Sports News
March 24, 2008Here are the sports results from Sunday:
The CFL is returning to Ottawa.
A league source said Monday the CFL will award the Canadian capital a conditional expansion franchise during a news conference at Lansdowne Park on Tuesday.
DORAL, Fla. - Even someone like former U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy can acknowledge being a bit mesmerized by seeing Tiger Woods win tournament after tournament after tournament.
"It's quite fun to watch," Ogilvy said.
QUEBEC - The son of former NHL goalie Patrick Roy apologized Monday for giving the finger to the crowd at a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game - but not for pounding on the rival goalie.
Jonathan Roy gave the middle-fingered salute - on both hands - to Chicoutimi Sagueneens fans on Saturday. "I acted in a way that is not acceptable for an athlete," Roy told a news conference in Quebec City.
TORONTO - Jeff Buttle returned home to Canada on Monday still riding the high from his win at the world figure skating championships in Sweden.
Arriving at Pearson International Airport to a swarm of reporters and a number of family members and friends, the native of Smooth Rock Falls, Ont., said he was still overwhelmed by his victory, but he's already setting his sights on the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010.
Being grouped with the powerhouse United States and talented Venezuela in the first round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic doesn't faze all-star Canadian outfielder Jason Bay one bit.
The Pittsburgh Pirates slugger from Trail, B.C., likes Canada's chances of advancing out of Pool C, which will also include Italy and play out of the Rogers Centre in Toronto next March 8-12.
TOKYO - Daisuke Matsuzaka has travelled the globe pitching in big games - the Olympics, the World Baseball Classic, the World Series.
He's won many of them without blinking in the glare of the spotlight.
VERNON, B.C. - China's Bingyu Wang remained unbeaten at the world women's curling championship Monday with a 9-8 extra-end victory over Angelina Jensen of Denmark.
Trailing 6-5 after eight ends, Wang exploded for three points with the hammer in the ninth. Jensen forced the extra end after making a double takeout to score two in the 10th but Wang salvaged the victory with a hit-and-stick for one in the 11th.
WEC light-heavyweight champion Doug (Rhino) Marshall is a tattooed brawler who exudes hostility and talks of ending fights by KD - Knocked Dead.
Challenger Brian (All-American) Stann is a decorated marine who has served two tours in Iraq.
ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece - The head of Beijing's Olympic committee had just started his speech. The high priestesses in flowing robes were waiting to start the ancient ceremony to kindle the Olympic flame.
Suddenly, a protester evaded tight security, ran behind Beijing Olympic chief Liu Qi, and held up a black banner showing the Olympic rings as handcuffs. Liu stopped briefly, then continued, while uniformed Greek police dragged the protester away.
ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece - IOC president Jacques Rogge said Monday he is engaged in "silent diplomacy" with China on Tibet and other human rights issues in advance of the Beijing Olympics.
Rogge gave his most extensive public comments on China's political situation in an interview with The Associated Press in Ancient Olympia, where he was attending the flame-lighting ceremony for the Beijing Games.
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands - Marleen Veldhuis and Federica Pellegrini set world records on Monday, bringing to six the number of world marks lowered at the European swimming championships.
Alain Bernard of France, who set three records on consecutive nights, fell just short of grabbing his fourth when he won the men's 50-metre freestyle on the meet's final day.
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands - The slick new swimsuit that has led to 12 world records already this year will be examined by swimming's world governing body amid debate about the quest for speed in the pool.
"There are concerns about suits being like triathlon suits, which are thicker," FINA executive director Cornel Marculsecu was quoted as saying by SwimNews.com on Monday. "There are buoyancy issues. We have to review this."
LONDON - British cyclists have everything to lose in the world championships this week.
They won seven gold medals a year ago, they're competing on their home track and much is expected in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics and London 2012.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - American horse of the year Curlin underwent a final workout Monday for the US$6 million Dubai World Cup.
Curlin rolled through a half-mile in around 50 seconds as he prepares for the world's richest horse race on Saturday. Scott Blasi, assistant trainer to Steve Asmussen, said Curlin was making good progress.
ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece - The Olympic marathon in Beijing won't be tarnished by world record-holder Haile Gebrselassie's decision to skip the event because of pollution concerns, IOC president Jacques Rogge said Monday.
"While I regret the absence of Haile Gebrselassie, I respect his decision," Rogge said in an interview with The Associated Press. "But the Games are far stronger than the individual. The marathon will be a great success and there will be a great champion."
FRANKFURT, Germany - Germany rejected calls for a boycott of the Olympics because of China's crackdown in Tibet and pledged to send a team to the Beijing Games.
The German Olympic Sports Union (DOSB) said it was following the events in Tibet with "great attention and concern," and added it was aware that the human rights situation in China was still "unsatisfactory" despite improvements in the last few years.
VERNON, B.C. - Jennifer Jones beat both the student and the master Sunday night.
Jones's Winnipeg foursome remained unbeaten at the Ford world women's curling championship with victories over inexperienced Czech skip Katerina Urbanova and German legend Andrea Schopp. Sunday's two-win performance vaulted Canada into a tie with China atop of the standings at 3-0 through five draws.
