Maze claims super-combi

ST. MORITZ, Switzerland — Tina Maze of Slovenia won her third race of the season by finishing first in both runs of a World Cup super-combined event Friday, while Lindsey Vonn failed to finish.

Vonn was fourth in the super-G but lost control of a ski during an early turn in her slalom run and failed to finish.

Maze extended her lead in the overall standings by finishing in an aggregate time of 2 minutes, 1.76 seconds after the super-G and slalom. She defeated Nicole Hosp of Austria by 0.88, while Kathrin Zettel of Austria was 1.08 behind in third.

Julia Mancuso of the United States was fifth after the super-G, but slipped to 11th after posting the 23rd-fastest time in the slalom. World super-combined champion Anna Fenninger of Austria was seventh, 1.90 behind Maze.

The Slovenian finished runnerup to overall champion Vonn last season without winning a race. She now leads the American by 187 points despite Vonn's three straight wins last week at Lake Louise, Alberta.

"I am so strong because I trained hard for the season," said Maze, who has 14 World Cup victories. "I put in a lot of hard work. That makes me full of confidence."

Maze led by 0.01 after the super-G ahead of Lara Gut of Switzerland, who dropped to fifth following the slalom.

"It's a nice course, but the visibility wasn't great," said Maze, who has won races in every discipline except for super-G. "I am very satisfied, it feels good. I've had good super-G runs in the past, but it never worked out in the end."

Maze tops the standings with 497 points. Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany, who missed out on the podium by 0.11 in fourth place, is second with 369. Next is Zettel with 320 and Vonn with 310.

Hosp, the 2007 overall champion, was seventh after the super-G. She was fast enough in the slalom to earn her first podium finish since the race here last season.

"At ski racing, your mind plays an important role," said Hosp, who has not won a World Cup race since capturing a slalom in January 2008 at Maribor, Slovenia. "If you don't get the results it's hard to stay relaxed. I hope this race will help me for the rest of the winter."

This was the first of only two super-combined events this season. They count for the overall standings, but no crystal globe will be awarded to the discipline champion.

A regular super-G was to be held on the same course Saturday, followed by a giant slalom Sunday.

VAL D'ISERE, France — Ted Ligety is an outspoken critic of skiing's governing body and has a penchant for his own self-designed day-glo goggles and helmets, but he has emerged as a real World Cup title contender.

After a preseason rage against the International Ski Federation (FIS) over changes to skis the body claimed were made on safety grounds, Ligety has ironically emerged as the racer who has best adapted to the modifications.

But that did not stop him having another go at the FIS on Friday ahead of a World Cup slalom on Saturday and a giant slalom 24 hours later.

"My argument against the ski changes was never about whether it would be good or bad for me," said the 28-year-old American, who has won the season's opening two giant slaloms by a staggering average of 2.25 seconds.

It was about the fact that ski racers had zero way to talk about the changes.

"It's extremely wrong when you have a governing body coming out with rules and not even asking the athletes, and especially when it has to do with ski changes that are important to the fun and safety of the sport."

"We were completely disregarded," he said, adding that the increased safety argument put forward by the FIS was not genuine, naming a handful of racers who have recently injured knees.

"The No. 1 reason for injuries is snow conditions and course preparation."

Ligety's best finish in the overall World Cup standings was fifth in 2008 and the American insisted that increased consistency in the slalom and his improving super-G performances would be the backbone of his push to top the podium.

"My goal is to get back on to the slalom podium and to fight for podium positions," said Ligety, whose last slalom podium was a third place in Wengen in 2008.

"A big goal of mine is to win the overall title and I think the path to get there is being one of the best slalom skiers."

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Former Evessa star Washington claims he is 'blackballed' despite exoneration

The Osaka Evessa and bj-league office claimed that Lynn Washington, one of the league's original superstars, retired on April 9 after he was exonerated of all charges following his arrest and 18 days in Osaka Prefectural Police custody.

The former Indiana University forward, however, is now telling a different story.

"I have been wrongfully blackballed from Japanese basketball," Washington told The Japan Times in an exclusive interview this week.

The two-time MVP and three-time title winner was the undisputed leader of the Evessa before his March 13 arrest on suspicion of smuggling about 1 kg of marijuana into Japan. When he was released by the police, neither the Evessa nor the bj-league issued a statement saying they would welcome Washington back into the league.

The 34-year-old Washington was ordered to keep quiet, to say nothing about his "retirement," this reporter has learned, after the team's news release was issued. He admitted as much. One source familiar with the situation called it "hush money," and Washington didn't speak out about the end of his successful career. Until now.

Despite the fact, he said, that no bj-league team will sign him, "if I did have a contract from a team, I would probably sign."

Recently, "I turned down two gigs in South America. So, no, 100 percent retired, absolutely not," he added.

Washington became the first player in bj-league history to reach the 5,000-point milestone, doing so on Oct. 15, 2011, against the Takamatsu Five Arrows, and also earned back-to-back All-Star Game MVP awards the past two seasons. He cherishes those accomplishments, he said, but is miffed about the way he and his family were treated by bj-league personnel.

Lynn's wife, Dana Washington, was arrested in February and released on May 25 after pleading guilty to drug possession.

Dana Washington's lawyer, Ichiro Morioka, presented her prescription, issued in California for medical marijuana to treat arthritis, sleep deprivation and migraine headaches, to court officials in Osaka. The 3?-year sentence sought by prosecutors was dropped.

(Washington maintains that he had no knowledge of his wife sending the package to Japan, and that he would have told her not to do so because of Japan's strict Cannabis Control Law.)

"Even though my wife did what she did, no one cared for my (three) children who were the most affected by what happened," Washington said.

Other key officials around the league demonstrated rude, thoughtless behavior after Washington's arrest, he said.

"For instance, the Shiga GM (Shinsuke Sakai) laughed when I went to jail and said the Evessa are finally finished," Washington said.

"Who cares if the Evessa are finished or not? Family is at stake, something, I thought all Japanese people cherished. I guess not."

Another incident involving the Saitama Broncos illustrated the immature way some individuals around the league handled matters after Washington's arrest.

"In Saitama, one of their team officials paused my picture on television from one of my endorsement commercials and started laughing," Washington said. "One of my friends on the team cursed him out because of his insensitivity.

"In the last 10 months, I have learned more about Japanese people than I have in the 10 years living in Japan," he said. "Most Japanese people will disown you if it saves their face. I'm OK with that however."

What angers Washington, though, is the way the championship-caliber team fell apart after the end of the 2011-12 season. The Evessa were 26-12 at the time of Washington's arrest, sitting in second place in the Western Conference behind the eventual-champion Ryukyu Golden Kings.

Osaka finished the season with a 35-17 record and remained in second place entering the postseason, giving the Evessa the right to host a second-round series against the Kyoto Hannaryz.

After the team's playoff exit, then-coach Ryan Blackwell said, "We lost arguably the greatest player in league history and we still had a chance (to make the Final Four)."

Washington said, "I understand the public relations aspect of disassociation, but cruelty reared its head therein. How so? Ryan Blackwell was fired for keeping a team together during troubling times and by being guilty by association. In one word, 'unreal.' "

In the Osaka front office's view, anything but an Evessa championship in May was an acceptable reason to unload Blackwell, one longtime league insider told this newspaper.

"All in all, the league handed down sanctions on anyone associated with what happened to me," Washington said. "Blackballed, absolutely. . . "

"I'm not bitter at all however. I had a nice career in Japan with a very promising future in America. I will come back to Japan and watch bj-league games this winter. I just hope I can get a front-row seat."

Washington's saga is a cautionary tale for anyone who expects the bj-league to offer them a second chance, even if they are declared innocent by the courts. Case in point: On March 30, Washington said in another exclusive interview after his release from police custody that he definitely wanted to return to the Evessa. "Give me a week of training and four games with the Lord with me, and I'm back where I left off," he said at the time.

That never happened.

"The Lynn Washington situation truly upset me," a former bj-league player told The Japan Times in a recent interview. "An innocent man being forced to retire, a week after he says to you that he only needs a week to get back in shape, then comes out and retires. Ridiculous."

The Evessa stumbled out of the gates losing three times in as many days by a combined 60 points in the recent Seiki Cup in Shiga Prefecture. It appears new coach Zoran Kreckovic will have his hands full building a team with only three of 12 players back on the squad from last season. General manager Hirotaro Nomamoto's ouster last week is the latest sign of a team far removed from its glory years — six Final Fours and seven straight playoff appearances.

For Washington, Nomamoto's departure was no surprise.

"By the way, Nomamoto being fired is just what happens when you have no knowledge of how a team should be put together," Washington said.

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Barca backs Messi over abuse claims

BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona has staunchly defended Lionel Messi over claims he racially abused a black Real Madrid player several seasons ago.

Dutch midfielder Royston Drenthe, currently on loan to Everton, was quoted in a Dutch magazine as saying he was taunted by the Argentine forward and three-time FIFA player of the year during several of their Spanish League encounters.

Barcelona said in a statement that the accusations "are well wide of the mark" and that Messi "has always shown maximum respect and sportsmanship towards his rivals."

Drenthe, who is black, claims Messi used the word "negro" in a negative tone. Liverpool's Luis Suarez was banned for eight games for taunting Manchester United's Patrice Evra in a similar manner this season.

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Drug use rampant in bj-league, claims Saitama's Flowers

Saitama Broncos forward John Flowers, who played for West Virginia in the 2010 NCAA Final Four, told a CBS Radio show in Pittsburgh that drug use in the bj-league is widespread.

Those comments came three days after Osaka Evessa star Lynn Washington's arrest on Tuesday for suspicion of importing a package of marijuana into Japan, a violation of the Cannabis Control Law. Washington's wife, Dana, was arrested last month by Osaka Prefectural Police. The case is ongoing.

"I could name at least two people on every team that smoke marijuana out here," Flowers said in an interview with "The Fan Morning Show" on 93.7 FM before West Virginia lost to Gonzaga in an NCAA tournament game on Thursday.

Flowers, who's tied for fifth in the league in scoring (20.6 points per game), said his overall experience in Japan has been miserable. He described his residency, provided by the Broncos, as living in a "jail cell."

After Washington's arrest and the abrupt announcement that the bj-league, which relies on foreign players to fill about 60 percent of its starting positions, will now begin immediate drug testing before this weekend's games, Flowers said numerous players are stunned by the news. He described it as "something astronomical happened out here."

Flowers said, "A lot of players in the league are real shook right now. . ."

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Dempsey hits treble as Fulham claims win

LONDON — Clint Dempsey scored his second hat trick in as many weeks as the American forward steered Fulham to an astonishing 5-2 comeback victory over Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday.

Hats off to you: Fulham's Clint Dempsey (front) fights for the ball with Newcastle's Hatem Ben Arfa during their match on Saturday in London. Dempsey scored a hat trick in Fulham's 5-2 victory. AP

Newcastle dominated the opening 45 minutes and a superb drive from around 25 meters from Danny Guthrie put the visitors deservedly 1-0 ahead at halftime.

But Danny Murphy leveled from the penalty spot in the 52nd minute and Dempsey struck twice — his first being his 50th goal for Fulham — to leave the home side firmly in control.

Bobby Zamora converted another spot-kick in the 68th minute before Hatem Ben Arfa pulled a goal back for Newcastle.

Dempsey completed the second hat trick of his five-year career in English soccer — just two weeks after scoring the first against Charlton in the F.A. Cup on Jan. 7 — in the 89th minute.

His latest feat took Dempsey to a career-best 15 goals this season, two more than his previous best last season, and a total of 52 since the 28-year-old forward joined Fulham from New England Revolution in January, 2007.

"We never found our rhythm in the first half but we began to get into their penalty area in the second half," Dempsey said after taking his Premier League tally to nine goals. "Danny Murphy scored the first goal and then we kept going and going. Luckily the ball kept going in. We never took our foot off the gas and we took our chances."

Fulham manager Martin Jol was delighted with the American's performance and was keen for it continue as the team moved eight points away from the relegation zone.

"Clint Dempsey is our top scorer," Jol said. "He is doing what he does best. Clint scores goals and if he can score 12 goals this year and some other players do we will be fine."

Needing a win to boost its faint chances of reeling in the two Manchester clubs and Tottenham, fourth-place Chelsea was frustrated by poor finishing at Carrow Road, with misfiring Spain striker Fernando Torres being the biggest culprit in a 0-0 draw with Norwich.

Qualifying for the Champions League may be Chelsea's main target now, so news of Liverpool's 3-1 defeat at Bolton and Newcastle's loss at Fulham will have been welcome.

Liverpool was surprisingly overrun by a Bolton team that had been languishing in the bottom three, surrendering an opportunity to move within three points of Chelsea.

League leader Manchester City was set to host third-place Tottenham and Manchester United, which is second, visits Arsenal on Sunday in an important day for the title chasers.

At the other end of the standings, bottom team Wigan's plight worsened by losing 3-1 at Queens Park Rangers — its 13th defeat in 22 games.

Ireland striker Robbie Keane grabbed a second-half double — his second in the 84th minute proving to be the winner — as Aston Villa rallied to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2.

Keane was making his starting debut after moving to Villa on a short-term loan deal from Los Angeles Galaxy.

Sunderland beat Swansea 2-0, Blackburn grabbed a 1-1 draw at Everton and West Bromwich Albion claimed a first win in 2012 by beating Stoke 2-1.

Chelsea is now provisionally 10 points behind City and five adrift of Tottenham, but the margin should be shorter following a dominant second-half performance at Carrow Road that had Norwich hanging on.

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Former official claims FIFA traded television rights for support

PORT-OF-SPAIN — Jack Warner, a former FIFA vice president, said Thursday he was awarded World Cup television rights for as little as $1 in return for helping Sepp Blatter win elections for the presidency of world soccer's ruling body.

Warner, who resigned from FIFA in June amid bribery allegations, said in a statement that the organization awarded him the 1998 World Cup rights in his native Trinidad and Tobago for $1 after he helped Blatter win a "brutal" campaign to become FIFA president.

A former president of regional body CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union, Warner also said he was sold the rights for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups after helping Blatter get re-elected in 2002, and later bought the 2010 and 2014 rights.

The accusations are the latest twist to the corruption accusations and infighting that have dogged FIFA throughout 2011.

FIFA said in a statement that "we are currently looking into the matter."

Once a Blatter ally, Warner switched his allegiance to Qatar's Mohammed bin Hammam during FIFA's presidential election this year. After being suspended by FIFA in May, Warner had threatened to unleash a "tsunami" of corruption allegations against the organization.

On Thursday, Warner said in his statement that he and bin Hammam, a former Asian Football Confederation president, had helped Blatter in 2002 by playing "extremely critical roles in his re-election as well as in preventing several members of the then-Executive Committee from instituting criminal charges against him." Warner did not give details of the possible charges.

TV rights for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups were "again sold to me personally however using the CFU as the vehicle," Warner said, adding that they were subsequently resold.

He said the profits, as with previous rights earnings, were used to fund soccer activities in the Caribbean.

Warner's decision to quit FIFA meant that he avoided an investigation of his alleged role in arranging payments for Caribbean voters during bin Hammam's presidential campaign — a bribery scandal that subsequently led to the Qatari challenger's lifetime ban from soccer. Bin Hammam withdrew his bid after the scandal emerged in May.

In his statement Thursday, Warner claimed FIFA had vainly made him other lucrative offers if he would support Blatter, rather than bin Hammam.

"In 2011, in exchange for my support (and by extension the support of the CFU and the CONCACAF) in the FIFA presidential election, the FIFA again offered me the sale of the World Cup Rights for 2018 and 2022 as a 'gift' at a nominal fee," Warner said.

FIFA also agreed to give CONCACAF a combined total of $1 million for two soccer development projects, Warner claimed.

"Notwithstanding the inducements offered, I . . . refused to endorse Sepp Blatter for the 2011 FIFA Presidential election . . .," the statement added.

According to Warner, a 28-year veteran of FIFA's executive committee, there are more revelations to come.

He said that he would make further disclosures next week, including "why I could not support Sepp Blatter's re-election," and "why Caribbean football will never be for sale."

The bribery scandal involving Warner and bin Hammam was sparked when whistle-blowers from four Caribbean countries reported that cash was offered during bin Hammam's May 10 visit to Trinidad ahead of the FIFA vote for the presidency.

A video of Warner urging Caribbean soccer leaders to accept their cash gifts was leaked and published on the website of Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Bin Hammam is appealing his FIFA ban and is awaiting a date for a hearing from the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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Irie claims backstroke double

OSAKA — In-form Ryosuke Irie completed a men's backstroke double Saturday with a commanding victory in the 200 meters at the Japan Open.

Irie, who won the 100 on Friday, clocked 1 minute, 54.55 seconds to easily beat Kazuki Watanabe, who finished over three seconds back in second place. Yuki Shirai was third in 1:58.77.

Yuya Horihata won the men's 400-meter individual medley in 4:12.96 while Shiho Sakai prevailed in the women's 200 backstroke in 2:08.38.

Fourteen-year-old Kanako Watanabe took the women's 50 breaststroke title in 31.83. She has now set the fastest time ever by a junior high school swimmer in both the 100- and 50-meter disciplines here.

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