Miller ends ski season early for 3rd straight year

ROME (AP) — Pulled in two directions, Bode Miller again opted for fatherhood over ski racing. The U.S. Ski Team announced Wednesday that Miller has cut short his World Cup season for the third consecutive year, raising questions about whether he might retire. The team told The Associated Press that the former two-time World Cup [...]

PETA protests pigeon racing at Tyson’s Nevada home

Buy AP Photo Reprints HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals demonstrated outside Mike Tyson’s suburban home to protest the former boxing champion’s role in pigeon racing. Henderson police spokesman Todd Rasmussen said Tuesday the PETA demonstration on Monday outside Tyson’s gated hillside neighborhood was peaceful. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported [...]

Serena aims to blossom in the spring

(CNN) — Serena Williams is targeting a spring return to the tennis circuit after a lengthy injury layoff which culminated in the 13-time grand slam winner being unable to defend her Australian Open crown. Williams picked up a freak foot injury when she cut her foot in a restaurant after claiming her fourth Wimbledon crown [...]

Holders France win Six Nations opener; Ireland deny Italy in Rome

(CNN) — Reigning champions France got their 2011 Six Nations campaign off to a winning start with a 34-21 victory over Scotland on Saturday. Although tense at times, their victory at the Stade de France was in stark contrast to their last match in the Paris stadium in November, when they were booed off the [...]

Despair for Torres as Liverpool beat Chelsea

(CNN) — Liverpool continued their improvement under manager Kenny Dalglish with a superb 1-0 Premier League win at Chelsea, making it a debut to forget for striker Fernando Torres against his former club. Torres joined champions Chelsea from Liverpool for a British record transfer fee of $80m last Monday and fate decreed that he would [...]

Dominant Djokovic powers to Australian Open win

(CNN) — Third seed Novak Djokovic produced a superb display to beat Andy Murray in straight sets to claim the second Australian Open title of his career. Djokovic, the Melbourne winner in 2008, secured his second grand slam victory with a 6-4 6-2 6-3 success under the floodlights at the Rod Laver arena. The 23-year-old [...]

Edfors leads the way at inaugural Euro Tour event in Bahrain

(CNN) — Sweden’s Johan Edfors shot an eight-under 64 to lead after the first round of the first European Tour event to be held in Bahrain. Edfors carded nine birdies on the par-72 Royal Golf Club as the kingdom became the 41st country to host an event on the tour. He is searching for his [...]

Contador receives one-year ban from Spanish federation

(CNN) — Alberto Contador has been banned for one-year by the Spanish cycling federation (RFEC) after testing positive for the banned anabolic agent clenbuterol on his way to winning last year’s Tour de France. The 28-year-old Spaniard, who has protested his innocence, confirmed the news in a statement released to the media through his spokesman. [...]

Klitschko brothers confirm Adamek fight

(CNN) — Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko have confirmed that one of them will fight Poland’s Tomasz Adamek for their world heavyweight titles in September. Confirmation of whether it will be Vitali, who holds the World Boxing Council (WBC) belt, or Wladimir, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion, who will face [...]

Kwame Brown earns starting role with Bobcats

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – It’s been almost 10 years since then-Wizards boss Michael Jordan made Kwame Brown the No. 1 overall draft pick. For Brown, that’s meant a decade of ridicule. From the immediate barbs he took from Jordan as a rookie to being booed every time he touched the ball in his return to Washington [...]