Sport news in brief
McIlroy and Reed neck and neck in Dubai
Rory McIlroy produced a spectacular finish to the disrupted first round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic to share the clubhouse lead with “teegate” rival Patrick Reed. The pre-tournament build-up had been dominated by the war of words between Reed and McIlroy, which emerged after Reed threw a tee towards McIlroy after being snubbed by the world No 1 on the practice range.
Following a second delay of the week due to flooding at Emirates Golf Club, McIlroy returned to the course facing a short birdie putt on the par-three seventh, his 16th hole. The world No 1 calmly holed from four feet, then holed out from a fairway bunker on the eighth for an unlikely eagle and rounded off his morning’s work in style with another birdie on the difficult ninth.
That gave the two-time winner a six-under-par 66 that was matched in brilliant fashion by Reed, the former Masters champion finishing on the other side of the course by holing from 15 feet for eagle on the par-five 18th.
British windsurfer moves to Spain to escape pollution
One of the world’s leading windsurfers has described her training as like “surfing in a sewer” after being forced to relocate from the English south coast to Spain due to water pollution. Sarah Jackson, twice a world championship silver medallist, had been based at Hayling Island, near Portsmouth in Hampshire, but will now train on the island of Tenerife.
Southern Water data shows that untreated sewage was released into Chichester and Langbourne harbours for the equivalent of 102 days in 2021. “This being Britain, where rainfall is very high and because I have to train in all weathers, there were some days when I was basically surfing in a sewer,” Jackson said. “That’s not just unpleasant it’s actually health threatening,” she added.
Charles Leclerc will not be Ferrari’s No 1 driver in 2023
New Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has told Charles Leclerc he will not start the season as his No 1 driver. Following Mattia Binotto’s resignation, Frenchman Vassuer, 54, has been charged with ending Ferrari’s championship drought that stretches back to Kimi Raikkonen’s title triumph in 2007.
Leclerc is viewed within Ferrari as the man most likely to lead the team’s charge, but Vassuer insists he will not be awarded preferential treatment over team-mate Carlos Sainz. “It is a clear
situation,” said Vassuer. “We have two very good drivers and they are both able to do the job.” Ferrari will unveil their new car on 14 February. PA
Ronaldo taunted by ‘Messi’ chants in Saudi Arabia
Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to be taunted with chants about his on-field rival Lionel Messi after the Portuguese forward’s new club were beaten again. Ronaldo failed to register in a 3-1 defeat to Al-Ittihad as Al-Nassr were knocked out of the Saudi Super Cup at the semi-final stage Al-Ittihad set up a final against Al Feiha on Sunday, with the club’s supporters apparently revelling in an opportunity to mock Ronado with repeated calls of Messi’s name as the 37-year-old left the pitch.
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