Kali Christ places fifth at worlds

Kali Christ of Regina was fifth in the women’s 1,500 metres Friday at the world single distances speed-skating championships in Sochi, Russia.

Two other Canadians were in the top eight. Christine Nesbitt of London, Ont., earned the bronze medal. Brittany Schussler of Winnipeg was eighth.

Nesbitt was in the secondlast pair with Ireen Wust of the Netherlands, who won the race with a time of one minute 55.38 seconds. Wust was followed by teammate Lotte van Beek (1:58.02) and Nesbitt (1:58.07).

Christ had the fastest time (1:58.69) until Nesbitt and Wust skated. Christ dropped out of the medals after van Beek and Denmark’s Diane Valkenburg skated. Nonetheless, the 21-year-old Christ was pleased with her race.

“It was pretty good,’’ Christ, who was eighth in the 1,500m at last year’s event, said in a media release. “I had a strong opener — fastest first lap ever. Usually I’m a little bit stronger in the second lap, but I fell apart a little bit on one of the corners and couldn’t get that lap back.

“It’s been a good experience skating here. (I’m) super excited to see the facilities before the (2014 Sochi Winter Olympic) Games.’’

On Thursday, Regina’s Lucas Makowsky was 19th in the men’s 1,500m with a time of 1:49.15. He won the bronze medal over that distance at the 2011 event.

■■■ Three members of the University of Regina Rams — defensive lineman Stefan Charles, and offensive linemen Brett Jones and Chris Mercer — are among 53 players at the CFL Combine this weekend in Toronto.

The players were interviewed by CFL teams on Friday. Drills and testing are on the agenda today and Sunday.

Charles was fourth in the CFL Scouting Bureau’s final rankings. Jones, a two-time all-Canadian, was named the top lineman in Canada West football last season, when Mercer was a secondteam all-Canadian.

The CFL draft is scheduled for May 6.

■■■ Graham DeLaet of Weyburn fired a 3-under-par 69 in Friday’s second round of the PGA’s Arnold Palmer Invitational on Friday in Orlando, Fla.

DeLaet rebounded from Thursday’s first-round 76 and ended up at 1-over-par 145 after two rounds. That score put him in a 15-way tie for 42nd and enabled him to make the cut, which was 147.

Bill Haas and Justin Rose were tied for the lead at 135. The tournament is to conclude Sunday.

■■■ The Cathy Inglis team from the Yorkton Curling Club finished with a 5-6 record at the Canadian senior women’s curling championship in Summerside, P.E.I.

Inglis, third Pat Kuspira, second Donna Liebrecht and lead Bev Fuches defeated Ontario’s Judy Oryniak lost 5-4 to Alberta’s Debbie Santos in Thursday’s late draw and 9-4 to New Brunswick’s Heidi Hanlon on Friday afternoon.

At the national senior men’s championship, also in Summerside, the Callie’s Gord Bell finished at 4-7.

Bell, third Brad Law, second Maurel Erick and lead Gord Fritzler lost 8-7 to Alberta’s Wade White before defeating the Northwest Territories’ Glen Hudy 10-3 on Friday.

Tiebreakers (if necessary) and semifinals in the senior men’s and women’s events are slated for today. Finals are scheduled for Sunday.