| Gebrselassie wins Great North Run • Ethiopian dominates race ahead of Kenya's Kiplimo Kimutai• Britain's Mara Yamauchi finishes fifth in women's eventHaile Gebrselassie added another title to his list of distinguished accolades with a commanding victory in today's Great North Run.The 37-year-old Ethiopian, the marathon world-record holder and two-time Olympic 10,000 metres champion, who was competing in the North-east half-marathon event for the first time, broke away at the halfway point to claim victory well ahead of Kenya's Kiplimo Kimutai.He was unable to threaten the 2005 course record of 59 min 5 sec, finishing in a time of 59:33, a comfortable 1:50 ahead of Kimutai. Morocco's Jaouad Gharib was third.Gebrselassie, who has set 26 world records in his career and is rated the greatest distance runner of all time, felt he could have gone faster had he been pushed."I was wonderful," he said. "I needed someone to keep the pace until the last two kilometres and then it would have been perhaps a bit faster. It was great win, this is something very special."In the women's race, Mara Yamauchi's bid to become the first British winner since Paula Radcliffe in 2003 ended in disappointment as she could only finish fifth behind another Ethiopian, Berhane Adere.Adere, like her compatriot a former world champion over 10,000m and a winner of the Great North Run in 2006, finished in 68:49 to win ahead of the Portuguese duo Ana Dulce Félix and Marisa Barros. Yamauchi was unable to live with the pace and was not in contention.The Oxford-born athlete, whose last race was the London Marathon in April when she finished 10th after enduring a six-day journey to get to the capital because of the travel chaos caused by the Icelandic ash cloud, is building up to the New York Marathon in November."I was hoping to run a little bit quicker but the main aim for the autumn is the New York Marathon," said Yamauchi. "That was a really strong field. I didn't know what to expect from the Portuguese and Spanish girls as a lot of them are track runners. Adere is a really good runner. I felt OK but I was hoping I would have more strength at the end."Britain's Paralympic medallists David Weir and Shelly Woods won the men's and women's wheelchair races respectively.Athleticsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
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Westwood rejects riches of PGA Tour • Englishman poised to become world No1• Europe's leading player wants to stay thereThe good news just keeps on rolling in European golf, which this week celebrated a Ryder Cup victory over the United States at Celtic Manor and today learned that its biggest star and best player, Lee Westwood, has decided against joining the PGA Tour in America.The Englishman, who can become the world No1 this week with a victory or a second-place finish in the Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews, said he had no interest in commuting back and forth across the Atlantic and even less in chasing the $10m (£6.3m) bonus prize that goes to the winner of the FedEx Cup play-offs."I had my US Tour card in 2006, '07 and '08 and there were times I was teeing up just to make up the numbers. I don't want to do that again. The only reason I would join the US Tour is for money."I don't see another reason. I like the European Tour and I want to support it. It is my personal preference to play here more," he said, rejecting the suggestion that it would be harder to maintain, or improve his world ranking, by sticking with the European Tour."It is hard full stop. I don't think it is any harder. I think it would be harder if you were forced into a lifestyle change you didn't want to see happen. I play well because I am happy. I have my family, my house here. I pay all my taxes here. I might as well make the most of the child benefit – oh yeah, I forgot; they're taking that away."It is not often a professional golfer will take a risk and delve into politics, but then Westwood is often to be found kicking against the tide.With the PGA Tour commissioner, Tim Finchem, raising the prospect of the "world tour" this week, these are worrying times for the European Tour, with more and more of its best players setting up base in the US, including Paul Casey and Justin Rose. Graeme McDowell, who holed the winning putt at Celtic Manor, is the latest to look west, confirming today that he, too, would take up PGA Tour membership. "I tried it once before, in 2006, but I never really got a full taste of it," he said. "I want to give it a go out there, though my schedule will also have European Tour events in it as well."Yet if others are being tempted, Westwood remains implacable. He has always been his own man, determined and independent, and he has needed to be down the years, not least when his game fell apart and his world ranking fell below 200.Back then, the idea that he might one day be poised to overtake Tiger Woods as the world's leading player would have been met with a fair degree of scepticism, even from Westwood himself. "But golf is a strange thing," he said. "I went from fourth in the world to around 250th – so why couldn't I go the other way? I'm quite a positive thinker."He will need to think positively, and play brilliantly, this week if he is to repeat his victory here in 2003. As well as the usual smattering of celebrity hackers, the field forming this pro-am event includes nine members of the victorious European team in Wales. And, of course, one victorious captain."My expectations for this week?" said Colin Montgomerie, now ranked 425th in the world. "For the last two years every question I've been asked had nothing to do with my own golf. It would be lovely to think I'll be asked about my own golf this week because that would mean I have played well."GolfLee WestwoodEuropean TourLawrence Doneganguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Boise State's Kellen Moore is new leader of USA TODAY's Heisman Watch Things change quickly in college football. Denard Robinson was a near-unanimous leader in last week's Heisman Watch. But after he threw three ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Drug smuggler lands six-month ban • Criminal made £151 when Rascal In The Mix was beaten• Ruling body may tighten process by which owners are vettedThe process by which syndicate members are vetted may be changed after Stephane Hassiakos, described as "a non-nominated partner" in the filly Rascal In The Mix, was banned for six months for laying that horse on Betfair before a race at Southwell in November 2008.At the time Hassiakos had only recently been released from prison, having served four years of a nine-year sentence for masterminding a major drugs ring, which imported cannabis with a street value of £10m into north-west England.Only two members of a syndicate are required to register in full as owners with the British Horseracing Authority. Other members are simply listed as "non- nominated partners" on a horse's registration form. As such they are not subject to the BHA's "fit and proper person" test for owners.Paul Struthers, the BHA's spokesman, said that consideration may be given to a change in the rules that would require nominated partners to vouch for the "fit and proper" status of non- nominated partners."It would be very onerous for all concerned to require every partner in a horse to be fully registered," Struthers said. "It would mean a great deal more work for Weatherby's [racing's administrative service] and also a great deal more expense for owners."But a change to the responsibilities of the nominated owners is something we will look at, though it is not straightforward."Struthers also confirmed that Hassiakos's conviction for a serious criminal offence meant that it was "unlikely" he would pass the BHA's fit-and-proper test.At the hearing into the Southwell race today the BHA's disciplinary panel heard that Hassiakos placed two lay bets, risking a total of £513.79, before Rascal In The Mix made her debut in a maiden race at a starting price of 14-1. Hassiakos, having laid her at a substantially shorter price, stood to make £151.52 if she was beaten.In the race the filly was slowly away, but made progress under little pressure from her jockey, Dean McKeown, before finishing fifth, without ever being put into serious contention.McKeown had been given leave to continue riding by the BHA pending an appeal against a four-year ban for corruption offences. That leave was immediately revoked after his ride on Rascal In The Mix and McKeown, whose riding career is almost certainly over, is currently serving his suspension.Hassiakos admitted a breach of the rules of racing but said that he had not been aware that it was against the rules to lay a horse in which he had a share.The panel accepted that he had been "co-operative and straight throughout the investigation and inquiry", but "wished to make it clear that ignorance ... is not a valid argument" for a breach of the rules. It banned Hassiakos from the sport for six months from tomorrow.Horse racingDean McKeownGreg Woodguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |