Sport

Tears of shame
Three-time Olympic champion Marion Jones pleaded guilty to lying to US government investigators when she denied using performance-enhancing drugs, and subsequently announced her retirement from athletics.

Outside the courthouse, Jones broke down in tears as she apologised for her actions, saying she fully understands she has disappointed her friends, family and supporters.

"I have let them down. I have let my country down, and I have let myself down," she said.

Andrew Johns, arguably the greatest rugby league player of all time, has been forced to end his glittering playing career due to a neck injury.

The former New South Wales and Australian Test captain called an end to his stellar career following hours of talks with leading spinal specialist Professor John Yeo today.

Johns, 32, underwent CAT scans this morning after aggravating a previous neck injury at training last Thursday in a collision with Newcastle team-mates Daniel Abraham and Adam Woolnough.

"I'm still in shock,'' said Johns of his decision.

"I was in shock when it happened, just totally numb.

Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer was murdered, Jamaican police said tonight.

A postmortem examination showed his death was caused by asphyxia, as a result of manual strangulation, police said.

A murder inquiry has been launched.

Woolmer, 58, was found unconscious by staff at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on Sunday morning, the day after Pakistan's shock defeat to cricketing minnows Ireland in the Cricket World Cup.

It is understood the coach was found in the bathroom area. He was then taken to hospital where he died.

"The official report from the pathologist states that Mr Woolmer's death was due to asphyxia as a result of manual strangulation,'' Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas said in a statement read out by a police spokesman at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, where Woolmer died on Sunday.

"In these circumstances, the matter of Mr Woolmer's death is now being treated by the Jamaican police as murder.''

In the most troubling development of a troubling week, Australia's likely World Cup attack could not prevent New Zealand completing the second-highest run chase in limited-overs history yesterday, thus sealing a Chappell-Hadlee series defeat and, worse, the surrendering of the No.1 ranking to South Africa.

After Michael Hussey and Brad Hodge guided Australia to a commanding 4-336 from their 50 overs on a superb Eden Park batting wicket, New Zealand's batsmen, led by Ross Taylor (117 from 127 balls), Peter Fulton (76 not out from 65) and Craig McMillan (52 from 30), propelled past that total with eight deliveries remaining and five wickets in hand.

Only days ago, bookmakers were offering odds on England returning home from this unhappy tour without a single win against Australia.

Hammered 5-0 in the Ashes series, despised outsiders in the one-day tournament, England's nadir arrived when Australia beat it by nine wickets in Adelaide on Australia Day.

Indeed, some commentators thought it best that England go home then to avoid further indignity.

Now, against all expectations, it has beaten Australia 2-0 in the Tri Series finals and have a trophy to take home.

Roger Federer left the tennis world wondering what next for the Swiss freak after he took out the Australian Open in straight sets.

Federer ended the giant-killing run of Fernando Gonzalez with another straight-sets clinic in tonight's Australian Open final at Melbourne Park.

The title-holder survived a first-set fright to motor to a commanding 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 6-4 triumph to earn his third Open crown - and 10th grand slam title in total, placing the nigh-unbeatable 25-year-old equal fifth alongside American Bill Tilden on the list of all-time major champions.

Police investigating the sexual assault of a five-year-old boy at the Australian Open in Melbourne have defended their decision not to warn the public about the possible threat to children.

The young boy was allegedly assaulted in a men's toilet late on Monday afternoon while his mother waited for him outside.

It is alleged a man followed him into the Melbourne Park cubicle and touched him inappropriately.

The attack was not made public until this morning, four days after the incident.

Sharapova: toughest of games to get to second round

Maria Sharapova survived being sucked into a maelstrom of misery at the Australian Open on Tuesday and security was beefed up to prevent a recurrence of the ethnic clashes that tainted the opening day of the grand slam.

Officials began to postpone matches as temperatures soared over 40 degrees (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

 

Serbia's Ilia Bozoljac and Croatian Marin Cilic were scheduled to play a first-round match later on day two, prompting fears it could set the scene for a repeat of the ugly brawls that marred Melbourne Park on Monday.

The credibility of the interstate Twenty20 series took a blow after NSW skipper Simon Katich refused to put rugby league star Andrew Johns on strike in the final over of its eight-run loss to South Australia.

 

Embattled English cricket captain Andrew Flintoff has been dropped with former captain Michael Vaughan to take over for the rest of the tour.

Vaughan will resume his role as England captain in Tuesday's Twenty20 game against Australia and the triangular one-day series, the chairman of England's selectors David Graveney said on Sunday.

“It will be a fantastic boost for everyone to have Michael Vaughan back as captain for the one-day series,” confirmed Graveney.

“His leadership experience will be invaluable as we prepare for a tough series against an excellent Australian team.

BOB OATLEY and his brilliant crew aboard Wild Oats XI never gave their rivals a chance.
As if racing the fastest yacht in the 62-year history of the blue-water classic wasn't enough of an advantage, the Wild Oats XI team ensured its place in history by executing the perfect Sydney-Hobart campaign.
Wild Oats XI crossed the finish line on the Derwent River at 9.52 last night to become the first yacht since Astor in 1964 to claim line honours in consecutive years in 2days8hr52min33sec.

It was well outside its own race record of 1day18hr40min10sec set last year, but that was hardly likely to concern owner Bob Oatley.

England captain Andrew Flintoff paid tribute to Australia after they crushed his team by an innings inside three days in the fourth Test in Melbourne. The hosts are now 4-0 up and on the brink of the first Ashes whitewash since England lost 5-0 in 1920/21. "We've been outplayed. Australia bowled magnificently and gave us nothing. "We have competed in parts but we've not been able to apply pressure for periods of time. Australia have not allowed us to do that," he said. Flintoff's team made feeble scores of 159 and 161 at the MCG.

It was the Shane Warne day as he took his 700th Test wicket and bagged a five wicket haul to help skittled England out for 159 on day one of the fourth Ashes Test.
Before a crowd of 89,000 leg-spinner Warne bowled Andrew Strauss (50) to reach the mark and also removed Kevin Pietersen (21) to return 5-39.
Pacemen Brett Lee and Stuart Clark took two wickets each, and Glenn McGrath had his 150th Ashes victim, as the tourists struggled after winning the toss.
"I don't know who's writing my scripts but it's pretty good," Warne told Channel Nine. " I'm pretty happy with that one."