Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Woods tied for fifth after firing a 68 in Bahamas
Tiger Woods got off to a fast start and fired a four-under par 68 despite a pair of bogeys on the back nine as his comeback continued at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas on Friday. The solid second-round effort, which included an eagle and four birdies, left the former world number one tied for fifth place at seven-under 137 in his first tournament in nearly 10 months following spinal fusion surgery.
Russia to kick off soccer World Cup against Saudis, Germany face Mexico
Hosts Russia will kick off next year’s World Cup finals versus Saudi Arabia in Moscow and defending champions Germany will start against Mexico after Friday’s draw threw up some mouthwatering clashes. Five-times winners Brazil will face Switzerland in their first Group E match with Costa Rica and Serbia making up one of the tougher-looking of the eight groups.
Durant tossed from Warriors’ win over Magic
Golden State’s Kevin Durant became the latest high-profile player to be ejected from a game when he was thrown out of the Warriors’ 133-112 win over the Orlando Magic on Friday. Durant made a shot with just under five minutes remaining in the game and yelled at a referee for a foul call as he ran back down court. The exchange earned Durant a technical and immediate ejection.
Biles ready for new role at 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Simone Biles recently resumed training for the first time in over a year with her eyes set squarely on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where one of the greatest gymnasts of all time expects to be a mentor on the U.S. team. Biles, whose four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Games capped a run of dominance unlike anything the gymnastics world has seen, did not say whether she felt she could repeat that success in Tokyo but did acknowledge her changing role.
Alfa’s return shows value of F1, says Horner
Alfa Romeo’s return to Formula One shows the value of the sport and suggests Ferrari will not follow through on threats to leave, according to Red Bull principal Christian Horner. Alfa Romeo is part of the Fiat Chrysler group whose chief executive Sergio Marchionne is also the head of sportscar maker Ferrari, who are Formula One’s most successful and glamorous team.
Yankees choose Boone as new manager: sources
The New York Yankees have chosen Aaron Boone to replace Joe Girardi as their manager, according to multiple reportsFriday. Boone, who helped the Yankees to a 2003 World Series title with a walk-off home run in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox, interviewed recently with his former team.
Prescott shakes off injury as Cowboys rout Redskins
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott shook off a first-half hand injury as he and running back Alfred Morris powered the Cowboys to a 38-14 victory over the Washington Redskins at AT&T Stadium on Thursday. Prescott passed for 102 yards and two touchdowns, including a 13-yard scoring pass to Dez Bryant early in the fourth quarter that gave Dallas a 17-point advantage.
Alpine skiing: Huetter wins in Lake Louise as Vonn crashes
Austria’s Cornelia Huetter won the women’s downhill at Lake Louise on Friday after American favorite Lindsey Vonn crashed out of the World Cup event. Huetter claimed her second World Cup victory by posting a time of one minute 48.53 seconds to edge Liechtenstein’s Tina Weirather (1:48.62). American Mikaela Shiffrin took third in 1:48.83. Vonn, a frequent winner at Lake Louise, appeared to be on her way to another victory when she lost her balance heading into the final turn, her right leg buckling as she crashed into the safety netting. The American was eventually able to ski to the bottom of the course. Vonn, aiming for her 78th World Cup victory, had been the fastest at each stage prior to the crash. A second World Cup downhill will be held at Lake Louise on Saturday and Vonn, who has had numerous knee and leg injuries in her career, is on the schedule to compete.
IOC bans three more Russian athletes for life over doping
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Friday it had banned two Russian cross-country skiers, Yulia Chekaleva and Anastasia Dotsenko, and Russian biathlete Olga Zaytseva for life from the Olympics over Sochi 2014 doping allegations. The IOC is re-testing all Russian athletes’ samples from the event after Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Moscow’s discredited anti-doping laboratory, blew the whistle on what he said was a state-sponsored doping program.
Alpine skiing: Kriechmayr wins Super G for first World Cup victory
Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr claimed his first World Cup victory by winning the Super G race over the Birds of Prey course in Colorado on Friday. The 26-year-old posted a time of one minute, 9.71 seconds to finish ahead of Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud at Beaver Creek. His previous best World Cup performances were a pair of runner-up finishes in the 2015-16 season.
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