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[Smallville22]

WTCC - Muller pleased with RML Cruze despite limited running

Yvan Muller and Tom Chilton were impressed with RML’s Cruze after testing this week at Snetterton and Brands Hatch.
The team’s sole pre-season run-outs ahead of the World Touring Car Championship season-opening race in Monza, Italy took place on Tuesday and Thursday respectively.
“So that was winter testing – it went quick!” joked triple world champion Muller.
“The Cruze handles well and it’s great to be back behind the wheel. Despite limited running, we have a strong basis to work from and I hope we will keep some of that advantage.”
Chilton focused on adapting to his new surroundings.
“It’s everything I thought it would be – a very well put-together car,” he said. “The balance is very neutral, which makes it forgiving.
“At the moment I am trying to work out how I can play with the car to understand the handling and set-up. Small changes on the Cruze can make big differences, which is a sign of a great chassis.
“The car has had so much development over the years and it feels good. I really enjoying being out on track and I feel like I am moulding into the team well so far.”
Project supervisor Ron Hartvelt said: “The two days have gone well, without incident, although Brands Hatch was wet which gave us limited scope.
“At Snetterton we had invaluable time with Yvan in the car during the morning session, primarily concentrating on getting the car right to match the conditions here.
“It meant we had a solid base from which to hand the car over to Tom. The main objective for Tom was to learn how the car works.
“We were running as many laps as we could, trialling various changes so he understood how the car reacts and responds to his style of driving. The focus wasn’t on lap-times yet, that will come later, but it was important for Tom to overlay his data with Yvan to have a benchmark.”
Chevy have pulled their factory team - for whom Muller drove last year – out of the series.

 

[Smallville22]

Pistorius case - Pistorius 'challenges bail conditions'

Lawyers acting for Oscar Pistorius, accused of shooting dead his girlfriend, want his bail conditions relaxed and passports returned so he can travel overseas, South African media has reported.
Pistorius, charged with the Valentine's Day murder of his Reeva Steenkamp, 29, was released on strict bail conditions two weeks ago. He was ordered to pay a bond of 1 million rand (£74,000), hand over his passports and forbidden from returning to his house, the scene of the crime.
Television channel eNCA said Pistorius and his lawyers felt his bail conditions were unfair.
"In papers before the high court they argue that Magistrate Desmond Nair was wrong to order Pistorius to hand over his passport and travel documents given that the magistrate found the athlete was not a proven flight risk," the report said.
Pistorius' defence said he should be allowed to travel if he won consent from the detective working on the case. They also argued that mandatory alcohol and drug tests were unnecessary and there was no need for him to report to a police station twice a week or be visited by a probation officer.
The case of the 26-year-old Olympic and Paralympic track star, a double amputee since infancy, stunned a nation that holds him up as hero who triumphed over adversity to compete with able-bodied athletes at the highest levels of sport.
On Thursday Warrant Officer Hilton Botha, the detective who was pulled off the investigation after it emerged he himself faced attempted murder charges, resigned from the force.
It is unclear when Pistorius' bail appeal will be heard.

 

[Smallville22]

Superbike - Istanbul Park added to WSBK calendar

Turkey will host its maiden World Superbike Championship races as a late addition to the 2013 calendar.
The Istanbul Park weekend fills the vacant spot on the provisional calendar from September 13-15 as the 10th of 15 meetings – a record number for the series.
It effectively replaces the Czech round in Brno and joins Laguna Seca, Jerez and Buddh as new tracks for 2013. The Superstock 1000 and 600 classes will not travel to the meeting.
Istanbul Park opened in 2005 but was dropped from the MotoGP calendar after three years then from the F1 season last year.
The nation boasts World Supersport star Kenan Sofuoglu, who is bidding for a fourth title in the series in 2013.
Meanwhile races at Portimao and Imola have been confirmed for June 9 and June 30 respectively after previously being ‘subject to contract’.

Calendar

1. Australia - Phillip Island, February 24

2. Spain - Motorland Aragon, April 14

3. Netherlands – Assen, April 28

4. Italy – Monza, May 12

5. Europe - Donington Park, May 26

6. Portugal – Portimao, June 9

7. Italy – Imola, June 30

8. Russia - Moscow Raceway, July 21

9. Great Britain – Silverstone, August 4

10. Germany – Nurburgring, September 1

11. Turkey - Istanbul Park, September 15

12. USA - Laguna Seca, September 29

13. France - Magny-Cours, October 6

14. Spain – Jerez, October 20

15. India - Buddh International Circuit, November 17

 

[Smallville22]

WRC - Ogier breaks away from Ostberg

Sebastien Ogier stretched his Rally Mexico lead to half a minute on Friday afternoon despite Mads Ostberg's best efforts.
Ostberg won the Las Minas and Los Mexicanos stages in the middle of the loop, but only by relatively small margins.
Ogier was the quicker man on El Cubilete and El Chocolate, and each time his Volkswagen was over 10 seconds clear of the chasing M-Sport Ford.
That performance leaves Ogier 29.4s ahead of Ostberg heading for the evening superspecials.
Thierry Neuville blasted out of service with the second fastest time on El Cubilete, bringing him to within 0.4s of Mikko Hirvonen's Citroen in third as both also gained on Ostberg.
Hirvonen responded and starting edging away even before a mistake by Neuville dropped him 24s back. The third-placed Finn is 8s down on Ostberg now.
Dani Sordo continues to struggle in fifth place in the second works Citroen and is over two and a half minutes off the lead.

 

[Smallville22]

Mexico Rally - Ogier leads into Saturday in Mexico

Sebastien Ogier brought his lead over Mads Ostberg up to 33 seconds as he won the two superspecials that closed Friday's Rally Mexico action.
The Volkswagen driver was comfortably fastest on the two short tests, meaning he has now won eight of the 13 stages held on the event so far.
With Ogier increasingly out of reach, M-Sport team leader Ostberg will begin Saturday with an eye on Mikko Hirvonen's Citroen, just nine seconds behind in third place.
Thierry Neuville has now drifted away from the podium fight in fourth but still enjoys a comfortable gap back to the off-the-pace Dani Sordo in fifth place.
M-Sport has three of its Fords in the top six, with Nasser Al-Attiyah matching Sordo's times in sixth, ahead of Ken Block.
After his Friday morning drama, Chris Atkinson has now got back into the top 10 and has Martin Prokop and Benito Guerra next in his sights.
Evgeny Novikov is also making progress back up the order following his ECU issues and is now 12th.
Jari-Matti Latvala will restart from 22nd place for leg two, but will be nearly an hour behind with his Rally 2 penalties.

 

[Smallville22]

Bundesliga - Augsburg survival hopes hit by derby loss

Bundesliga, SGL Arena - Augsburg 1 (Werner) Nurnberg 2 (Kiyotake 21, Esswein 54)

Nurnberg triumphed 2-1 at Augsburg in a Bavarian derby to dent the hosts’ Bundesliga survival hopes.
Hiroshi Kiyotake put Nurnberg ahead before Tobias Werner scored a comical equaliser.
Alexander Esswein’s free-kick secured the points for mid-table Nurnberg in the second half and left third-bottom Augsburg six from safety having played a game more than Wolfsburg above them.
Nurnberg took the lead on 21 minutes. Esswein raced through on to a Tomas Pekhart ball through and centred for Kiyotake, who finished on the volley.
That was against the run of play - and the equaliser arrived a quarter of an hour later. Werner headed for goal and Nurnberg keeper Raphael Schafer seemed to make the save only to drop the ball through his legs and into the goal.
Nine minutes into the second half, the counter-attacking visitors were back ahead as Esswein scored with a low free-kick.
They almost made it three late on as substitute Tolga Danabli headed against the post.

 

[Smallville22]

Liga - Castro fires Betis to win over Osasuna

Real Betis boosted their chances of qualifying for Europe next season when Ruben Castro scored a late winner in a 2-1 La Liga victory at home to struggling Osasuna.
Jorge Molina nodded fifth-placed Betis in front after 19 minutes on a rain-soaked Benito Villamarin pitch in Seville before Francisco Silva levelled in the 73rd.
Castro then raced on to a superb through ball from substitute Dorlan Pabon with 11 minutes left and clipped the ball past keeper Andres Fernandez to claim his 13th league goal of the campaign.
Osasuna had Silva sent off for a second yellow card in the closing stages.
Betis are level on 43 points with fourth-placed Andalusian rivals Malaga who visit Real Valladolid on Saturday. Osasuna are sixth from bottom on 28 points.
"Our goal at the start of the season was to secure our position in the top flight," Castro told Marca TV. "We have achieved that and now we are going for a bigger prize."
Betis last took part in European competition in 2005-06 when they finished third in their Champions League group behind Liverpool and Chelsea.
They were relegated in 2008-09 before winning promotion back to the top flight two years later.
After two straight defeats to Real Madrid in the league and the Copa del Rey, Barcelona can open a 14-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid with a win at home to bottom club Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.
On Sunday, Atletico host seventh-placed Real Sociedad while Real Madrid, in third spot, travel to third from bottom Celta Vigo.

MATCH FACTS

Los Verdiblancos managed to secure the win despite the opposition having more shots.

Osasuna fired in nine shots, three of which were accurate, while Real Betis produced five shots, all of which were on target.

The most effective of Beticos's three substitutions was Pabón, who, after replacing Beñat in the 78th minute, assisted on Castro's goal.

Osasuna actually came out on top in terms of ball possession, posting a 60.9% possession rate during the contest.

Gorritxo's players linked up for 288 passes and 20 crosses.

Masoud Shojaei made his mark on the match for Osasuna after coming on for **** Sola in the 45th minute, as he took three shots.

 

[Smallville22]

Ligue 1 - St Etienne miss chance to go third

Ligue 1, Stade de la Route de Lorient - Rennes 2 (Danze 44, Feret 51) St Etienne 2 (Mollo 45, Aubameyang 65)

St Etienne had to come from behind twice to draw 2-2 at Rennes as they missed an opportunity to go above third-placed Marseille in Ligue 1.
Romain Danze opened the scoring in the 44th minute only for Yohan Mollo to equalise for the visitors before the break.
Julien Feret put Rennes ahead once more before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang earned St Etienne a point.
Rennes’ John Boye thought he had opened the scoring in the opening minutes, only to see his effort disallowed for a foul on St Etienne goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier.
Jonathan Pitroipa then looked to broken the deadlock for the home side after rounding Ruffier, only for Moustapha Bayal Sall to clear the ball off line.
The first half belied Rennes’ poor form- they had won once in their last six Ligue 1 games, while their opponents had claimed six wins from seven – and they had their reward when full-back Danze headed home from close range following a corner.
However they could not maintain the lead until half-time as Mollo finished impressively from the corner of the box in injury time.
Six minutes into the second period, Feret lobbed Ruffier after racing on to a Pitroipa through ball. Rennes then missed several chances to extend their lead before Aubameyang tapped home for his seventh goal from seven games on 65 minutes after Mollo found him.
Marseille, on 49 points, are one ahead of St Etienne. They play second-placed Lyon, who have 52, on Sunday, while Paris St-Germain – top with 54 – host second-bottom Nancy on Saturday.

 

[Smallville22]

Serie A - Balotelli on target again as Milan beat Genoa

Serie A, Stadio Luigi Ferraris - Genoa 0 Milan 2 (Pazzini 22, Balotelli 60)

Mario Balotelli scored his fifth goal in five Serie A games for Milan as they survived a second-half red card to Kevin Constant to defeat Genoa 2-0 at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
Giampaolo Pazzini opened the scoring for the Rossoneri in rather unconventional fashion. Nursing an injury following a poor challenge minutes before, the striker stopped hobbling long enough to lash a wonderful effort in off the underside of the bar on 20 minutes and was promptly substituted.
Balotelli was his replacement, and the January signing from Manchester City continued his fine run of form since returning to Italy with a well-taken goal after 60 minutes as he punished some slack defending from a corner.
Milan lost Constant to a red card - the left-back reacting angrily to a poor challenge from Cesare Bovo to earn his second booking of the night - but held on despite some late pressure to move to within two points of second-placed Napoli ahead of their Champions League trip to Barcelona in midweek.
Genoa, meanwhile, remain five points clear of danger having played a game more than the three teams below them in the table.
Pazzini sustained his injury after 18 minutes when Daniele Portanova clattered into him from behind, jarring his trailing leg, and was still hobbling gingerly around when he struck a superb opener for Milan four minutes later.
M'baye Niang had already gone close with one thunderous drive from the right and Milan attacked from that flank again as Portanova produced a poor attempted clearance from a Mattia De Sciglio cross. The ball squirted out to Pazzini, who with one operational leg unleashed a thumping drive from 15 yards which caught the underside of the bar before pounding into the turf and in.
Pazzini was soon replaced by Balotelli, who was in the book within 20 seconds for a push on Andrea Bertolacci and was then left feeling his shins after a collision. Robinho started warming up for Milan but Massimiliano Allegri was not pressed into a second change as Balotelli jogged it off.
Still, it was an underwhelming performance from a Milan side unbeaten in nine and they were hugely fortunate not to see Genoa win at least one spot-kick in a first half that witnessed plenty of action in the away penalty box.
A lack of intent on the part of Christian Zapata allowed to Milan escape when the defender handled the ball, but Niang was surely guilty of the offence later when Marco Borriello headed back across goal from a Bovo cross and the forward blocked his effort with a raised arm.
Genoa were furious, doubly so on 39 minutes when Niang clearly pushed Andreas Granqvist as a Daniel Tozser free-kick came into the box but again went punished as Milan took a somewhat undeserved 1-0 lead into the break.
The Rossoneri were again the beneficiaries of fortune soon after the break when Bovo struck a tremendous 30-yard free-kick that curled wickedly at high speed and cannoned against the post.
Borriello and Bertolacci wasted further chances from inside the Milan box before the visitors started to apply more pressure, with Mathieu Flamini prominent as he earned a booking for diving after knocking the ball past Sebastien Frey and then won a corner with a clever run and low shot that Frey tipped round the post.
From the resulting corner, Balotelli made it 2-0. Genoa's defence started to inch forward after the ball came in but Milan caught them out round the back, Zapata slipping in a quick pass for Balotelli who produced an emphatic finish, across Frey and inside the far post.
Milan were in firm control but their supremacy was threatened when Constant saw red. Bovo caught the left-back with a poor challenge, earning a booking in the process, but Constant's furious reaction saw him shown his second caution of the night.
Genoa took heart as Luca Antonelli and Granqvist both threatened, with the latter having another, if more tenuous, penalty appeal turned down. But Milan were resolute in defence, holding on for a 2-0 win that sends them into Tuesday's Champions League showdown with Barcelona in good heart.

 

[Smallville22]

World Football - Egyptian court confirms death sentences for 21 football fans

An Egyptian court confirmed on Saturday death sentences given to 21 football fans for their role in a stadium riot in Port Said last year, a case which has provoked deadly clashes in the Suez Canal city.
The court also jailed two senior police officers for 15 years for their role in the riot in February 2012, in which more than 70 people died.
Unrest has plagued Port Said since the death sentences were first announced on January 26, with local residents who want the fans spared fighting pitched battles with police.
At least eight people have been killed this week, including three policemen.
The case has highlighted worsening law and order in much of Egypt since the overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak two years ago.
The Islamist government of President Mohamed Mursi is struggling to halt the slide in security, hampered by a strike by some police in protests that are likely to be fuelled by Saturday's jail sentences for the senior officers.
Listing the names of the 21 fans, the judge said the Cairo court had confirmed "the death penalty by hanging".
In a ruling on live TV, the court also sentenced five more people to life in jail for the riot and acquitted 28. Others out of a total of 73 defendants received shorter jail sentences.
Central Port Said was quiet following the court ruling, with the army maintaining security after the government pulled out police, who have been hated by many Egyptians since the Mubarak era, to ease tensions.
The stadium riot erupted at the end of a match between Cairo's Al-Ahly team and Al-Masry, the local side.
Spectators were crushed when panicked crowds tried to escape from the stadium after a pitch invasion by supporters of Al-Masry. Others fell or were thrown from terraces.
Many fans of the Cairo side were happy with the ruling on Saturday confirming the death sentences.
"This is a just verdict and has calmed us all down. Our martyrs have been vindicated," Said Sayyid, 21, told Reuters.

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Swail undecided over Tour return

Joe Swail may have qualified for the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals but he is unsure if he will return to the professional tour this season.
Belfast’s Swail admits he has missed playing in snooker’s biggest tournaments as he looks forward to the event in Galway, which he qualified for via some good performances in several PTC events, culminating in his appearance at the Paul Hunter Classic final in Germany in August.
But, despite yearning for more big tournament appearances, Swail – who competed as an amateur in those events – concedes he would not want to return to the pro circuit unless he was able to challenge for titles.
“I have missed playing in the big tournaments because snooker is in my blood,” said Swail, 43. “Getting to that final in Germany gave me a great buzz.
"I’m excited about Galway now because it’s been quite a while since I had a really big event to look forward to.
“I’d like to think that I will give (the pro tour) a try but I’m still undecided. I don’t want to go back just to make up the numbers, I’m only going to play if I feel that I can cut it.
"I want to compete and climb back up the rankings and if I don’t feel I can do that then I won’t turn pro. I have to be true to myself and make sure I’m not kidding myself.”
Swail reached the semi-finals of the World Championship in 2000 and 2001, and reached the Welsh Open final in 2009. But after a loss of form he dropped off snooker’s professional tour at the end of the 2011/12 season.
He is one of 32 players battling for the £100,000 top prize in the event at the Bailey Allen Hall at the National University of Ireland in Galway from March 12 to 17.
Swail’s opening match is against Stephen Maguire in the afternoon session of March 12. Also competing for the title will be the likes of Judd Trump, John Higgins, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby, Ding Junhui and Irish favourite Ken Doherty.

 

[Smallville22]

Snooker - Doherty confident ahead of PTC finals

Ken Doherty goes into next week’s Players Tour Championship Grand Finals with renewed confidence after a recent return to form.
Dublin’s Doherty is among a star-studded 32-man line up for the event at the Bailey Allen Hall at the National University of Ireland in Galway, which runs from March 12 to 17.
Doherty reached the quarter-finals of the recent Welsh Open, beating Higgins John on the way, and the semi-finals of the Scottish Open PTC event last December.
"I took some good scalps at the Welsh and that gave me a boost, to know that I can still beat the top players at the main venues,” said the 43-year-old, who won the World Championship in 1997.
“Maybe I can’t pot balls and make big breaks in the way I used to, but I’ve still got the tactical side of the game. You never lose that and if you use it to your advantage it elongates your playing career – as Steve Davis has proved.
"Qualifying for the PTC finals was my main target for the season, alongside getting to the Crucible. I missed out on Galway last season and I was gutted. It’s going to be a really special event and it will be fantastic to play in front of my home crowd.
"Galway is a wonderful home for the event and I’m sure we will get great crowds because the people in Ireland love snooker. It will be a superb atmosphere especially as it’s St Patricks weekend.”
Doherty plays his opening match next Wednesday against Kurt Maflin. In the same evening session, Judd Trump faces Alfie Burden.
Mark Selby, Neil Robertson and Mark Allen will also be chasing the £100,000 first prize.

 

[Smallville22]

Surfing - Gilmore shines before conditions deteriorate

Defending Roxy Pro champion Stephanie Gilmore of Australia wowed spectators as she stormed through her semi-final on the Gold Coast.
Gilmore, the reigning five-time ASP women’s world champion, produced a near-perfect 9.80 performance to advance through to the semi-finals at the back-up venue of Kirra.
The 25-year-old’s opponent, Alana Blanchard of Hawaii, was left with no chance as she went out at the last eight stage of the competition to the Australian’s 12.97 overall score.
Gilmore said: “It’s tricky out there this morning but every now and then, there’s an incredible one so that was a good heat.
“I always flashback to all the greats out at Kirra and I think Mick (Fanning) was and still is one of the best. I think I was pretending I was Mick for a moment there in the tube. Just for a moment though.”
Gilmore will next take on 18-year-old compatriot Tyler Wright in the first semi-final when competition resumes on Friday.
The Quicksilver Pro had to be called off for the day as the men’s second-round action was unable to commence due to sudden high winds.
Reigning world champion Joel Parkinson will take on wildcard Brent Dorrington of Australia in the opening heat of round two when competition gets back under way.
*UPDATE* A lay day was called for both the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast on Friday with only small surf on offer at all the event venues - Snapper Rocks, Greenmount, Kirra and Duranbah Beach. Organisers will reconvene at 6:30am on Saturday local time for a possible 7:30am start.

Roxy Pro quarter-final results

Tyler Wright (AUS) 13.50 def. Courtney Conlogue (USA) 7.94

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 12.97 def. Alana Blanchard (HAW) 5.06

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.20 def. Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 1.50

Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.00 def. Pauline Ado (FRA) 8.37

Roxy Pro semi-final match-ups:

SF 1: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)

SF 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) vs. Carissa Moore (HAW)

Quiksilver Pro round two match-ups:

Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Brent Dorrington (AUS)

Heat 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Dane Reynolds (USA)

Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Willian Cardoso (BRA)

Heat 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)

Heat 5: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)

Heat 6: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Raoni Monteiro (BRA)

Heat 7: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)

Heat 8: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Nat Young (USA)

Heat 9: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)

Heat 10: Kieren Perrow (AUS) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA)

Heat 11: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Glenn Hall (IRL)

Heat 12: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA)

 

[Smallville22]

Surfing - Parkinson shows his class in Queensland

Joel Parkinson was again dominant as he stormed through his second-round encounter with local wildcard Brent Dorrington at the Quicksilver Pro on the Gold Coast.
The reigning world champion thrived as he took on two-to-three foot waves at Snapper Rocks in Queensland to post the highest heat total of the day with 17.10 out of 20.
The 26-year-old Dorrington was only able to score 10 in response, with Parkinson outclassing his compatriot to secure his place in the next round.
"I wasn’t so much nervous as I was excited," Parkinson said. "I’ve been ready to get this heat underway for a few days now.
"We’ve come down to the beach the last few mornings ready to go and then had to get back in the car and go home. It feels good to get it out of the way and now I can re-focus on the remainder of the event.
"It’s the first event of the year so everyone is frothing," he added. "Everyone on tour these days is dangerous, even the wildcards. Nothing’s guaranteed and you just have to go out and surf your best in every round."
Parkinson will next take on another wildcard in the shape of Dane Reynolds of the USA in round three when competition resumes on Sunday.
Reynolds produced a thrilling upset as he came from behind to beat Adriano de Souza of Brazil in their second-round clash.
The Brazilian took an early lead with a 9.10, but Reynolds responded with a 9.40 of his own to secure his progress, while defending champion Taj Burrow and Josh Kerr were also victorious in their heats.
When competition resumes, Owen Wright of Australia will be up first against Dusty Payne of Hawaii in their second-round encounter.

Round two results

Joel Parkinson (AUS) 17.10 def. Brent Dorrington (AUS) 10.00

Dane Reynolds (USA) 16.73 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.43

Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.10 def. Willian Cardoso (BRA) 13.53

Josh Kerr (AUS) 12.17 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 12.00

 

[Smallville22]

Olympic Games - Wrestling to hold extraordinary congress in Moscow

The world wrestling federation will hold an extraordinary congress in May to elect a new president as the ancient sport battles to maintain its place on the Olympic programme.
"FILA will hold its extraordinary Congress on May 18 in Moscow to elect a new president and discuss a variety of issues concerning keeping the sport in the Olympic Games," the sport's governing body said on its website.
Last month, the executive board of the International Olympic Committee, made a surprise recommendation to drop wrestling from the Olympic programme in 2020.
The sport, which featured in the first modern Olympics in 1896 and every Games since apart from 1900, has joined seven other candidates battling for one spot in a revamped programme.
The world wrestling community, outraged by the decision, put the blame largely on FILA chief Raphael Martinetti, forcing the Swiss to resign and naming Serbian Nenad Lalovic as acting president.
The Moscow congress will be held days before the IOC executive board meets in St Petersburg to determine which of the eight sports will go forward to the vote at the full IOC session in Buenos Aires in September.
In Moscow, FILA will discuss possible rule changes and new uniforms to make wrestling more attractive to fans and television audiences. The federation has also promised to give athletes a more active role in the decision-making process.
"It's time for us to utilise the passion and knowledge of our athletes, both men and women," Lalovic told the FILA website. "They will help us to be better."

 

[Smallville22]

Rugby - Williams brace inspires Quins

Winger Tom Williams grabbed two tries as a young Harlequins side beat Bath 31-23 in the LV= Cup semi-final at The Stoop to reach the final of the Anglo-Welsh knockout competition for the first time.
Tom Guest and Karl Dickson also touched down with fly-half Ben Botica kicking 11 points, converting all four tries before putting the issue beyond doubt with a late penalty.
Bath replied with tries from lock Francis Louw and full-back Nick Abendanon, with fly-half Tom Heathcote kicking their other 13 points.
Quins will play the winners of Sunday's semi-final between Sale Sharks and Saracens in the final at Sixways, Worcester, on Sunday, March 17.
Harlequins struck the first blow in the eighth minute when number eight Guest finished a superb move off the back of a lineout.
Scrum-half Dickson found Botica, his inside pass released Williams and flanker Maurie Fa'asavalu sent Guest on a clear run to the posts to leave Botica an easy conversion.
Bath, prompted by 35-year-old former Ireland scrum-half Peter Stringer, responded by putting Quins under pressure, with giant centre Matt Banahan making inroads.
But the visitors suffered another setback when Williams telegraphed a pass from Bath centre Kyle Eastmond on his own 22-metre line and raced 80 metres to touch down, leaving Botica another simple kick.
Bath opened their account six minutes later when their pack power proved too much for the home side.
Winning a lineout, their experienced forwards drove Quins back over their own line before Louw grounded the ball and Heathcote converted.
Bath's attacking momentum was broken when livewire Dickson's dummy and break from his own 22 turned defence into offence.
Bath halted the breakaway but, after Guest was hauled down just short of the line in the next phase of play, Dickson picked up and squeezed between Dominic Day and Stringer to score Quins' third try, with Botica again adding the extras.
A penalty from Heathcote reduced the Bath deficit to 21-10 just before half-time and, 30 seconds into the second half, he kicked another after Quins were caught offside.
But Harlequins struck again to stay in control with their fourth try in the 53rd minute. Botica found skipper Luke Wallace, who broke out of a tackle and passed outside for Williams to run in his second, again converted by Botica.
But the home team suffered a serious blow when left-wing Sam Smith was yellow-carded for disrupting a Bath attack from a blatant offside position.
Bath, capitalising on their one-man advantage, stayed in touch when Abendanon burst through for his side's second try, converted by Heathcote, who landed his third penalty in the 63rd minute to reduce the gap to five points and set up a tense finale.
Just before Smith returned, Bath had prop Nathan Catt sin-binned for illegally disrupting a Quins attack and Botica kicked the resulting penalty to seal victory.

 

[Smallville22]

Liga - Messi extends La Liga scoring record in Barca win

La Liga, Camp Nou - Barcelona 2 (Sanchez 38, Messi 88) Deportivo La Coruna 0

Lionel Messi extended his remarkable La Liga scoring record to 17 straight games with Barcelona's second in a 2-0 win over bottom side Deportivo La Coruna at the Camp Nou.
The little Argentina forward replaced David Villa with 30 minutes remaining before sealing the win for the Spanish champions-elect on 88 minutes.
He showed off all his ingenuity when he fed Dani Alves before racing onto the return pass to chip the ball coolly beyond the bamboozled Daniel Aranzubía, who enjoyed a fine performance in the visiting goal for relegation-haunted Depor.
Messi has netted 41 goals in 27 league games this season - 209 in 241 games for his club.
Alexis Sanchez headed the opener for Barca when he met an Alves cross on 38 minutes.
Aranzubía managed to tip the ball onto a post before Sanchez followed up to score, but replays showed that the ball was already over the line with the grounded keeper failing to keep it out.
Despite opening up a 14-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid, Barca were never at their best and will have to improve significantly if they are to have any hope of overturning a 2-0 deficit from the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against AC Milan when the Italians come calling on Tuesday.
Depor have lost seven of their past eight league games. They remain bottom of the table, four points behind second bottom Real Mallorca, and continue to stare relegation in the face.
But this defeat would have been heavier without the efforts of goalkeeper Aranzubía, especially in the first half.
Aranzubía made the first of several eye-catching saves to halt an effort by Alves on 11 minutes.
Cesc Fabregas then walloped a shot over the bar from 12 yards out when it looked easier to score.
Aranzubía was out of his goal quickly on 15 minutes to nudge the ball away from Cristian Tello after he had accepted a lovely pass from Thiago.
Barca continued to dominate as Silvio made a superbly timed tackle on Alexis after Tello drilled the ball across the face of goal. .
Aranzubía then came up with another brilliant save to deflect the ball onto the post after the cross had come off Aythami.
Barca were left scratching their heads when Aranzubía made two fine stops to deny David Villa then Adriano in quick succession.
Barca's opening goal did not exactly prompt the home side to feast on goals, but Depor were fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty in the second half when Juan Carlos clearly handled ball in the box with two hands, but the referee somehow missed it.
Unfortunately, for Depor, Messi wasn't in the mood for missing late on.

 

[Smallville22]

Ligue 1 - Ibrahimovic double sends PSG five points clear

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his sixth Ligue 1 double this season as Paris St Germain recovered to win 2-1 at home to strugglers AS Nancy and move five points clear at the top on Saturday.
PSG, who have lost to lowly Stade Reims and Sochaux in recent weeks, seemed set for another shock defeat when Benjamin Moukandjo deservedly put the struggling visitors ahead in the 36th minute.
But PSG capitalised on Nancy's mistakes as Ligue 1 leading scorer Ibrahimovic, who missed the midweek Champions League clash with Valencia through suspension, pounced twice in four minutes around the hour to take his league total to 24 goals.
PSG have 57 points from 28 games ahead of Lyon who host Marseille, in third on 49, on Sunday.
The Qatari-backed club, who reached the quarter-finals of Europe's elite competition for the first time in 18 years, looked far less comfortable against Nancy, who are now bottom of the standings and still six points from the safety zone.
"We know that it's a tough league and that it's hard to play as often as we have done," goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu told French channel Canal Plus.
"If everything was done already, the sport would not be so great. We have to write our own history," he added when asked why his team has struggled against unfancied opponents.
Lille also recovered from a goal down to record a fifth consecutive league win, 3-1 at neighbours Valenciennes, and climbed to fifth on 46 points.
The home team went ahead thanks to Maor Melikson's first league goal in the 24th minute.
Lille's Ronny Rodelin made it 1-1 in the 55th following a corner and Tulio De Melo also headed home to put the visitors in front with 10 minutes left.
Benoit Pedretti wrapped up the victory with a late goal as the 2011 champions cut the gap to the third and last Champions League qualifying spot to three points.
In Paris, PSG's Sweden striker Ibrahimovic and Italy midfielder Marco Verratti were back after being banned for the 1-1 Champions League draw with Valencia but the hosts produced a mediocre first period and were booed off at halftime.
Nancy almost opened the scoring in the 27th but Yassine Jebbour's curling strike was parried on to the post by Sirigu.
The Italy reserve keeper then saved Moukandjo's low strike nine minutes later but could not prevent the forward heading the loose ball home to give the visitors a surprise lead.
PSG's France winger Jeremy Menez replaced the ineffective Javier Pastore after the break and proved decisive when he set up Ibrahimovic in the area to equalise in the 59th minute after centre back Sebastien Puygrenier chested the ball into his path.
Four minutes later, the Swede ran through on goal from Verratti's neat long pass and tucked the ball into an empty net for his 24th league goal of the season as goalkeeper Damien Gregorini failed to clear.
David Beckham came off the bench for the last few minutes but PSG continued to labour and were lucky to escape when Florian Zitte's diverted effort hit the woodwork with three minutes to go in the day's early kickoff.
Elsewhere, the Ligue 1 youngsters stole the limelight with 17-year-old Adrien Rabiot, on loan at Toulouse from PSG, producing an outstanding strike from outside the box to earn the mid-table side a 1-0 win at lowly Stade Brest.
Troyes moved off the bottom of the table as they leapfrogged Nancy, jumping two points above them to 23 by beating fellow strugglers Stade Reims 4-2 helped by the first two league goals scored by Corentin Jean, who is also 17.

Other results:

Ajaccio 1-0 Lorient

Evian Thonon Gaillard 5-1 Sochaux

 

[Smallville22]

Bundesliga - Schalke win Ruhr derby, dramatic victory for Bayern

Schalke survived a second-half fightback to beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the Ruhr derby on Saturday and Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich twice came from behind to beat Fortuna Duesseldorf 3-2.
Bayern made it 10 victories out of 10 in all competitions this year thanks to a late winner from Jerome Boateng.
Boateng headed home in the 86th minute for Bayern. Mathis Bolly and Andreas Lambertz had twice put promoted Fortuna ahead but Thomas Mueller and Franck Ribery replied each time for the runaway leaders.
Bayern have 66 points from 25 games while champions Dortmund have 46, one more than Leverkusen.
Schalke's win took them up to fourth, the Champions League playoff spot.
Julian Draxler and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar put Schalke 2-0 ahead after 35 minutes. Dortmund pulled one back through Robert Lewandowski just before the hour as they dominated the second half.
"We lost 2-1, what can I say?", Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp told Sky Sports. "Everyone in our team understands what a derby means."
Asked what it meant to lose two derbies in a season, he replied: "I have no words for that," and walked off.
Draxler swept home Atsuto Uchida's low cross from the right in the 12th minute as Schalke tore into their arch-rivals.
Dortmund's Mario Goetze cleared off the line and Draxler had another effort blocked by keeper Roman Weidenfeller before Dutchman Huntelaar, left unmarked at the far post, headed in another Uchida cross.
Jefferson Farfan wasted an excellent chance to put Schalke further ahead early in the second half, shooting weakly at Weidenfeller, and it changed the course of the game.
Dortmund fought back and had one goal disallowed before a clinical finish by Lewandowski gave them hope.
The Pole then took centre stage in a pulsating finale as he had a shot blocked by team mate Goetze and then wasted a golden chance to equalise when he had a shot stopped by keeper Timo Hildebrand.
Schalke, who won the first Ruhr derby of the season by the same score, were always dangerous on the break and Farfan wasted another chance by volleying wildly over the bar at the far post with the goal at his mercy.
Werder Bremen edged away from the relegation zone with a 1-1 draw at Borussia Monchengladbach.
Striker Peniel Mlapa opened the scoring on 72 minutes for ‘Gladbach, only for Serbian midfielder Aleksandar Ignjovski to equalise five minutes later.
Bremen are now eight points clear of Augsburg, who occupy the relegation play-off spot above Hoffenheim and Greuther Furth.
Wolfsburg produced the day's best goals as they came from behind to triumph 5-2 at Freiburg.
Vieirinha rifled in a stunning 30-metre volley to put the visitors 2-1 ahead but was quickly upstaged by team mate Ivica Olic who met a low cross first time to score with an incredible bicycle kick.
Third-placed Bayer Leverkusen lost 1-0 at Mainz, Andreas Ivanschitz converting a penalty controversially awarded for handball, while Greuther Fuerth remained without a home win as they crashed 3-0 against Hoffenheim.

 

[Smallville22]

Serie A - Udinese and Roma share the spoils

Roma missed the chance to stake a claim for third place in Serie A on Saturday when they drew 1-1 with Udinese who finished with 10 men.
Erik Lamela's 20th minute tap in after a miraculous Zeljko Brkic save from Alessandro Florenzi's close-range header was cancelled out by Luis Muriel's smart individual goal just after the hour mark.
Udinese defender Thomas Heurtaux was sent off in the 73rd minute for a late, high challenge on Florenzi but Roma failed to capitalise on their one-man advantage.
Roma are now on 44 points and remain seventh, three points behind fifth-placed Lazio who occupy the second Europa League spot, while Udinese stayed ninth on 41 points.
Lazio will be looking to close the gap behind third-placed AC Milan to one point when they host fellow challengers for a Champions League place Fiorentina on Sunday.
League leaders Juventus take on this season's revelation Catania, who are eighth, while second-placed Napoli travel to Chievo Verona at the same time.