player" on the eve of the match. The first set was all about Murray's nagging consistency. Although he landed just 62 per cent of his first serves, that department was very solid as he dropped just three points on serve.
It meant Starace was always under pressure on his serve, and after Murray squandered two break points in the third game, he earned two more in game five, taking the second of them with a fading backhand down the line.
The Scot took the 31-minute set at the first time of asking when Starace netted trying to retrieve a cute Murray drop shot but the flow of the match suddenly changed. Starace upped both his intensity and aggression, and Murray - whose first-serve percentage slipped to 52% - suffered.
The Briton saved two early break points but was up against it in his next service game, in the third game of the set, as he faced five more. He saved the first four, each time coming to the net, but on the fifth Starace emerged triumphant thanks to a blocked backhand at the end of a wonderful rally.
A powerful cross-court backhand on the first of two break points allowed Starace to go 4-1 up and he did not wilt in the face of fierce Murray resistance when serving for the set, taking it at the fourth time of asking.
Murray was just as error-prone at the start of a riveting third set, as he was broken twice to slip 5-1 down. The 22-year-old looked down and out but after saving a set point the next game, he launched a memorable comeback.
Retrieving drop-shots he was not making earlier, Murray won another five games in the spin - one of which contained another Starace set point - as he broke three times to claim a set that looked to have got away from him.
The fourth and final set went with serve until 5-4, when Murray claimed a hard-fought victory on his third match point with a fiercely whipped, cross-court forehand.
Source:The times
Warren Gatland hopes Waikato can do Lions a favour
Warren Gatland knows a Lions tour from both sides of the fence. He understands the furious motivation of those who play against the Lions, knowing it to be an opportunity unlikely to recur because the touring side only come by every 12 years, and now he is discovering the hazards of putting together the disparate elements that comprise the best of the home unions.
Gatland was captain of the exceptional Waikato XV that put the Lions to the sword 38-10 in the penultimate match of the 1993 series in New Zealand. This week he became the second New Zealander - Graham Henry, in 2001, was the first - to help to prepare a Lions XV for a tour.
This year's Lions begin in Rustenburg on Saturday against the Royal XV, a conglomerate drawn from the Griquas, Leopards and Pumas, based respectively in Kimberley, Potchefstroom and Witbank. The Lions' first opponents include half-a-dozen players with Super 14 experience, notably at half back where Naas Olivier and Sarel Pretorius will direct the Royal XV at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace. The selection is dominated by the Griquas, winners in 2007 of the Vodacom Cup and semi-finalists last year; they have 11 players in the starting XV but the Leopards provide the captain in Wilhelm Koch, the flanker related to the Springbok prop, Chris Koch, who played against the 1955 Lions.
As head coach of Wales, Gatland has enjoyed lobbing verbal stones at the opposition in the build-up to matches, although his suggestion in March that the Welsh hate the Irish rebounded badly when Ireland completed their grand slam in Cardiff. Here there will be no hostages to fortune; the coaching staff have their work cut out building the togetherness essential to success, starting with three matches on unyielding surfaces on the high veld. But Gatland will also keep an eye on his old mates from Waikato, who, as the Chiefs, contest the Super 14 final in Pretoria on Saturday. If they beat the Bulls they bring down the team likely to provide the biggest representation to the Springboks.
Having a team in the Super 14 final is an advantage, players will come into the Springbok squad with real confidence,” the Lions forwards coach said. “But we have a group of players who have achieved things in the Heineken Cup [although the seven players involved in last weekend's European finals will not play on Saturday].”
He understands, too, the need for the Lions to go back to basics. A year ago, Gatland brought Wales to South Africa for two internationals thinking he could pick up where he had left off after their 2008 grand slam, but the ten-week break had to be made up. Wales were well beaten in the first international, improved hugely a week later and then nearly beat the world champions at the Millennium Stadium in November.
“Bringing a group of players together like this, you're starting from scratch,” Gatland said. “So we're very pleased with the progress we made in our first week together. If we thought it was hopeless, we shouldn't be here - you have to have that desire, ambition and self-belief that you can put a performance together.”
Royal XV
R Jeacocks; E Seconds, D van Rensburg, H Coetzee, B Basson; N Olivier, S Pretorius; A Buckle, R Barnes, B Roux, R Mathee, J Lombaard, W Koch, D Raubenheim, J Mokuena. Replacements: P van der Westhuizen, S Roberts, R Landman, R W Kember, V Coetzee, R Viljoen, V Bowles.
Source:The times
Gatland was captain of the exceptional Waikato XV that put the Lions to the sword 38-10 in the penultimate match of the 1993 series in New Zealand. This week he became the second New Zealander - Graham Henry, in 2001, was the first - to help to prepare a Lions XV for a tour.
This year's Lions begin in Rustenburg on Saturday against the Royal XV, a conglomerate drawn from the Griquas, Leopards and Pumas, based respectively in Kimberley, Potchefstroom and Witbank. The Lions' first opponents include half-a-dozen players with Super 14 experience, notably at half back where Naas Olivier and Sarel Pretorius will direct the Royal XV at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace. The selection is dominated by the Griquas, winners in 2007 of the Vodacom Cup and semi-finalists last year; they have 11 players in the starting XV but the Leopards provide the captain in Wilhelm Koch, the flanker related to the Springbok prop, Chris Koch, who played against the 1955 Lions.
As head coach of Wales, Gatland has enjoyed lobbing verbal stones at the opposition in the build-up to matches, although his suggestion in March that the Welsh hate the Irish rebounded badly when Ireland completed their grand slam in Cardiff. Here there will be no hostages to fortune; the coaching staff have their work cut out building the togetherness essential to success, starting with three matches on unyielding surfaces on the high veld. But Gatland will also keep an eye on his old mates from Waikato, who, as the Chiefs, contest the Super 14 final in Pretoria on Saturday. If they beat the Bulls they bring down the team likely to provide the biggest representation to the Springboks.
Having a team in the Super 14 final is an advantage, players will come into the Springbok squad with real confidence,” the Lions forwards coach said. “But we have a group of players who have achieved things in the Heineken Cup [although the seven players involved in last weekend's European finals will not play on Saturday].”
He understands, too, the need for the Lions to go back to basics. A year ago, Gatland brought Wales to South Africa for two internationals thinking he could pick up where he had left off after their 2008 grand slam, but the ten-week break had to be made up. Wales were well beaten in the first international, improved hugely a week later and then nearly beat the world champions at the Millennium Stadium in November.
“Bringing a group of players together like this, you're starting from scratch,” Gatland said. “So we're very pleased with the progress we made in our first week together. If we thought it was hopeless, we shouldn't be here - you have to have that desire, ambition and self-belief that you can put a performance together.”
Royal XV
R Jeacocks; E Seconds, D van Rensburg, H Coetzee, B Basson; N Olivier, S Pretorius; A Buckle, R Barnes, B Roux, R Mathee, J Lombaard, W Koch, D Raubenheim, J Mokuena. Replacements: P van der Westhuizen, S Roberts, R Landman, R W Kember, V Coetzee, R Viljoen, V Bowles.
Source:The times
Keith Senior inspires Rhinos to find their feet again on home turf
Leeds Rhinos, after three consecutive defeats at Headingley Carnegie and in danger of suffering their worst losing sequence there since 1985, responded with their first home win for two months last night to move back to within two points of St Helens and a point of Hull Kingston Rovers at the top of the engage Super League.
Hull’s hopes of exploiting any Leeds nerves were comprehensively dashed by the champions, who produced their biggest win of the year. As well as failing to handle the Rhinos’ superior pace, their defence was unpicked at the fringes in succumbing to eight tries, two of them by Keith Senior — the veteran centre’s 151st and 152nd on his 300th Leeds appearance.
Although competitive in the first half, Hull fell away badly in a seventh defeat that leaves them struggling to keep a toehold in the top eight. Lee Smith opened Leeds’s account with the first of his two tries, to which Richard Whiting swiftly replied by pocketing Lee Radford’s kick to the corner.
Senior re-established the home team’s lead and Brent Webb stretched the advantage with a wonderful piece of athleticism to shrug off Chris Thorman and catch Danny McGuire’s chip at full stretch and touch down. Kirk Yeaman did equally well to ground Richard Horne’s grubber for Hull’s second try, but they let their concentration slip as half-time sounded in allowing Carl Ablett to score. Sam Moa’s knock-on after the resumption resulted in Smith’s second try from a scrum on halfway. Hull’s vulnerability from the set-piece was again exposed by Senior’s blind-side run, before McGuire put Senior into a yawning gap and Kevin Sinfield completed the rout.
- Scorers: Leeds Rhinos: Tries: Smith 2, Senior 2, Webb, Ablett, Hall, Sinfield. Goals: Sinfield 7. Hull: Tries: Whiting, Yeaman, Radford. Goals: Tickle 2.
Leeds Rhinos: B Webb; S Donald, L Smith, K Senior, R Hall; K Sinfield, D McGuire; K Leuluai, D Buderus, J Peacock, J Jones-Buchanan, I Kirke, C Ablett. Interchange: R Bailey, A Lauitiiti, M Diskin, L Burgess.
Hull: M Tony; M Calderwood, R Whiting, K Yeaman, G Raynor; R Horne, C Thorman; E Dowes, S Berrigan, J Thackray, M Burnett, D Tickle, L Radford. Interchange: P King, D Houghton, T Lee, S Moa.
Referee: T Alibert.
Source:The times
Hull’s hopes of exploiting any Leeds nerves were comprehensively dashed by the champions, who produced their biggest win of the year. As well as failing to handle the Rhinos’ superior pace, their defence was unpicked at the fringes in succumbing to eight tries, two of them by Keith Senior — the veteran centre’s 151st and 152nd on his 300th Leeds appearance.
Although competitive in the first half, Hull fell away badly in a seventh defeat that leaves them struggling to keep a toehold in the top eight. Lee Smith opened Leeds’s account with the first of his two tries, to which Richard Whiting swiftly replied by pocketing Lee Radford’s kick to the corner.
Senior re-established the home team’s lead and Brent Webb stretched the advantage with a wonderful piece of athleticism to shrug off Chris Thorman and catch Danny McGuire’s chip at full stretch and touch down. Kirk Yeaman did equally well to ground Richard Horne’s grubber for Hull’s second try, but they let their concentration slip as half-time sounded in allowing Carl Ablett to score. Sam Moa’s knock-on after the resumption resulted in Smith’s second try from a scrum on halfway. Hull’s vulnerability from the set-piece was again exposed by Senior’s blind-side run, before McGuire put Senior into a yawning gap and Kevin Sinfield completed the rout.
- Scorers: Leeds Rhinos: Tries: Smith 2, Senior 2, Webb, Ablett, Hall, Sinfield. Goals: Sinfield 7. Hull: Tries: Whiting, Yeaman, Radford. Goals: Tickle 2.
Leeds Rhinos: B Webb; S Donald, L Smith, K Senior, R Hall; K Sinfield, D McGuire; K Leuluai, D Buderus, J Peacock, J Jones-Buchanan, I Kirke, C Ablett. Interchange: R Bailey, A Lauitiiti, M Diskin, L Burgess.
Hull: M Tony; M Calderwood, R Whiting, K Yeaman, G Raynor; R Horne, C Thorman; E Dowes, S Berrigan, J Thackray, M Burnett, D Tickle, L Radford. Interchange: P King, D Houghton, T Lee, S Moa.
Referee: T Alibert.
Source:The times
Conduit tops bill on absorbing evening card at Sandown Park
Great trainers are not so much defined by big triumphs as by the top races they have yet to win. Those races are few and far between where Sir Michael Stoute is concerned, and the horse which ended Stoute's St Leger drought last season now takes his first step towards the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. That is another rare prize that has eluded him.
Indeed, of the 32 championship races run in Britain each year, the only one to escape Stoute's clutches is the Middle Park Stakes. He also has a Champion Hurdle on his CV, courtesy of Kribensis, and while the likes of Dafayna won the Golden Jubilee Stakes before it gained group one status, the Newmarket trainer will almost certainly address such nit-picking before long.
Conduit, then, is the main attraction on a fascinating Blue Square-sponsored card at Sandown this evening. However, the four-year-old is up against it with the 7lb penalty he carries for winning the St Leger and Breeders' Cup Turf. He will be that much worse off with Campanologist, who bettered him at Royal Ascot last term, yet Conduit's rate of progress was such that few expect those placings to be confirmed.
Campanologist is another making his seasonal debut in the ten-furlong Brigadier Gerard Stakes and Saeed bin Suroor, his trainer, acknowledged the size of the task facing his colt. “It looks more like a group one race than a group three,” he said, “but Campanologist is in good order. I am hopeful that he will run a nice race.”
Also in the line-up are Cima de Triomphe, last year's winner of the Italian Derby now trained by Luca Cumani, and Pipedreamer, trained by John Gosden for the Thompson family's Cheveley Park Stud. Pipedreamer was touched off by Tartan Bearer on his own comeback at Sandown last month and connections are expecting another forward showing.
“He showed a good turn of foot that day and was perhaps unlucky to get caught,” Chris Richardson, managing director of Cheveley Park Stud, said yesterday. “He has progressed for it, receives weight from Conduit, and while Conduit is a top-class horse, he might benefit from racing over farther.”
Richardson reported that Phillipina, the Stoute-trained Oaks entry, did some pleasing work on the gallops yesterday. However, he said: “From our point of view, we are keener on the Ribblesdale Stakes because Epsom might just be a bit tough for her. She still runs a bit green and still works that way, too. The Thompsons enjoy Royal Ascot so much, and it has been a lucky meeting for them in the past.”
Stoute ruled out another Oaks candidate yesterday when he diverted Leocorno to the Ribblesdale Stakes. Like Conduit and Tartan Bearer, Leocorno is owned by Ballymacoll Stud, whose livery is also carried by Patkai at Sandown this evening. The four-year-old, ante-post favourite for the Gold Cup, will be a warm order in the Henry II Stakes after his processional victory at Ascot four weeks ago.
That was Patkai's second victory from as many starts over two miles. Among his opponents are Geordieland and Fiulin, both of whom excel on a sound surface, and Tastahil, whose connections are hoping for further rain.
Whatever the weather, Patkai should take plenty of stopping en route to a Royal Ascot prize that Stoute landed for the first and only time with Shangamuzo 31 years ago.
Source:The times
Indeed, of the 32 championship races run in Britain each year, the only one to escape Stoute's clutches is the Middle Park Stakes. He also has a Champion Hurdle on his CV, courtesy of Kribensis, and while the likes of Dafayna won the Golden Jubilee Stakes before it gained group one status, the Newmarket trainer will almost certainly address such nit-picking before long.
Conduit, then, is the main attraction on a fascinating Blue Square-sponsored card at Sandown this evening. However, the four-year-old is up against it with the 7lb penalty he carries for winning the St Leger and Breeders' Cup Turf. He will be that much worse off with Campanologist, who bettered him at Royal Ascot last term, yet Conduit's rate of progress was such that few expect those placings to be confirmed.
Campanologist is another making his seasonal debut in the ten-furlong Brigadier Gerard Stakes and Saeed bin Suroor, his trainer, acknowledged the size of the task facing his colt. “It looks more like a group one race than a group three,” he said, “but Campanologist is in good order. I am hopeful that he will run a nice race.”
Also in the line-up are Cima de Triomphe, last year's winner of the Italian Derby now trained by Luca Cumani, and Pipedreamer, trained by John Gosden for the Thompson family's Cheveley Park Stud. Pipedreamer was touched off by Tartan Bearer on his own comeback at Sandown last month and connections are expecting another forward showing.
“He showed a good turn of foot that day and was perhaps unlucky to get caught,” Chris Richardson, managing director of Cheveley Park Stud, said yesterday. “He has progressed for it, receives weight from Conduit, and while Conduit is a top-class horse, he might benefit from racing over farther.”
Richardson reported that Phillipina, the Stoute-trained Oaks entry, did some pleasing work on the gallops yesterday. However, he said: “From our point of view, we are keener on the Ribblesdale Stakes because Epsom might just be a bit tough for her. She still runs a bit green and still works that way, too. The Thompsons enjoy Royal Ascot so much, and it has been a lucky meeting for them in the past.”
Stoute ruled out another Oaks candidate yesterday when he diverted Leocorno to the Ribblesdale Stakes. Like Conduit and Tartan Bearer, Leocorno is owned by Ballymacoll Stud, whose livery is also carried by Patkai at Sandown this evening. The four-year-old, ante-post favourite for the Gold Cup, will be a warm order in the Henry II Stakes after his processional victory at Ascot four weeks ago.
That was Patkai's second victory from as many starts over two miles. Among his opponents are Geordieland and Fiulin, both of whom excel on a sound surface, and Tastahil, whose connections are hoping for further rain.
Whatever the weather, Patkai should take plenty of stopping en route to a Royal Ascot prize that Stoute landed for the first and only time with Shangamuzo 31 years ago.
Source:The times
US drug 'candy stores' under spotlight
In a candid interview, Doug Logan, the chief executive of USA Track & Field (USATF), also spoke of his admiration for the controversial life ban used by the British Olympic Association (BOA), accused other sports of “burying the problem” and laid the ground rules for Justin Gatlin's controversial return to the sport next year.
Logan, who drug-tested his staff when he became Major League Soccer's first commissioner, said: “You can get whatever you want in any gym in the United States. It's like a candy store. Nine-year-old kids know the pharmacology and know how to get access to it. We need to develop a collective national conscience and bring about a culture change.
“In the past there has not been the determination to clean it up. People said it was an aberration. Then when the numbers got bigger the apologists still said it was only 4 per cent. Sports management is a very defensive profession and wants to protect the image. For too long it's been an exercise in defensiveness - well, we have to admit the magnitude of the problem.”
Where the United States was once seen as the root of much evil, the post-Balco landscape has slowly started to change; the cynical explanation for the men's dismal showing in last year's Olympics in Beijing was that they were off drugs. Logan, who took his job just before the Games, knows the problem will never be solved and that, for an issue that appears black and white, there are many grey areas. Hence, he applauds the BOA ban that prevented Dwain Chambers from running in Beijing, but talks of America as a “redemptive society”.
He also has no problem with the return of Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic 100 metres champion who has twice failed drugs tests. “There has to be a price you pay in coming back,” Logan said, citing three “tolls”. “If you took money unfairly there has to be restitution. Secondly, there has to be some form of community service that helps our battle, participation in clinics and advocacy, so people can learn from your mistakes. Thirdly, a key ingredient is to come clean in what they did and who they did it with. 'I didn't know it was happening' is no longer acceptable.”
To date that has been Gatlin's response, blaming his second positive drugs test in 2006 on sabotage. So had Gatlin, who this year settled his civil suit against USATF and other agencies regarding his first positive test, been more candid in private? “Yes,” Logan said. “We have a statement from Justin which comes very close to what we are looking for with regards to what occurred. Those three elements will be there.” Rules regarding dopers returning to action and coaching are due to be released this summer.
The return of Gatlin, 27, will be a huge event. He might have had a life ban but for cutting a deal with the anti-doping agencies and last year had a career-ending eight-year ban halved by the American Arbitration Association. Now he says he and not Usain Bolt should be the world No1.
The “redemptive society” notwithstanding, Logan said there had been “discussions” with regards to adopting a BOA-type ban. “I admire what has been done in Britain regards sanctions and wish our sanctions were steeper,” he said. “But you also have to remember that, on a sport-by-sport basis, we have the stiffest penalties. A first offence in baseball is 50 games, which sounds a lot but is two months. A first offence in football is four games. In athletics it's two years - that's career-changing, possibly termination.
“There's an issue of drugs in just about every sport. That's the reality. In team sports, well, managers are still happy to bury the issue. You have to accept it, then fight it.”
- The Project 30 Task Force, including athletes such as Carl Lewis and Deena Kastor, delivered its verdict on US athletics this year. It handed Logan a 69-page report that claimed athletes did not conduct themselves in a professional manner and that spending $1million (about £650,000) on the relay had proved a waste of money.
Source:The times
Logan, who drug-tested his staff when he became Major League Soccer's first commissioner, said: “You can get whatever you want in any gym in the United States. It's like a candy store. Nine-year-old kids know the pharmacology and know how to get access to it. We need to develop a collective national conscience and bring about a culture change.
“In the past there has not been the determination to clean it up. People said it was an aberration. Then when the numbers got bigger the apologists still said it was only 4 per cent. Sports management is a very defensive profession and wants to protect the image. For too long it's been an exercise in defensiveness - well, we have to admit the magnitude of the problem.”
Where the United States was once seen as the root of much evil, the post-Balco landscape has slowly started to change; the cynical explanation for the men's dismal showing in last year's Olympics in Beijing was that they were off drugs. Logan, who took his job just before the Games, knows the problem will never be solved and that, for an issue that appears black and white, there are many grey areas. Hence, he applauds the BOA ban that prevented Dwain Chambers from running in Beijing, but talks of America as a “redemptive society”.
He also has no problem with the return of Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic 100 metres champion who has twice failed drugs tests. “There has to be a price you pay in coming back,” Logan said, citing three “tolls”. “If you took money unfairly there has to be restitution. Secondly, there has to be some form of community service that helps our battle, participation in clinics and advocacy, so people can learn from your mistakes. Thirdly, a key ingredient is to come clean in what they did and who they did it with. 'I didn't know it was happening' is no longer acceptable.”
To date that has been Gatlin's response, blaming his second positive drugs test in 2006 on sabotage. So had Gatlin, who this year settled his civil suit against USATF and other agencies regarding his first positive test, been more candid in private? “Yes,” Logan said. “We have a statement from Justin which comes very close to what we are looking for with regards to what occurred. Those three elements will be there.” Rules regarding dopers returning to action and coaching are due to be released this summer.
The return of Gatlin, 27, will be a huge event. He might have had a life ban but for cutting a deal with the anti-doping agencies and last year had a career-ending eight-year ban halved by the American Arbitration Association. Now he says he and not Usain Bolt should be the world No1.
The “redemptive society” notwithstanding, Logan said there had been “discussions” with regards to adopting a BOA-type ban. “I admire what has been done in Britain regards sanctions and wish our sanctions were steeper,” he said. “But you also have to remember that, on a sport-by-sport basis, we have the stiffest penalties. A first offence in baseball is 50 games, which sounds a lot but is two months. A first offence in football is four games. In athletics it's two years - that's career-changing, possibly termination.
“There's an issue of drugs in just about every sport. That's the reality. In team sports, well, managers are still happy to bury the issue. You have to accept it, then fight it.”
- The Project 30 Task Force, including athletes such as Carl Lewis and Deena Kastor, delivered its verdict on US athletics this year. It handed Logan a 69-page report that claimed athletes did not conduct themselves in a professional manner and that spending $1million (about £650,000) on the relay had proved a waste of money.
Source:The times
Major success the next goal for Paul Casey after he climbs to third in world
In years to come, Paul Casey will look back on his career and give praise to Wentworth. Three years ago, the Englishman walked away from the West Course with the World Match Play Championship in his pocket and yesterday he went one better when he held his nerve under intense pressure to win the most prestigious of European Tour titles, the BMW PGA Championship.
It moved the Europe Ryder Cup player to No 3 in the world and allowed him to join an exclusive club. Only four other British players have climbed so high in the world rankings and Casey admitted that he was flattered to be spoken of in the same breath as Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie, three of whom are major champions.
“That’s very impressive,” he said. “But I have a long way to go to get close to achieving what they have.” On his immediate radar, however, is a serious attempt to win his first major championship, starting with the US Open at Bethpage State Park, New York, next month. At 31, Casey knows he is about to enter his prime and has taken consolation in the past from the fact that Faldo was 30 when he won the first of his six major championships. Things are about to get serious.
Casey, who had led the field by three shots at the start of the round, was chased all the way to the finishing line by Ross Fisher, a fellow Englishman, who started the day five shots behind but threw down the gauntlet with a stunning round of 64 that left Casey requiring a birdie at the last, the par-five 18th, to guarantee victory. By this stage Soren Kjeldsen, his playing partner, had fallen away.
There might have been a flutter of anxiety when Casey found a bunker at the front of the green with his approach. But he hit an exquisite shot over the flag and to within five feet of the hole and rolled in the putt for a 68 in a 17-under-par total of 271 and victory by one stroke. It was his third title this year, his eleventh in all, and, with a winner’s cheque of about £670,000, it moved him to the top of the standings in the Race to Dubai. His form is something to behold.
It would be true to say that Casey has made heavy weather of closing out tournaments in the past. At the Wales Open in 2004, he surrendered a four-shot lead with seven holes to play before losing out to Simon Khan in a sudden-death play-off. But what in the past has hurt him has now made him stronger.
At the Abu Dhabi Championship this year, he held a comfortable lead in the final round before wobbling down the stretch on his way to victory. And at the Shell Houston Open he needed a par at the last to win outright but bogeyed the hole before going on to beat J. B. Holmes in a play-off for his first win on American soil. But as Tiger Woods says, it is the W (a win) that counts, however it might be achieved.
Casey was disappointed not to have won in 2008 — after all, he had at least one victory to his name every year since 2005 — but has made up for it this year in spectacular fashion, also getting to the final of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship, in Tucson, Arizona, where he lost to Geoff Ogilvy in the final. He blames the barren year on focusing too hard on the majors but now says he concentrates only on the immediate problem in front of him.
His interview style, like his golf this year, has taken on a slightly more conservative approach. As with his shots, he chooses his words carefully and does not wish to be thought of as brash. His golf, he hopes, will do most of the speaking for him.
Casey’s shot of the day yesterday was one of 160 yards from a fairway bunker at the 3rd to within two feet of the flag. It was his first birdie of the day and retrieved the shot he had dropped at the 1st. He tended to use fairway woods off most of the tees, relying on his considerable power and the fact that in warm, dry conditions, the course was running fast. It was sensible, no-nonsense play.
In one light-hearted moment at the 7th, his caddie asked a follower on the fairway to move out of Casey’s eyeline. “He probably owns BMW,” Casey said as an aside. In fact it was Richard Carey, the owner of Wentworth, who moved just slowly enough to let people know he was more than a little important.
As he was standing waiting to putt at the 9th, the cheers that poured all the way back from the 10th let Casey know that Fisher was on the move. He had already bagged four birdies in reaching the turn in 31 and another, this time courtesy of a putt from around 25 feet, drew him level, on 13 under par, at the top of the leaderboard. But Casey was not to be denied. At no point was he behind and birdies at the 12th, 15th, 17th and 18th secured a well-deserved victory. He had reached the turn in 35 and came home in 33.
- Colin Montgomerie, who scored 76 in his final round at Wentworth, gave up on the chance to play in the US Open by pulling out of the 36-hole qualifying tournament at Walton Heath today. The only time Montgomerie had previously missed the US Open since finishing third on his debut in 1992 was in 2004.
Great Britain or Ireland unless stated:
271: P Casey 69, 67, 67, 68. 272: R Fisher 68, 73, 67, 64. 275: S Kjeldsen (Den) 69, 69, 68, 69. 276: S Dodd 71, 68, 70, 67. 278: R McIlroy 72, 70, 65, 71. 279: A Wall 67, 71, 72, 69; C Schwartzel (SA) 68, 72, 68, 71; B Curtis (US) 69, 70, 73, 67. 280: T Levet (Fr) 70, 71, 68, 71. 281: T Aiken (SA) 72, 67, 74, 68. 282: M Kaymer (Ger) 72, 70, 70, 70; G Fernández-Castaño (Sp) 67, 77, 70, 68. 283: G McDowell 75, 71, 68, 69; A Tadini (It) 74, 71, 69, 69; N Dougherty 73, 71, 67, 72. 284: R Rock 71, 74, 69, 70; T Björn (Den) 73, 73, 70, 68; J-F Lucquin (Fr) 70, 72, 72, 70; S Dyson 74, 69, 68, 73; Á Quirós (Sp) 69, 71, 73, 71. 285: RJ Derksen (Neth) 71, 74, 69, 71; A Hansen (Den) 72, 70, 71, 72; S Hansen (Den) 73, 70, 71, 71; P Waring 75, 71, 70, 69; P Broadhurst 73, 72, 68, 72; M Warren 72, 66, 71, 76; A Noren (Swe) 69, 71, 72, 73; E Els (SA) 73, 73, 70, 69; M Brier (Austria) 70, 74, 72, 69; F Zanotti (Par) 70, 75, 71, 69; R Green (Aus) 72, 74, 68, 71. 286: R Karlsson (Swe) 69, 74, 72, 71; Paul Lawrie 72, 71, 70, 73; J Donaldson 70, 71, 73, 72. 287: F Molinari (It) 77, 68, 70, 72; S Kapur (India) 73, 72, 70, 72; C Montgomerie 69, 73, 69, 76; B Barham 72, 73, 72, 70; L Slattery 70, 72, 74, 71; N Fasth (Swe) 68, 74, 73, 72; A Forsyth 70, 75, 75, 67; L Donald 74, 72, 71, 70.
Source:The times
It moved the Europe Ryder Cup player to No 3 in the world and allowed him to join an exclusive club. Only four other British players have climbed so high in the world rankings and Casey admitted that he was flattered to be spoken of in the same breath as Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie, three of whom are major champions.
“That’s very impressive,” he said. “But I have a long way to go to get close to achieving what they have.” On his immediate radar, however, is a serious attempt to win his first major championship, starting with the US Open at Bethpage State Park, New York, next month. At 31, Casey knows he is about to enter his prime and has taken consolation in the past from the fact that Faldo was 30 when he won the first of his six major championships. Things are about to get serious.
Casey, who had led the field by three shots at the start of the round, was chased all the way to the finishing line by Ross Fisher, a fellow Englishman, who started the day five shots behind but threw down the gauntlet with a stunning round of 64 that left Casey requiring a birdie at the last, the par-five 18th, to guarantee victory. By this stage Soren Kjeldsen, his playing partner, had fallen away.
There might have been a flutter of anxiety when Casey found a bunker at the front of the green with his approach. But he hit an exquisite shot over the flag and to within five feet of the hole and rolled in the putt for a 68 in a 17-under-par total of 271 and victory by one stroke. It was his third title this year, his eleventh in all, and, with a winner’s cheque of about £670,000, it moved him to the top of the standings in the Race to Dubai. His form is something to behold.
It would be true to say that Casey has made heavy weather of closing out tournaments in the past. At the Wales Open in 2004, he surrendered a four-shot lead with seven holes to play before losing out to Simon Khan in a sudden-death play-off. But what in the past has hurt him has now made him stronger.
At the Abu Dhabi Championship this year, he held a comfortable lead in the final round before wobbling down the stretch on his way to victory. And at the Shell Houston Open he needed a par at the last to win outright but bogeyed the hole before going on to beat J. B. Holmes in a play-off for his first win on American soil. But as Tiger Woods says, it is the W (a win) that counts, however it might be achieved.
Casey was disappointed not to have won in 2008 — after all, he had at least one victory to his name every year since 2005 — but has made up for it this year in spectacular fashion, also getting to the final of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship, in Tucson, Arizona, where he lost to Geoff Ogilvy in the final. He blames the barren year on focusing too hard on the majors but now says he concentrates only on the immediate problem in front of him.
His interview style, like his golf this year, has taken on a slightly more conservative approach. As with his shots, he chooses his words carefully and does not wish to be thought of as brash. His golf, he hopes, will do most of the speaking for him.
Casey’s shot of the day yesterday was one of 160 yards from a fairway bunker at the 3rd to within two feet of the flag. It was his first birdie of the day and retrieved the shot he had dropped at the 1st. He tended to use fairway woods off most of the tees, relying on his considerable power and the fact that in warm, dry conditions, the course was running fast. It was sensible, no-nonsense play.
In one light-hearted moment at the 7th, his caddie asked a follower on the fairway to move out of Casey’s eyeline. “He probably owns BMW,” Casey said as an aside. In fact it was Richard Carey, the owner of Wentworth, who moved just slowly enough to let people know he was more than a little important.
As he was standing waiting to putt at the 9th, the cheers that poured all the way back from the 10th let Casey know that Fisher was on the move. He had already bagged four birdies in reaching the turn in 31 and another, this time courtesy of a putt from around 25 feet, drew him level, on 13 under par, at the top of the leaderboard. But Casey was not to be denied. At no point was he behind and birdies at the 12th, 15th, 17th and 18th secured a well-deserved victory. He had reached the turn in 35 and came home in 33.
- Colin Montgomerie, who scored 76 in his final round at Wentworth, gave up on the chance to play in the US Open by pulling out of the 36-hole qualifying tournament at Walton Heath today. The only time Montgomerie had previously missed the US Open since finishing third on his debut in 1992 was in 2004.
Great Britain or Ireland unless stated:
271: P Casey 69, 67, 67, 68. 272: R Fisher 68, 73, 67, 64. 275: S Kjeldsen (Den) 69, 69, 68, 69. 276: S Dodd 71, 68, 70, 67. 278: R McIlroy 72, 70, 65, 71. 279: A Wall 67, 71, 72, 69; C Schwartzel (SA) 68, 72, 68, 71; B Curtis (US) 69, 70, 73, 67. 280: T Levet (Fr) 70, 71, 68, 71. 281: T Aiken (SA) 72, 67, 74, 68. 282: M Kaymer (Ger) 72, 70, 70, 70; G Fernández-Castaño (Sp) 67, 77, 70, 68. 283: G McDowell 75, 71, 68, 69; A Tadini (It) 74, 71, 69, 69; N Dougherty 73, 71, 67, 72. 284: R Rock 71, 74, 69, 70; T Björn (Den) 73, 73, 70, 68; J-F Lucquin (Fr) 70, 72, 72, 70; S Dyson 74, 69, 68, 73; Á Quirós (Sp) 69, 71, 73, 71. 285: RJ Derksen (Neth) 71, 74, 69, 71; A Hansen (Den) 72, 70, 71, 72; S Hansen (Den) 73, 70, 71, 71; P Waring 75, 71, 70, 69; P Broadhurst 73, 72, 68, 72; M Warren 72, 66, 71, 76; A Noren (Swe) 69, 71, 72, 73; E Els (SA) 73, 73, 70, 69; M Brier (Austria) 70, 74, 72, 69; F Zanotti (Par) 70, 75, 71, 69; R Green (Aus) 72, 74, 68, 71. 286: R Karlsson (Swe) 69, 74, 72, 71; Paul Lawrie 72, 71, 70, 73; J Donaldson 70, 71, 73, 72. 287: F Molinari (It) 77, 68, 70, 72; S Kapur (India) 73, 72, 70, 72; C Montgomerie 69, 73, 69, 76; B Barham 72, 73, 72, 70; L Slattery 70, 72, 74, 71; N Fasth (Swe) 68, 74, 73, 72; A Forsyth 70, 75, 75, 67; L Donald 74, 72, 71, 70.
Source:The times
Jenson Button's dominant form has drawback
Six races into the Formula One season, it is already as good as over as far as the drivers' championship is concerned. An all-conquering Brawn GP car driven by Jenson Button, who showed all his class and experience to trounce the field at the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, is proving unstoppable and the Briton could be champion by the end of August or early September.
This would leave up to four “dead rubbers” at the end of the season - the second night-time grand prix in Singapore and the races in Japan, Brazil and Abu Dhabi. This would be a huge turn-off for spectators around the world and a commercial disaster for the sport's sponsors. It would be particularly painful for Abu Dhabi, which is still in the building phase of the most expensive racetrack in the world, at a cost of more than £1 billion. Sadly, its much-hyped season-ending “climax” could mean nothing.
No wonder Donald MacKenzie, the managing partner of CVC Capital Partners, the principal owner of Formula One, was overheard in Monaco congratulating Nick Fry, the chief executive of Brawn GP, in one breath and, in the next, remarking that his team's supremacy is not doing his business “any good”. Bernie Ecclestone, the sport's commercial rights-holder, was also bemoaning the predictability of this year's title race, even before Button drove to glory around the streets of the Principality.
The points system under which the drivers' championship is scored was changed in 2003, after Michael Schumacher won the previous year's title in July at the French Grand Prix, precisely to avoid this situation. This time it will be strung out a little longer than in 2002, but Button is already looking impregnable. (Had Ecclestone's medals-based scoring system come into force, he would now be two or three wins from the title, something that is likely to consign that idea to the dustbin.)
With five wins in six starts, Button's nearest challenger is his team-mate, Rubens Barrichello, who is 16 points adrift. Yet, in reality, the Brazilian is no challenger at all and is already sounding resigned to the runners-up spot, a role he knows so well from his years at Ferrari with Schumacher.
That leaves Red Bull as the real threat. But despite having an, at times, faster car, the team have shown tactical naivety under pressure and their lead driver, Sebastian Vettel, has looked unconvincing. On Sunday his inexperience was obvious, as he wrecked his tyres and crashed out, leaving him 28 points adrift of the Briton. Of the underperforming bigger teams, only Ferrari look to have made definite progress, but Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa are already 42 and 43 points behind respectively.
In the past a runaway leader has attracted the attention of the FIA, which has stepped in to find something illegal on a hot car. This can never be ruled out in the weird world of Formula One. On the other hand, Button or his car could suffer a catastrophic loss of form, but this is unlikely. The driver in question knows his business and is handling success as well as he did failure. In Ross Brawn, his team principal, he has the best man in the pitlane to manage the campaign and the development of the car.
Meanwhile, the background hiss in Formula One, otherwise known as the row over the FIA's proposed “voluntary” budget cap for next season, took a new turn yesterday when the Williams team said that they have entered the 2010 championship, despite having also signed a letter to the FIA from all the teams maintaining that they would not do so unless the new rules for next season are scrapped. The FIA were cock a hoop that Williams had been “flushed out” because, in the governing body's view, the move underlines that the teams are not as united as they claim to be.
In an initiative to break the deadlock, with Max Mosley, the FIA president, still determined to bring in a cap of £40million, senior executives from Mercedes Benz are trying to broker a compromise arrangement under which next year would be treated as a transition season on the way to the full cap being brought in, in 2011. An FIA source said that Mosley was prepared at least to consider any proposals from Mercedes.
Source:The times
This would leave up to four “dead rubbers” at the end of the season - the second night-time grand prix in Singapore and the races in Japan, Brazil and Abu Dhabi. This would be a huge turn-off for spectators around the world and a commercial disaster for the sport's sponsors. It would be particularly painful for Abu Dhabi, which is still in the building phase of the most expensive racetrack in the world, at a cost of more than £1 billion. Sadly, its much-hyped season-ending “climax” could mean nothing.
No wonder Donald MacKenzie, the managing partner of CVC Capital Partners, the principal owner of Formula One, was overheard in Monaco congratulating Nick Fry, the chief executive of Brawn GP, in one breath and, in the next, remarking that his team's supremacy is not doing his business “any good”. Bernie Ecclestone, the sport's commercial rights-holder, was also bemoaning the predictability of this year's title race, even before Button drove to glory around the streets of the Principality.
The points system under which the drivers' championship is scored was changed in 2003, after Michael Schumacher won the previous year's title in July at the French Grand Prix, precisely to avoid this situation. This time it will be strung out a little longer than in 2002, but Button is already looking impregnable. (Had Ecclestone's medals-based scoring system come into force, he would now be two or three wins from the title, something that is likely to consign that idea to the dustbin.)
With five wins in six starts, Button's nearest challenger is his team-mate, Rubens Barrichello, who is 16 points adrift. Yet, in reality, the Brazilian is no challenger at all and is already sounding resigned to the runners-up spot, a role he knows so well from his years at Ferrari with Schumacher.
That leaves Red Bull as the real threat. But despite having an, at times, faster car, the team have shown tactical naivety under pressure and their lead driver, Sebastian Vettel, has looked unconvincing. On Sunday his inexperience was obvious, as he wrecked his tyres and crashed out, leaving him 28 points adrift of the Briton. Of the underperforming bigger teams, only Ferrari look to have made definite progress, but Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa are already 42 and 43 points behind respectively.
In the past a runaway leader has attracted the attention of the FIA, which has stepped in to find something illegal on a hot car. This can never be ruled out in the weird world of Formula One. On the other hand, Button or his car could suffer a catastrophic loss of form, but this is unlikely. The driver in question knows his business and is handling success as well as he did failure. In Ross Brawn, his team principal, he has the best man in the pitlane to manage the campaign and the development of the car.
Meanwhile, the background hiss in Formula One, otherwise known as the row over the FIA's proposed “voluntary” budget cap for next season, took a new turn yesterday when the Williams team said that they have entered the 2010 championship, despite having also signed a letter to the FIA from all the teams maintaining that they would not do so unless the new rules for next season are scrapped. The FIA were cock a hoop that Williams had been “flushed out” because, in the governing body's view, the move underlines that the teams are not as united as they claim to be.
In an initiative to break the deadlock, with Max Mosley, the FIA president, still determined to bring in a cap of £40million, senior executives from Mercedes Benz are trying to broker a compromise arrangement under which next year would be treated as a transition season on the way to the full cap being brought in, in 2011. An FIA source said that Mosley was prepared at least to consider any proposals from Mercedes.
Source:The times
Andrew Flintoff definitely out of Twenty20 World Cup
Andrew Flintoff will miss the ICC World Twenty20 after England conceded that the all rounder would not be fit following his recent surgery on a slight tear to the meniscus in his right knee.
Flintoff, who will be replaced by Adil Rashid, of Yorkshire, had surgery last month and yesterday visited his surgeon for an update on his progress.
Nick Peirce, the ECB Chief Medical Officer, said: “Andrew is making excellent progress and there is no swelling or pain now in the knee. He has been putting in some extremely hard training with Lancashire and should start running and practising this week. After discussions with his surgeon we have decided that he should continue the remainder of his rehabilitation with physio Dave Roberts, who has overseen his previous rehabilitations.”
National selector Geoff Miller said that Flintoff's disappointment could prove to be a golden opportunity for Rashid.
There is a lot of cricket still to play this year and it is important Andrew is fully fit for it," Miller said.
"Meanwhile it is an exciting opportunity for Adil Rashid, who was in the original 30 we named in early April. He has impressed the England management after being a part of the Test tour to India and the subsequent Caribbean tour and deserves his chance."
England approached the ICC World Twenty20 technical committee for permission to nominate Rashid as a replacement for Flintoff in the 15-man squad that was announced on May 1.
Source:The times
Flintoff, who will be replaced by Adil Rashid, of Yorkshire, had surgery last month and yesterday visited his surgeon for an update on his progress.
Nick Peirce, the ECB Chief Medical Officer, said: “Andrew is making excellent progress and there is no swelling or pain now in the knee. He has been putting in some extremely hard training with Lancashire and should start running and practising this week. After discussions with his surgeon we have decided that he should continue the remainder of his rehabilitation with physio Dave Roberts, who has overseen his previous rehabilitations.”
National selector Geoff Miller said that Flintoff's disappointment could prove to be a golden opportunity for Rashid.
There is a lot of cricket still to play this year and it is important Andrew is fully fit for it," Miller said.
"Meanwhile it is an exciting opportunity for Adil Rashid, who was in the original 30 we named in early April. He has impressed the England management after being a part of the Test tour to India and the subsequent Caribbean tour and deserves his chance."
England approached the ICC World Twenty20 technical committee for permission to nominate Rashid as a replacement for Flintoff in the 15-man squad that was announced on May 1.
Source:The times
Peace prevails in Rome as Champions League final draws near
As kick-off in the Champions League final neared it looked as if the Eternal City was putting on its best face. Temperatures, which had been well in excess of 35C in the previous 48 hours had conveniently begun to dip. A slight breeze blew down from Monte Mario and the millennial treasures of the world's most historic city seemed to glow in the afternoon light.
The previous night may have been marred by two stabbings (of which little is known at this time, beyond the identity of the victims, a Briton and an American), but for most who had ventured into the Roman evening, things passed without incident. There was plenty of alcohol and singing in Campo de Fiori, Rome's answer to the Bigg Market, mostly from United fans, while Barcelona supporters preferred to sample some of the culinary delights across the Tiber in Trastevere or, for the more au fait, down in San Lorenzo or Pigneto.
By this morning the fans were everywhere and readily visible: United supporters, with their AIG-emblazoned kit, and the Barca faithful, clad in "azulgrana".
Somewhere the two sides were preparing for the culmination of the club football season. Most of the players had already been in a European final, a testament to the clubs' pedigrees. You felt sorry for those missing out. Among the United ranks, Darren Fletcher stands out, but also Owen Hargreaves, no doubt watching from wherever he has chosen to rehab his umpteenth injury. And, among the Catalans, Eric Abidal and Daniel Alves are both suspended for this final, while Rafael Marquez is out through injury.
Indeed, as kick-off approached you wondered what was going through the minds of the "marginals", those players who, whether through injury or managerial preference, were in doubt. Had Andres Iniesta and Thierry Henry recovered enough to start? (Odds are they have.) Is Rio Ferdinand ready to start? (Almost certainly, yes.) Would there be a role for Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez, some £60m of striking talent? (Possibly, but almost definitely not from the start.)
And what of Gary Neville, that most loyal of club servants and still United's club captain? Would he really have to sit this one out? (Looks that way - unless United get a big lead and he gets sent on as a reward.) And, with Fletcher out, which of United's two golden oldies - Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs - would get a crack at the starting XI? Or would they both be included? (Odds are it will be one or the other, though whoever is left out will get some playing time.)
And out there, somewhere, locked in their own private thoughts, were the world's two best footballers, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Inhabiting a plane most of us can't even relate to, it's impossible to know what they were thinking. Both have already won this trophy, both have already been hailed as the best on the planet, both are still young: 21 and 24 respectively. Did they see it as a personal battle? Did they fear the weight of responsibility and expectation? Or, when you're that good, do you lock everything out of your mind and simply focus on what will happen once you cross that white line?
As for Rome, the city itself has seen it all before. There is a reason it's the Eternal City. Nothing fazes it, hardened by history, ennobled by beauty, it can distance itself from those it welcomes as guests. But those who come here, especially those who aim to make history, can never fully leave this place. They will forever leave a piece of themselves behind. If they can be the ones who lift the trophy in a few hours' time, that will be a price worth paying for the United and Barca faithful alike.
Source:The times
The previous night may have been marred by two stabbings (of which little is known at this time, beyond the identity of the victims, a Briton and an American), but for most who had ventured into the Roman evening, things passed without incident. There was plenty of alcohol and singing in Campo de Fiori, Rome's answer to the Bigg Market, mostly from United fans, while Barcelona supporters preferred to sample some of the culinary delights across the Tiber in Trastevere or, for the more au fait, down in San Lorenzo or Pigneto.
By this morning the fans were everywhere and readily visible: United supporters, with their AIG-emblazoned kit, and the Barca faithful, clad in "azulgrana".
Somewhere the two sides were preparing for the culmination of the club football season. Most of the players had already been in a European final, a testament to the clubs' pedigrees. You felt sorry for those missing out. Among the United ranks, Darren Fletcher stands out, but also Owen Hargreaves, no doubt watching from wherever he has chosen to rehab his umpteenth injury. And, among the Catalans, Eric Abidal and Daniel Alves are both suspended for this final, while Rafael Marquez is out through injury.
Indeed, as kick-off approached you wondered what was going through the minds of the "marginals", those players who, whether through injury or managerial preference, were in doubt. Had Andres Iniesta and Thierry Henry recovered enough to start? (Odds are they have.) Is Rio Ferdinand ready to start? (Almost certainly, yes.) Would there be a role for Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez, some £60m of striking talent? (Possibly, but almost definitely not from the start.)
And what of Gary Neville, that most loyal of club servants and still United's club captain? Would he really have to sit this one out? (Looks that way - unless United get a big lead and he gets sent on as a reward.) And, with Fletcher out, which of United's two golden oldies - Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs - would get a crack at the starting XI? Or would they both be included? (Odds are it will be one or the other, though whoever is left out will get some playing time.)
And out there, somewhere, locked in their own private thoughts, were the world's two best footballers, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Inhabiting a plane most of us can't even relate to, it's impossible to know what they were thinking. Both have already won this trophy, both have already been hailed as the best on the planet, both are still young: 21 and 24 respectively. Did they see it as a personal battle? Did they fear the weight of responsibility and expectation? Or, when you're that good, do you lock everything out of your mind and simply focus on what will happen once you cross that white line?
As for Rome, the city itself has seen it all before. There is a reason it's the Eternal City. Nothing fazes it, hardened by history, ennobled by beauty, it can distance itself from those it welcomes as guests. But those who come here, especially those who aim to make history, can never fully leave this place. They will forever leave a piece of themselves behind. If they can be the ones who lift the trophy in a few hours' time, that will be a price worth paying for the United and Barca faithful alike.
Source:The times
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