Al-Ahram Weekly | Sports

		17 - 23 October 2002 Issue No. 608 Sports	Current issue Previous issue Site map
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Recommend this page

Ferrari remains unchallenged
MICHAEL Schumacher has ended his record-breaking Formula One season with a devastating display of superiority in the Japanese Grand Prix.
The German stormed away into a race of his own at Suzuka, to extend his own record for victories in a season to 11.
He was followed across the line by Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello, underlining the Italian outfit's domination of the year. McLaren driver Kimi Raikkonen inherited third when Williams' Ralf Schumacher retired with an engine failure with five laps to go.
Michael Schumacher's victory set up another record -- he has finished on the podium at every race this year, an unprecedented achievement that is a tribute to Ferrari's preparation. It was also his 64th career win -- he is now 13 victories clear of the man in second place in the record books, Frenchman Alain Prost.
Schumacher stamped his authority on the field from the start, lapping at record pace at will and leaving even Barrichello breathless in pursuit.
It was a daunting display by the best driver in the world on one of his favourite tracks -- Suzuka is ranked with Spa in Belgium as the most challenging circuit in the world.
Ralf Schumacher retired from third place late in the race. He only lost the lead to Barrichello during the first pit-stop period, and was back in front a lap later when the Brazilian stopped. Barrichello kept the deficit respectable -- but he was still nearly 10 seconds adrift by half- distance. Ralf Schumacher and Raikkonen battled for third throughout the race.

Radcliffe sets marathon record
PAULA Radcliffe capped a sensational year by setting a new women's world best in winning the Chicago Marathon last Sunday.
The Bedford runner followed up her gold medals on the track at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships with her second marathon win of the year.
She crossed the finish line in Chicago's Grant Park in two hours, 17 minutes and 18 seconds -- 89 seconds inside the old record of Kenyan Catherine Ndereba. Radcliffe picked up a cool $150,000 (£94,000) for setting a new world mark, with a further $100,000 for finishing first. Radcliffe was two minutes quicker at halfway than in London
In the men's race, world record holder Khalid Khannouchi won in Chicago for a fourth time. But the Moroccan-born athlete, who now runs for the United States, narrowly missed his own world record set in last year's event.
Radcliffe's victory added to a bulging portfolio of achievements this year. She has already retained her world cross country title, won her debut marathon in London and took Commonwealth 5,000m and European 10,000m gold. Her winning time in London was two hours, 18 minutes and 55 seconds -- the fastest ever by a woman in a women-only field.
After half an hour, it was clear Radcliffe was operating at a pace faster than any woman had run before, the forecast rain failing to materialise. And as she went through 10 miles in 52 minutes and 37 seconds, she remained around a minute inside world record pace.
But there were three other women within close proximity, with world record holder Ndereba a mere 10 metres behind her. Japanese duo Yoko Shibui and Masako Chiba were also in touch along with American Deena Drossin. But Ndereba, who set the old record in Chicago last year as she recorded her second consecutive victory, was the only one to stay with Radcliffe's relentless onslaught.
The Briton reached the halfway point in 69 minutes and five seconds -- two minutes faster than her debut marathon in London. At 19 miles she ran her second quickest mile of the race, five minutes and five seconds, to move 22 seconds clear of Ndereba. And she continued to stretch away to finish two minutes and nine seconds ahead of the Kenyan, second in 2:19:26, with Shibui third nearly two minutes further back in 2:21:22.
Cipollini's first world title
ITALIAN great Mario Cipollini came out of retirement to win his first world championship road title in a mass sprint finish in Belgium on Sunday. The 35-year-old was given the perfect lead-out to beat joint favourites Australian Robbie McEwen and Germany's Erik Zabel. Cipollini exploded clear of the pack to win the 159-mile race by two bike lengths.
It was said that Cipollini had announced his retirement in July after he was not invited to compete in the Tour de France. But he reconsidered his decision two months ago to begin preparing for the world championships.
"Cycling is my life; it's so important," Cipollini said. "It's a great joy that inspires me to go still further."
Wet conditions made the flat circuit slippery early on, but it was just two miles from the finish that a mass crash occurred.
Of the other expected contenders, Spain's defending champion Oscar Freire lost his chance of a third win in four years when he encountered mechanical problems with nine miles to go. And former world number one Laurent Jalabert ended his career at the championships without ever being up among the leaders. Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong did not compete, while Germany's Jan Ullrich was absent serving a doping ban.

Smith prepares for the worst
DARKIE Smith admits he is likely to lose his trainer's licence next month following his actions in last month's WBU light welterweight world title bout in Manchester.
Smith climbed into the ring during the second round of his son Stephen's fight against Ricky Hatton and pushed referee Micky Vann. The trainer claimed that his son had been headbutted and elbowed by Hatton, who was then awarded the fight by disqualification.
The experienced Smith has now apologised for his actions in a letter to Boxing News. He also pleaded with the British Boxing Board of Control stewards to be lenient when they meet on 5 November to decide Smith's fate.
"I've held licenses with the Board since 1960 and this is the first time I've been reported for anything in disrepute," Smith said.
"After 42 years in boxing I know that it has all finished. I don't know what I'll do now. I'd like to apologise for everything that happened -- but most of all I'd like to say sorry to my son. I can't excuse what I did, only try to explain. When I got into the ring I truly believed the fight had been stopped.
"When my son said 'please dad, get out', it was only then that I realised it had not been stopped. I then got out of the ring.
"I know the father in me took over from the cornerman and with hindsight maybe I shouldn't have worked that night.
"Yes, I am a professional and what I did was wrong. But I'm also a person with feelings and know when someone's in danger."

Oakey retains title after scare
TONY Oakey survived the shock of a first round knockdown to retain his WBU light-heavyweight title in an all- action thriller against Andrei Kiarsten. Oakey had to fight on with serious nose damage which left his face covered in blood for the entire 12 rounds.
The previously unbeaten challenger from Estonia bowled Oakey, who had never been floored as a professional, over in the first and fourth rounds of their encounter at York Hall, Bethnal Green last Saturday night.
But the Portsmouth warrior hit back to have his challenger on the canvas in rounds two and six of an unrelenting clash. Oakey, who looked the better fighter when he boxed behind his effective jab, eventually took the verdict from all three judges by scores of 116-108, 115-109, and 113-111.

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