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Europe review Despite losing hockey players Russian team wins EHL
Posted: Wednesday February 09, 2000 02:13 PM
SANTA CATERNIA, Italy (Ticker) -- If Canadian NHL franchises think they have problems conducting business in American dollars, they should try Russian rubles. Currency exchange rates haven't stopped Metallurg Magnitogorsk from getting the job done. Despite being regularly raided by every league from the NHL to Italy, Metallurg reaffirmed its status as Europe's top hockey club on Sunday, successfully defending its European Hockey League crown and lifting the Silver Stone for the second consecutive year with a 2-0 win over Czech champions Sparta Prague. The victory was worth 250,000 Swiss francs to the Metallurgers. While that may not be enough to get the New York Rangers to Los Angeles and back for a game, the money is more than enough incentive for teams in the cash strapped Russian Hockey League. Andrei Razin, who had not scored in EHL play all season, was the unlikely hero scoring both Metallurg goals in the championship final. Razin's heroics, however, weren't enough to earn him a spot on all-star team that was dominated by former-NHLers. Pragues's Petr Briza was named top netminder behind Lugano defenseman, Peter Andersson, the New York Rangers' fifth pick in the 1983 draft, and Turku's Marko Kiprusoff, Montreal's fourth choice in 1994. Metallurg's Evgeni Koreshkov was selected all-star center between Prague right winger Vladimir Vujtek, Montreal's fourth pick in 1991, and Turku left winger Tomi Kallio, one of several players who attracted attention from NHL scouts in the audience. Disgruntled Ottawa Senators supporters aren't the only hockey fans going to court. Dan Patrichi is suing Rapid Bucharest for millions and the club is also looking at 20 million in fines. Patrichi claims he was beaten with a metal chain, kicked in the face and chased around the arena for cheering when his team, Dunarea Galati, scored against Rapid in a Romanian Ice Hockey League match last week. But the news for Rapid Bucharest isn't all bad. The 20 million fine the club faces is in lei, which works out to about US$1,000.
Kipketer sets 1,000-meter recordThe Great Dane, Wilson Kipketer, began his preparations for the Sydney 2000 Olympics on an auspicious note, setting a world indoor record in the 1,000 meters in Stuttgart on the weekend.Kipketer powered his way around the tight track in 2:15.15, chipping one-hundredth of a second off the old mark held by his Algerian rival Noureddine Morceli. With the Summer Olympics still over six months off, the three-time 800 meters world champion and world record holder looks a sure bet to finally complete his collection of medals with an Olympic gold. Two other track and field legends, pole vaulter Sergei Bubka and sprinter Merlene Ottey, made winning returns to competition in Spain last week. Embroiled in a doping controversy, Ottey was run out of a track meet in Germany last week but did her sprinting on the track a few days later in Valencia, easing to victory in the 60 meters. The 39-year-old Jamaican, running competitively for the first time since August 18 when it was announced she had tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone, received a standing ovation for her effort from the small crowd of about 1,000. But Ottey's welcome to the European circuit wasn't exactly the warm one she had become accustomed too throughout her career. Pressured by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) and the German athletics federation, Ottey, one of the most decorated track athletes of all-time with 14 world championship and seven Olympic medals, was forced to pull out of a planned appearance in Karlsruhe a week earlier. The veteran sprinter was cleared by her national federation in November but must still convince the IAAF she has never used a banned substance it she hopes to close out her illustrious career as planned by racing in the Sydney Olympics. At the same meet, Bubka cleared the first hurdle in his comeback from injury, sailing over 5.60 meters to win his first competition in 18 months. Sidelined with a heel injury since August 1998, the six-time world champion looked every bit as determined as he was when he set the first of 35 world records, defeating a respectable field that included Israel's Aleksander Averbukh, bronze medallist at last summer's world championships.
F1 goes high-techFormula one is going on line in a big way this season as teams change sponsorship gears, switching from cigarettes to high tech.The Prost Formula One team, run by four-time drivers champion Alain Prost, announced at their car launch last week they had signed a three-season deal with internet giant Yahoo for a rumored US$25 million. Prost, who will have veteran Frenchman Jean Alesi and newcomer Nick Heidfeld behind the wheel of the sleek new Prost-Peugeot AP03, has not completely butted out, retaining tobacco manufacturer Gauloises as their number one sponsor. Surfing the net may be equally addictive as cigarettes but with no proof that it's bad for your health and it appears Formula One has targeted the high-tech industry as its new sugar daddies ahead of a European ban on all tobacco advertising to be completed by 2006. Earlier, computer manufacturer Compaq signed on as the primary sponsors of the Williams Formula One team, which also has the backing of microchip maker Intel, telecommunications company Nortel and news and information provider Reuters.
Serie A changes leadersJuventus and Lazio continue to play musical chairs atop the Serie A standings, the Romans taking over first place from their Turin rivals with a 4-2 win over Torino.It was the fourth time in seven matches the two clubs had traded places at the top with more flip-flopping likely to come. The victory left Lazio just one point clear of Juve, which had struggled to a 1-1 tie with Udinese a day earlier. Former-Marseille striker Fabrizio Ravenelli led Lazio's return to the top, collecting the game winner early in the second half then setting up Chilean forward Marcelo Salas with the insurance marker. During the match, Torino supporters taunted Lazio fans by unfurling a banner paying tribute to cartoon character Sylvester the Cat. A week earlier, facist Lazio supporters caused outrage across Italy when they displayed huge banners paying tribute to assassinated Serb warlord Arkan the Tiger during a home match with Bari. When Lazio fans arrived at Turin's Delle Alpi stadium on Sunday, they were greeted with a satirical banner that read "Honor to Sylvester the Cat" strung across the stands. Rumors that Italian international captain Paolo Maldini will move from AC Milan to Chelsea after this summer's Euro 2000 championship have provided equally good laughs. Maldini, who made his debut for Milan as a 16-year-old in 1985 and has played his entire career (419 games) in the Italian fashion capital, laughed off the reports in the English and Italian press saying he has a long-term contract and is not going anywhere. I wonder if Maldini's heard of Alexei Yashin?
Monaco stumbles, but fall cushionedFrench league leaders Monaco, lost for the first time in six league matches on Sunday when they fell 2-1 to Lyon.But the loss failed to dent the Gamblers considerable cushion at the top of the standings as Paris Saint Germain was held 0-0 at home by Nantes and Auxerre lost 2-1 at Racing Lens to remain 10 points back of the runaway leaders. Sonny Anderson, the French league's top scorer, had given Lyon a 1-0 lead with his 17th of the season but twice nearly cost the team its first league win of the new year. First the Brazilian had a penalty shot saved by French international keeper Fabien Barthez and then was sent off for an ugly waist high tackle on Marcelo Gallardo.
Bundesliga back in actionThe German Bundesliga resumed action on the weekend after a winter break and leaders Bayern Munich still seemed to be in hibernation as they stumbled to a 0-0 draw with Hamburg.The Munchins had a chance to walk away with all three points when German international midfielder Lothar Matthaeus, who will play in the United States next season, was brought down in the box. But Bayern captain Stefan Effenberg flubbed the penalty kick, denied by a diving Hans-Joerg Butt. The single point, however, was just enough to allow Bayern to recapture the lead on goal differential from Bayer Leverkusen, who had moved to the top on Saturday with a 3-0 pasting of lowly Duisburg.
Deportivo regains lost groundDeportivo Coruna broke out of its run of poor form with a 5-2 dismantling of Real Madrid on Sunday to stretch its lead at the top of the Spanish first division.Deportivo, its eight-point cushion reduced to one in recent weeks, now sits a more comfortable four clear of second place Real Zaragoza, who rallied to earn a 2-2 draw at Atletico Madrid. Dutch striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink had counted once in each half to push Madrid in front 2-0. But with less than 10 minutes to play, Zaragoza came storming back to steal a point on goals from Yordi Gonzalez and Ander Garitano. Defending champions Barcelona also missed an opportunity to move up when it lost only its second game of the season in the Nou Camp, falling 1-0 to lowly Alaves.
German's golden in bobsleddingGermans proved on the weekend that they do indeed know how to handle the icy conditions.German bobsledders won both the men's and women's gold medals at their respective world championships. But no where was German domination more complete than the luge world championships where they swept gold in all four events and 9-of-12 medals up for grabs. In Altenberg, Christop Langen took the two-man bob title ahead of teammate Andre Lange while, at the same time on the otherside of Germany in Winterberg, Gabi Kohlisch became the first women's bobsleigh world champion when she came home just 0.11 seconds ahead of the American sled piloted by Jean Racine. Like many competitors in women's bobsleigh, the 36-year-old Kohlisch is a former luge world champion. Kohlisch's move from luge to bobsled certainly didn't hurt her country's medal chances at the luging championships in St. Moritz, where the women led by Sylke Otto swept the podium in the singles. Jens Mueller, the 1988 Olympic champion, capped off a near perfect weekend for the Germans when he edged defending champion Armin Zoeggeler of Italy in the men's singles. American's Mark Grimmette and Brian Martin were among the very few non-Germans to step onto the podium, taking the bronze in the doubles and preventing yet another sweep.
© 2003 SportsTicker Enterprises, LP
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