Malinin lands quad axel, wins second straight title
Staff, news service reports
Ilia Malinin established such a big lead after his peerless short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Columbus, Ohio that the phenom’s free skate Sunday was less a competition and more a coronation.
Even though kings sometimes fall down.
After starting his program with a textbook quad axel — a jump only Malinin has landed in competition — he doubled a planned quad loop, fell on a quad lutz and doubled another planned quad. But even with those miscues, the 19-year-old Malinin was still nearly 30 points better than the rest of the competition, cruising to his second consecutive national championship.
Malinin finished with 294.35 points, well below the world-leading score of 314.66 points he had at the Grand Prix Final in December. But it was well ahead of Jason Brown in second with 264.50 points, while Camden Pulkinen soared from fifth after his short program into the bronze-medal position with 262.33 points.
Malinin had been bothered coming into nationals by a boot problem, and he resorted to wearing an old pair that he used at the Grand Prix Final. And with that issue still in the back of his mind, he wasn’t sure whether he would try the quad axel.
He did. And he landed it in spectacular fashion.
The opening pass to his free skate, set to music from the HBO hit series “Succession,” had a base value of 12.5 points, but it was so well done that he scored more than 16 points on that element alone. He followed with a perfect quad lutz before a mistake on his planned quad loop, which he turned into a double that appeared to slow down his momentum.
Malinin recovered to land a quad salchow before falling on his quad lutz. And after doubling his planned quad toe loop, he came back to land a triple lutz-triple axel-triple toe sequence that scored 21-plus points and ended his program on a high note.
Dorsey named Browns offensive coordinator
Ken Dorsey, a former Browns quarterback — and former Buffalo Bills coordinator — has been hired by Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski as the team’s offensive coordinator.
Dorsey was fired as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator in November. It’s not yet been decided if he’ll call plays for Cleveland.
Dorsey, the former University of Miami standout, replaces Alex Van Pelt, who was fired by Stefanski just days after the Browns were beaten 45-14 by the Houston Texans in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Dorsey didn’t make it through two seasons with the Bills. He was let go in November by coach Sean Mcdermott during a surge in turnovers and puzzling regression by quarterback Josh Allen. The Bills finished the regular season strong — with Joe Brady as OC — and won the AFC East before losing in the playoffs to Kansas City.
The Bills promoted Brady to full-time offensive coordiantor on Sunday.
Dorsey became Buffalo’s offensive coordinator in 2022 when Brian Daboll was hired as coach of the New York Giants. Dorsey previously worked as the Bills’ quarterbacks coach.
Dorsey played for the Browns from 2006-08 and is one of 37 quarterbacks to start for them since 1999.
Korda wins playoff to take LPGA event
Nelly Korda rallied to win her hometown LPGA Drive On Championship in Bradenton, Fla. and delay
Lydia Ko’s LPGA Hall of Fame entry, outlasting the New Zealander on the second hole of a playoff after overcoming a three-stroke deficit with an eagle-birdie finish.
Korda won with a 4-foot par putt on the par-4 18th after Ko’s 5-footer caught the lip and spun out.
Ko won the season-opening Tournament of Champions last week in Orlando for her 20th tour victory to move within a point of qualifying for the Hall of Fame.
Four strokes ahead of Ko beginning play Sunday at Bradenton Country Club, Korda shot a 2-over 73 to match Ko at 11-under 273. Ko also eagled the par-5 17th in a 69.
Korda dropped four strokes in a three-hole stretch before rallying with the eagle putt across the green on 17 and an approach to a foot on 18.
On the first extra trip down 18, Korda missed a 12-foot birdie try from the back fringe after Ko got upand-down for par after hitting to the grandstand wall over the green.
On the second playoff hole, Korda went long to the wall and chipped to set up the winning putt. Ko threeputted after leaving her 30foot birdie putt short.
Webb captures Supercross title
Cooper Webb finished second, second and fifth to win the AMA Supercross
Triple Crown overall title with nine points on Saturday night at Angel Stadium. It was his first victory of the season, and there has now been a different winner in each of the four races held this season.
Jason Anderson (fourth, first and seventh) finished second on the final podium with 12 points followed by Eli Tomac who earned 13 points after winning the final 450cc race on Saturday.
Three 12-minute races were held during this event with riders earning points in each based on their finishing positions. The one with the lowest total won the overall title.
— Damian Dottore
Baffert wins his third Pegasus World Cup
Bob Baffert was the first trainer to win the Pegasus World Cup Invitational twice. And now, he’s the first to win it three times.
National Treasure, the Preakness winner last year, dug deep in the stretch to win the 1 1/8-mile Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.
National Treasure — the 5-2 favorite — had to hold off hard-charging Senor Buscador in the stretch run to get the victory.
Crupi, a 30-1 shot, was third.
National Treasure, ridden by Flavien Prat, finished in 1 minute, 50.51 seconds.