Javelin mishap
DUESSELDORF, Germany - A 75-year-old official was in a critical condition on Sunday after being speared through the throat by a javelin at an athletics meet in Duesseldorf. The elderly official at the city's Wilhelm Unger Games for young athletes is reported to have gone to measure a javelin throw, but was hit by the object as it landed, according to local media reports. Paramedics revived the victim at the scene and an emergency doctor escorted him as he was taken to the city's University Hospital, where he was operated on after losing a lot of blood from his main artery. Seven spectators in the 800-strong crowd who witnessed the accident were given counselling at the scene as police evacuated the stadium.
Stosur in action
NEW YORK - Samantha Stosur launches her US Open title defence in the first match on centre court at Flushing Meadows on Monday (Tuesday am AEST).
Stosur takes on talented young Croatian Petra Martic in an early test of her championship credentials. Australia's grand slam champion edged Martic 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7-5) in their only previous encounter, on clay in Madrid in May, before the world No.65 missed the opening first three events of the American hardcourt season with a foot injury. The US Open marks Martic's comeback, but Stosur knows how dangerous the 21-year-old can be when on song.
Spaniard wins
BRNO, Czech Republic - Spain's Honda rider Dani Pedrosa won the Czech MotoGP on Sunday, beating world championship leader Jorge Lorenzo in a nerve-wracking final lap. Pedrosa, who finished the 22 laps on the 5.4km circuit in 42 minutes 51.570 seconds, has narrowed the gap on Lorenzo in the overall standings to only 13 points with six races to go this season. Britain's Cal Crutchlow on a Yamaha came in third for the first podium finish of his MotoGP career, ahead of Italian teammate Andrea Dovizioso.
German champ
BERLIN - Germany's new super middleweight world boxing champion Arthur Abraham is planning his next bout for December 15 in Nuremberg with Australian Daniel Geale or compatriot Felix Sturm as possible opponents. Geale, the IBF middleweight world champion, takes on Sturm, the WBA super world middleweight titleholder, at Oberhausen in western Germany on Saturday and Abraham will be eyeing the winner for a future world title bout. The 32-year-old Abraham earned a unanimous points win over Germany's Robert Stieglitz on Saturday in Berlin to claim the WBO super middleweight belt and has previously tried to lure Sturm into the ring.
Cricket decision
SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates - Australian captain Michael Clarke wants his quicks to channel their inner Dennis Lillee when they take the field for their one-day international (ODI) series against Pakistan starting on Tuesday in Sharjah. In hot and humid conditions in their ODI clash with Afghanistan in Sharjah last weekend, Clarke's bowlers found it difficult to control the ball because of constant sweating. So in the tradition of Wimbledon winner Pat Cash's 1980s sweatbands and the great pace spearhead Lillee's old headwear in his glory days, Clarke says it's time to get back to the future. "Probably the most important thing for us is when bowling second, realise how much you're sweating," said Clarke.