China`s Olympians win Laureus team award

By Nick Mulvenney
BEIJING (Reuters) - China`s remarkable achievement in topping the medals table at last year`s Beijing Olympics was recognized on Friday when they scooped the team title at the 2009 Laureus Sports Awards.
The Chinese Olympic team got the nod from the 46 sporting greats who make up the Laureus academy ahead of soccer teams Manchester United and Spain, the British Olympic cycling team, the Jamaican Olympic sprint team and the NBA`s Boston Celtics.
China won 51 golds, 21 silver and 28 bronze medals in Beijing to top the medals table for the first time since the country returned to the Summer Games in 1984.
"Beijing was one of the great Olympic Games," academy chairman Ed Moses told a ceremony in the Chinese capital.
"To me one of the most amazing thing was the passion and determination of the Chinese athletes who produced so many epic performances, not just in the sports in which we knew they were good, but in others where China was not expected to do so well."
Deng Yaping, an academy member and part of the organizing committee for the Beijing Games, said the award was a tribute to the huge success of China`s first Olympics.
"This is international recognition of a great achievement," the three-times Olympic table tennis champion told Reuters.
"It is not only an honor for the athletes, team officials and coaches but for the whole nation."
The other awards handed out so far this year have also been dominated by the stars of the Beijing Games with sprinter Usain Bolt winning best sportsman, pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva best sportswoman and swimmer Rebecca Adington best newcomer.
Six gold medalists were at the ceremony to represent the 639 athletes in the Chinese team.
"The other teams were excellent, they did a fantastic job last year but last year was the Olympic year in China, so last year was our year," said Zou Kai, who won three gold medals in gymnastics.
"I feel excited to beat Manchester United (because) I`m a Liverpool fan."
"SMALLER SPORTS"
Past winners of the award have included Manchester United, the Brazil, France, Greece and Italy national soccer teams, the Australia cricket team as well as the England and South African rugby teams.
"This will really encourage athletes from small nations and smaller sports that they can be Laureus award winners," said Deng, who admitted being surprised.  Continued...
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Murray marches on, Hewitt back to best

By Martyn Herman
LONDON (Reuters) - Andy Murray made light work of a tricky tea-time assignment at Wimbledon on Thursday while Lleyton Hewitt, the man who has already lifted the trophy the Scot so cherishes, rolled back the years to cause a big upset.
In front of 15,000 Center Court fans and thousands watching the match on Henman Hill`s giant screen, Murray devoured Latvian Ernests Gulbis 6-2 7-5 6-3 to clear another hurdle toward becoming Britain`s first men`s singles champion in 73 years.
Murray was joined in the third round by dogged Australian Hewitt, the 2002 champion, who produced a vintage display to dispatch fifth seed Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets.
Women`s third seed Venus Williams, who along with her sister Serena has collected sackfuls of silverware here, powered past Ukraine`s Kateryna Bondarenko to remain firmly on course for a hat-trick of singles titles.
The American five-time champion, who played with a strapping on her left knee, powered into the third round with a 6-3 6-2 victory and was joined in the last 32 by Russia`s world number one Dinara Safina and French Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova.
DAZZLING MAURESMO
On another day of record-breaking crowds mercurial Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo, champion here three years ago, also progressed, dazzling the sun-roasted fans on Court Three with a comfortable defeat of Kristina Kucova.
Argentina`s Del Potro, occupying the place in the draw vacated by injured champion Rafael Nadal, was given a lesson in grasscourt play by Hewitt who posted a 6-3 7-5 7-5 victory.
Hewitt, backed by a vocal section of Australian fans decked out in yellow and green, moved his opponent all across the court and even flicked some lobs over the towering 20-year-old.
"It was a big win. I wanted to beat a top five guy," said former world number one Hewitt, who has suffered with hip problems and now resides at 56 in the rankings.
"It was a lot of fun being out there. I guess, you know, kind of underdog out there a little bit as well."
Del Potro, who looked about as natural on grass as a giraffe on an ice rink, was gracious in defeat.
"He played a very good match," the Argentine told reporters. "He`s one of my idols. I said to him you`re in very good shape again, so I`m happy for you and good luck."
GINGER WIGS
Thousands bit their nails on Tuesday as Murray battled to victory over American Robert Kendrick in the first round.  Continued...
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Gay finds fault in speedy trial run

By Gene Cherry
EUGENE, Oregon (Reuters) - World champion Tyson Gay ran a wind-assisted 9.75 seconds in what he called a "horrible" 100 meters preliminary at the U.S. world championships trials on Thursday.
Although the mark was the seventh fastest of all time under any conditions, Gay said he was disappointed with his execution in the race assisted by a wind of 3.4 meters per second.
"I ran a horrible race. Technically it was horrible. My focus was horrible," Gay told reporters.
But the fast time and a quick 200 meters last month should see Gay line up for a world championship showdown against Jamaican Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt in both sprints in Berlin in August.
With a bye to Berlin in both the 100 and 200 as the defending world champion, Gay had planned Thursday`s opening round of the 100 meters as his only appearance at the trials.
He talked of running another round, but after consulting with coaches, decided against it.
The assisting wind led to a number of fast first-round times. Olympian Darvis Patton and upcoming Mike Rodgers both clocked wind-assisted 9.92 seconds.
The world record is Bolt`s 9.69 seconds at the Beijing Olympics.
Defending world 1,500 and 5,000 meters champion Bernard Lagat claimed his wild-card berth for both events in Berlin with an easy run of 1:48.59 in 800 meters qualifying. He does not plan to run again in the trials.
Olympic champion Stephanie Brown Trafton topped the women`s discus final with a toss of 64.25 meters and Beijing gold medalist LaShawn Merritt clocked 45.23 seconds to lead qualifying in the men`s 400 meters.
CLAY OUT
Earlier, the U.S. lost one of its top hopes for a world championship gold medal when Olympic decathlon gold medalist Bryan Clay withdrew from the trials with a hamstring injury.
Only the top three finishers at the national trials or defending world champions qualify for Berlin.
"It is a big disappointment," Clay, 29, told Reuters.
"I really would like to be on the team, but at the same time I am trying to keep my mind wrapped around the big picture. I do want to go after the world record."  Continued...
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Rays beat Phillies in World Series repeat

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Reuters) - The Tampa Bay Rays hammered the Philadelphia Phillies 10-4 on Thursday to take a small measure of revenge against their World Series foe.
The Rays, defeated by the Phillies over five games in October`s championship series, scored 10 unanswered runs to claim their second win of the three-game interleague set.
"I think our offense, after (Wednesday`s win) kind of erupted," Rays infielder Ben Zobrist told reporters after hitting his 16th home run of the season in the first inning.
"(It) just felt good to get things going. It`s nice to know that you come back after (being down) and you`re starting to chip away."
Willy Aybar tallied three of the team`s 15 hits and had three RBIs while Jason Bartlett extended his hitting streak to a franchise-record 19 games.
Tampa Bay (39-35) chased Phillies rookie starter Antonio Bastardo after just 3 2/3 innings, recording two home runs and six runs against the 23-year-old left-hander, who left with a shoulder sprain in the fourth.
Philadelphia (37-33) stormed to a 4-0 lead in the first inning against Rays pitcher Andy Sonnanstine, but Tampa Bay responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning and scored three more times in the second to begin their charge.
SECOND INNING ONSLAUGHT
Aybar, filling in for injured third baseman Evan Longoria, sparked the second inning onslaught with a solo home run that tied the game 4-4.
He added a two RBI single against Phillies reliever Chad Durbin in the sixth where the Rays tacked on three more runs to take a 9-4 advantage.
Bartlett had an RBI single in the inning and surpassed the team-record hitting streak of Quinton McCracken, who hit safely in 18 straight in 1998.
Sonnanstine (6-7) settled down after the first and picked up the win after striking out seven batters in 5 1/3 innings.
"It took me a little bit to find my control, but once I got it, I felt good and confident and effective," Sonnanstine said.
Despite playing below last season`s standard, the Rays are finding their form and have won 10 of their last 14 games.
Defending World champions Philadelphia have dropped 10 of 12 games and were without shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who was benched and has not managed a hit from his last 19 plate appearances.
(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Ian Ransom)
Original article

Will World Cup bring South Africans closer?

By Barry Moody
LONDON (Reuters) - Beyond the angst about whether South Africa will pull off a successful soccer World Cup next year is a more profound question -- can the competition bring the races closer 15 years after the end of apartheid?
Organizers of the competition, Africa`s biggest sports event, are hoping for a moment akin to the legendary appearance of Nelson Mandela in a Springbok shirt when South Africa won the 1995 rugby World Cup in Johannesburg.
That gesture forged an iconic symbol of national unity from a sport passionately loved by whites and had a lasting impact in calming their raw fears a year after majority rule began.
The nation has come a long way since then, but distrust and tensions persist between the races and, in a sports-mad nation, successful staging of the most-watched competition on earth could mark a new watershed.
"The 1995 rugby World Cup helped establish South Africa as the `Rainbow Nation`. The 2010 FIFA World Cup will see that nation come of age," organizing committee chief executive Danny Jordaan told Reuters.
He said the current Confederations Cup tournament, seen as a dress rehearsal for next year`s extravaganza and watched by multiracial crowds, had already shown "the capability that soccer has in bridging the divide between different races...
"It is my belief that the FIFA World Cup will have an even greater effect."
Jordaan is not alone in trusting in the potential of the tournament to have a major impact at home, weakening divisions and misunderstanding and also drawing more whites into football -- traditionally a black South Africans` game.
"You can be a fairly right-wing white Afrikaner and still feel an immense sense of pride when you see your nation is hosting what is the biggest show on earth, even if you are a die-hard rugby fan," said Richard Maguire, editor of South Africa`s football magazine Kick-Off.
"I think definitely the World Cup will have an impact in bringing people together and developing a sense of unity and national pride," he told Reuters.
CAVEATS
But while there is widespread optimism and excitement is building, analysts warn the impact should not be over-estimated.
The only real way to bring South Africans closer is to end the stark wealth disparities that are among the reasons for one of the world`s worst rates of violent crime.
"You can feel good about all this stuff in a stadium but on a Monday morning, when it is raining on your little tin shack held together with pieces of plastic , you may not be feeling so good about South Africa," Maguire said.
"There are those harsh realities underneath that no World Cup is going to take away."  Continued...
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Cavaliers acquire O`Neal from Suns

PHOENIX (Reuters) - The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired 15-times All-Star Shaquille O`Neal from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, the teams said Thursday.
In exchange for the four-times NBA champion, the Suns will also receive a second round draft pick in 2010 and cash considerations.
The deal pairs the 37-year-old O`Neal with reigning most valuable player LeBron James, the dynamic forward who averaged an NBA second-best 28.4 points per game this season.
Cleveland had the league`s best record at 66-16 but lacked a dominating inside presence and lost to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference finals in six games.
The Suns were in a similar position last season when they acquired O`Neal from the Miami Heat, feeling they were just one piece away from their first NBA title.
But the Suns lost in the first round of the playoffs last year after finishing 55-27 and stumbled to 46-36 this season and failed to qualify for the postseason.
O`Neal, the NBA`s fifth all-time scorer with 27,619 points during a 17-year career, averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.38 blocks during one-plus seasons in Phoenix.
The 7-foot-1, 325-pound (147 kg) two-times NBA scoring champion is not the dominant player he was when he was selected by the Orlando Magic with top pick in the 1992 draft.
But at this stage of his career, he can still be a force inside and just four seasons ago helped the Miami Heat win their first championship.
Wallace, 34, will replace O`Neal in the paint for the Suns but the best days for the four-times NBA Defensive Player of the Year are behind him.
He was a credible presence defensively for the Cavaliers but averaged only 2.9 points per game this year and shot an anemic 42 percent from the free-throw line.
Pavlovic, 25, was originally selected by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft and has averaged 5.8 points over his career.
(Writing by Steve Ginsburg in New York; Editing by Alison Wildey)
Original article

Goosen relies on lucky break to lead in Munich

By Norman Dabell
MUNICH (Reuters) - Twice U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen changed putters to seize a two-shot lead after Thursday`s BMW International Open first round.
The 40-year-old South African`s other ally was Lady Luck as he composed an eight-under-par 64 to head second-placed Richard Finch of Britain, with a large group three shots off the pace on 67.
While Goosen took only 26 putts, he also needed a stroke of good fortune when his ball looked to be heading for a pond beside the 18th green.
However, it hit a television tower, enabling him to take a free drop. From there he pitched to 10 feet and holed out to complete a hat-trick of birdies.
"Putting was the key," Goosen told reporters. "I hit the ball really well last week in the U.S. Open but didn`t make anything on the greens.
"Yesterday I was testing a new putter and it sort of felt good so I decided to give it a try. I haven`t changed putters for some time but this just has a different feel.
"I did get a break on 18. I scuffed my shot and could easily have gone in the water and made a (bogey) six."
It is five years since Goosen won the second of his U.S. Opens but he showed signs of a return to top form when he finished joint 16th at Bethpage Black in New York last week.
BETTER FITNESS
He puts his revival down to better fitness.
"I got lazy I suppose, as simple as that, so I decided to get fitter again and I`m getting some payback," said Goosen.
Heavy rain interrupted play in late morning and Finch, twice a European Tour winner, marred his round by three-putting on his return to the course.
There were nine players on 67 while world number five Henrik Stenson, the highest-ranked competitor here, opened with a 68.
Bernhard Langer, 51, a seven-times champion on the U.S. seniors tour, is making another bid to win the only German title to elude him and also started with a 68.
The German`s 20-year-old playing partner Rory McIlroy, who tied for 10th at the U.S. Open, could only manage a 71.  Continued...
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